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September 27th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
BYU Cougars
Overall Rank:
#44
Conference
Rank: #2 MWC
2005-06:
20-9, 12-4, 2nd (t)
2005-06
postseason: NIT
 Last season
first year coach Dave Rose led BYU to a surprising 20-win
campaign and a trip to the NIT. With most of the impact players
returning, the Cougars are looking to take the next step and
return to the NCAAs for the first time since 2004.
Who’s Out:
Brock
Reichner averaged 10.4 points per game during his senior
campaign. The guard was the main long range threat on the team
and his consistent shooting will be missed, yet there are others
ready to take over. Jackson Emery, who started six games last
year, is also leaving the backcourt and heading out on a
two-year mission. The frontcourt loses Derek Dawes to injury
and seldom used forward Jermaine Odjegba to BYU-Hawaii. Dawes
saw limited action in 19 contests, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6
rebounds.
Who’s In:
Up front Vuk
Ivanovic and Luiz de Toledo will see minutes off the bench.
Ivanovic, a 6-10 transfer from Seton Hill (not Hall) is a crafty
big man who isn’t afraid of a little contact. The Brazilian to
Provo pipeline continues with de Toledo. An amazingly athletic
player, the coaching staff may have trouble keeping the 6-7
power forward on the bench for too long. Sam Burgess, Jonathan
Tavernari and Jordan Cameron will battle for minutes on the
wings. Burgess is the experienced option who played as a
sophomore two years ago before redshirting during the 2005-2006
campaign. He can be lethal from long range, but may lose some
of his minutes thanks to Tavernari and Cameron. They don’t have
the experience, but both are good athletes who are no strangers
to putting up big numbers in the scoring column. Ben Murdock
will see some minutes as the backup point guard. The transfer
from Dixie State College is a solid ballhandler who can create
for his teammates with his quickness.
Who to Watch:
Trent
Plaisted, the MWC Freshman of the Year, led the Cougars with
13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. At 6-11 and 245 pounds,
Plaisted is surprisingly athletic and can run the floor and step
out and hit the mid-range jumper. On the defensive end, the San
Antonio, Texas product is a shot blocking threat and can use his
athleticism to shut down the opposition. Keena Young and
Fernando Malaman split the starting job next to Plaisted last
season. Young, at 6-6, is more of a slashing wing than a power
forward, but he proved to be the more effective option on the
offensive end and in the rebounding department. Malaman has
more size at 6-9 and 215 pounds and still put up decent numbers
averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 boards on the season.
Final
Projection:
Point guard
Rashaun Broadus will once again be the play-caller on the
court. Broadus averaged 9.0 points and 3.7 assists during his
first season in Provo after a stint at Western Nebraska
Community College. With a year in the system, Broadus should be
more effective and keep his 2.7 turnovers per game down a little
bit more. The experienced Jimmy Balderson and the dynamic Lee
Cummard are a tall and lethal pair on the wings. Along with
Broadus, Balderson will be asked to do much of the long range
shooting. With a little consistency in that department, the 6-6
guard will improve on his 10.2 points per game. Cummard started
in 14 games as a freshman and showed his skills in all facets of
the game. His best attribute may simply be his intensity. If
there’s a ball on the floor, there’s a good chance Cummard won’t
be far behind. With the bevy of newcomers and returning players
like Austin Ainge and Mike Rose, depth won’t be an issue. The
Mountain West is tough this year and even if there are two NCAA
bids to go around, BYU will have to fight hard to get one of
them.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Rashaun Broadus,
Senior, Guard, 9.0 points per game
Jimmy Balderson,
Senior, Guard, 10.2 points per game
Lee Cummard,
Sophomore, Guard, 4.9 points per game
Keena Young,
Senior, Forward, 10.3 points per game
Trent Plaisted,
Sophomore, Forward, 13.6 points per game
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