With the stretch run of WCC play officially upon us and the Cougars now facing the make-or-break portion of their schedule, it seems as good a time as any to start up a new feature — the Three-Man Weave. Each week, three commentators from throughout Cougar Nation will offer their opinions and analysis on three BYU basketball-related issues for your reading pleasure.
For the maiden voyage, I am fortunate to be joined by Zach Bloxham, editor of SB Nation's excellent Vanquish the Foe blog, and Ben Wagner, a sports producer for BYU Radio and Post-Jimmer contributor. I greatly appreciate their willingness to participate and, for lack of a better term, "help a brother out" by taking part in this inaugural Weave.
Now, without further ado...
1. With Matt Carlino looking more and more ineffective with each passing game and Craig Cusick recently providing some much-needed on-court maturity in his stead, Coach Rose has openly flirted with changing his starting lineup. Who should start at point guard for the Cougars on Wednesday in Blacksburg — Carlino or Cusick?
Zach Bloxham, Vanquish the Foe: My bad, Dave Rose, Imma let you finish. No, for real, this is your call. And a tough one at that. Craig Cusick is a known commodity. He manages the team in a way that allows the bigs to get involved, gets the offense in the right set, and simply takes care of the basketball. In WCC play, I think it would be a no-brainer to give Cusick the minutes and see how the team performed. Ah, but here is the rub: Virginia Tech's athletic backcourt could overwhelm Cusick, preventing BYU from finding any offensive rhythm. BYU will need Carlino to be an effective scorer against the Hokies, and pulling his starting spot isn't the kind of psychological test I want Rose engaging in. Cusick's time will come; it just won't be on Wednesday.
Ben Wagner, BYU Radio: Carlino. I'm a big fan of Craig (or Mark, if you're Coach Cleveland) Cusick and what he's brought to this BYU team. Having a back-up point guard as effective as Cusick is a real unexpected luxury for Coach Rose. However, Carlino is simply a more dynamic player. He's a young and unexperienced freshman who will continue to have his struggles this season, but when he's on — he's on. I think the best option for Coach Rose is to keep putting Carlino out there, gauge how he's playing, and if he's ineffective go quickly to the bench with the more mature Cusick.
Steve Pierce, Post-Jimmer: Despite all recent evidence pointing to the contrary, you have to stick with Carlino right now. The kid is too young and too talented, and playing mind games with him at this point could seriously backfire — the last thing BYU needs is for the freshman to completely lose his confidence heading into the most important and challenging part of the schedule. I have to believe Matt will work his way out of this slump soon (after all, this has really only been a two-game problem) and, if he doesn't, Cusick will continue to be available as a dependable back-up who can give Rose significant minutes whenever necessary.
2. St. Mary's will finally make their long-awaited Marriott Center debut on Saturday — and the WCC frontrunners come to town at a time when BYU desperately needs a signature win. What's the most important thing that needs to happen for the Cougars to successfully avenge the beatdown the Gaels put on them in Moraga?
Bloxham: Obviously, if BYU is unable to contain the three-point prowess of those pesky Lasallians from Moraga, the Cougars are in for another long night. Beyond the defensive rotation, however, there is a rule to playing and beating Saint Mary's: The "West Coast Coast Conference Officials Have Never Met A Charge They Didn't Like" Rule. Brandon Davies was tremendous in the first meeting but was done in on a few occasions by the flop-a-rific post defense employed by the Gaels. I've never seen a team take on the aura of a European-style squad quite like Randy Bennett's Gaels. They spread the floor, use dribble penetration, hit a high-percentage from three, and are willing to garner an Oscar nomination to create a charge and a turnover. If Davies and Hartsock are cognizant of this, using a face-up game and putting the ball on the floor while going to the rim, the Cougars should be able to dominate the paint, and in turn, the game.
Wagner: Post play. In order to beat St. Mary's, the formula has to be inside-out. BYU will not be able to beat Matthew Dellavedova at his own game, but the Cougars own the advantage down low. With the guard shooting becoming increasingly worse (4 for 36? Can you say Andray Blatche?), it's more important than ever that Hartsock, Davies, and Abouo take over the scoring load by exploiting their advantage in the paint. For me, Abouo is the most overlooked key to BYU's success. When he is on, the Cougars are virtually unstoppable. Charles can shoot the 3, get to the hoop, and back down undersized wings in the post. When he's off, he puts up bad shots out of rhythm with the offense. Hartsock and Davies are going to get theirs, but if Abouo can play to his potential, no team in the conference can match up with BYU.
Pierce: Guarding the perimeter. St. Mary's lit the Cougars up from deep in their first meeting, and it wasn't just a weird fluke. The Gaels have recorded a scorching 57 percent in effective field goal percentage against WCC opponents — that's good for first in the conference. In other words, if you give them open looks, they will knock them down. If there was ever a game where BYU absolutely could not afford to be lazy on their defensive rotations in the 2-3 zone, this Saturday would be it. (Also, if somebody could try to at least somewhat contain Matthew Dellavedova, that would be stupendous for all involved.)
3. Last week's horrendous home loss to Loyola Marymount has many fans nervous about this team's tournament prospects. Based on where we're at now and your assessment of the road ahead, do you buy or sell the Cougars as an NCAA tourney team?
Bloxham: Buy. This is complete optimism in Dave Rose's ability to finish the season on a strong note. The WCC has been a three-bid league in the past, and without BYU's loss to Loyola Marymount, probably would have been assured of that again. That being said, BYU has two great chances to beat perennial Top 25 teams at home in Gonzaga and St. Mary's, plus a trip to Spokane to take on the Zags. The Cougars need to win two of those games to have a shot. A win in Blacksburg this evening will go a long way as well. The race, I believe, is for the two-spot, and the WCC tourney bye. If the Cougars can finish second in the conference, they are just one game from the WCC title game, which is enough in my mind to get them in. Rose needs to show his value. This BYU team has tourney talent. Time to step up.
Wagner: Sell. As of right now BYU is not an NCAA tournament team. They have no signature wins. Currently, their best wins look like Oregon and Weber State — not the most impressive tournament resume. However, if BYU is able to beat Virginia Tech, sweep Gonzaga, and beat SMC at home, I think they're in. If they split with Gonzaga then they need to make it to the final of the WCC tournament to even have a chance at dancing in March.
Pierce: Buy — but with great trepidation. This team is actually better than its current tournament resume indicates, but they just haven't been able to grab any signature wins yet. And if they want to go dancing in March, they better pick up a few — fast. If BYU can win three out of their four remaining "statement" games (at Virginia Tech, St. Mary's in Provo, and a pair against Gonzaga), then they can feel pretty solid heading into the WCC tournament. At that point they simply need to avoid falling on their face to an underwhelming (read: non-St. Mary's or Gonzaga) opponent and they should be sitting pretty. But they have to take care of business first, and I remain cautiously optimistic they can get it done. In Rose We Trust.
Photo: BYU Photo
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