Weber State will be looking for its first win ever in the Marriott Center when it takes on BYU tonight.
"They're the best team in the state," said BYU coach Roger Reid of the 9-2 Wildcats, who have already beaten Utah and Utah State. "They're very well-balanced, very athletic and very quick."Last year, Weber State downed BYU in Ogden in overtime. But the 'Cats are 0-13 in the Cougars' arena, losing nine times to BYU there, three times in NCAA regional games, and once in the consolation game of the Cougar Classic.
Weber State coach Ron Abegglen - a graduate of BYU - is worried about the Cougars' size. "They present us with some very big size matchups inside," he said. "They are by far the tallest team we've played."
Reid - a graduate of Weber State - points out that his team hasn't played that big so far, having been outrebounded by several opponents by wide margins. And Reid says he's worried about Weber's outside shooting.
"You have to respect them from the three-point line," the BYU coach said. "We can't afford to give three-for-two. We can't afford to give up easy threes."
Giving up three-pointers has been a BYU weakness this season. In their last game, the Cougs allowed Texas Tech to hit 8 of 13 three-pointers in the first half. In the second half, they changed their defensive approach. Reid told his players to pressure the ball, dare the Red Raiders to drive, make them shoot twos instead of threes. It worked, as BYU won its fourth straight game and improved to 5-2.
Abegglen's biggest challenge may be finding someone to guard Cougar forward Russell Larson, who has been on a tear, scoring 107 points in his last four games.
"Russell Larson is an outstanding player, and frankly, we really don't have anyone who matches up with him," Abegglen said.
The Wildcats aren't big, but they do boast a balanced scoring attack. They have six players averaging double-figure points, and seven different players have led the team in game scoring.
Reid said Monday that Kenneth Roberts is now the starting center, replacing John Fish, who missed a couple of games with a bad back.
A victory over BYU would give the Wildcats the Oquirrh Bucket - symbol of in-state basketball supremacy - for the second straight year, something no other Wildcat hoop team has done.
The game starts at 7:30 and will not be televised live.