Marriott Center
Provo, Utah
Time: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. MST
TV: BYUtv
What To Watch For:
The Great Unknown. Much like Tennessee State last week, who hung around until the second half when BYU finally pulled away, Georgia State is not a team to be taken lightly. The Panthers are in their second season under coach Ron Hunter, who led the team to 22 wins last season in a tough Colonial Athletic Association. The difference, however, is that almost that entire team graduated, leaving Hunter with a number of unknown quantities for 2012-2013 and making them a difficult team to prepare for (at least initially). Georgia State lost to Duke by 19 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in their first game of the season, but BYU isn't quite on Duke's level. This a game the Cougars should win comfortably, but they will have to prepare and play well to keep things out of the Panthers' reach.
Three-Point Problems. It's no secret that BYU struggled shooting the ball from deep last season, and those problems have largely continued so far this year. The Cougars started ice cold against Tennessee State, finishing the game shooting a mediocre 35.7 percent from behind the arc. They will almost certainly need better results tonight. Georgia State plays an aggressive zone defense that will pressure and trap BYU's ball handlers, making creating off the dribble all but impossible. The best way to beat the zone is good, crisp ball movement, causing the defense to constantly shift and leaving open shooters with clean looks at the basket. (One potential zone-buster? Raul Delgado, if he can get some minutes.) If perimeter players can knock down those shots when they get them, the Cougars will be in a very good position. If not, they could struggle to find interior holes and seams to exploit in the Panthers' scheme.
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines. The best way to kill a zone defense is shooting the lights out from the outside, but that's not always possible. Teams go cold at weird times, and some squads just aren't that good at shooting in the first place. What is such a team (coughBYUcough) to do? Ideally, they should preempt the zone, never letting it operate in the first place. That means constantly pushing the pace, beating the defense down the floor, and not allowing them to set up their zone before the ball is already in the basket. We know Rose's teams love to get out and run, and this year is no exception. BYU is currently third in the nation in adjusted tempo, which means they are consistently playing faster and using more possessions than almost every other team. The caveat, obviously, is not just to play fast, but also to play well while doing it. The Cougars started their opener by going a million miles a minute, but the play was sloppy and led to rushed shots. Once they settled into a groove, everything clicked. That kind of controlled frenzy will be key to putting Georgia State's zone on their heels tonight, whether or not the shots are falling.
Much like the Tennessee State game, this is a contest that BYU should win comfortably. The Panthers are currently in the process of reloading and the Cougars are simply the better team. However, if they shoot poorly and play out of control in transition, this could be a lot closer than it should be. Don't be surprised if Georgia State hangs around for awhile as Rose and the boys sort some things out before pulling away late. After all, it is still only the second game and kinks remain plentiful.
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