Roger Reid normally doesn't hope bad things happen to his alma mater, but tonight the former Weber State two-sport athlete hopes the Wildcat basketball players are feeling every negative effect possible - from sunburn to jet lag - following their recent trip to Hawaii.
"I hope (the Wildcats) are tired," said Reid, now the BYU basketball coach. "I hope they are jet-lagged and fatigued and still have the beaches on their minds."Reid's 7-2 Cougars face 4-3 Weber State tonight in Ogden at the Dee Event Center. Tip-off is set for 7:35. The game will be broadcast live locally on KJZZ-TV (Ch. 14) and KSL Radio (1160 AM).
Weber State got back to the mainland early Monday morning after splitting a pair of games over the weekend in the Hawaii-Nike Classic in Honolulu. The 'Cats lost in overtime to Old Dominion on Friday but regrouped to rout Baylor 109-84 in the consolation game.
As nice as the Hawaiian weather is - especially compared to Utah at this time of year - Weber coach Ron Abegglen is happy to be back in the "Purple Palace" on the Ogden campus.
"(BYU) is always a big game for us, and it will be nice to be back in the Dee Center in front of a friendly crowd," said Abegglen, who, ironically is a former BYU basketball player.
Weber's homecourt advantage concerns Reid, as well it should. Two years ago, the last time these teams met in Ogden, the Wildcats downed the Cougs 83-77 in OT.
"To me, playing Weber State or Utah State - especially on the road - is as tough as playing Oklahoma State on the road," Reid said. "I played at Weber State. I know their attitude and what they're thinking. This is their biggest game, and we've got to make it our biggest game."
Weber's top gun the past couple of outings has been 6-6 forward Jimmy DeGraffenried, a junior from Payson. DeGraffenried scored a career-high 35 points against Old Dominion and then came back with a 28-point effort versus Baylor. He's averaging a team-best 17.7 points per game.
Wildcat guard Ruben Nembhard, a senior from the Bronx, is averaging 17.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, while 6-7 forward Kirk Smith (12.3 ppg) and guard Lewis Lofton (11.1 ppg) are also scoing double figures.
BYU's height, with three starters 6-8 or taller and a 7-foot center coming off the bench, could be a problem for the 'Cats. Russell Larson, a 6-10 senior forward, leads the team in scoring (18.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). Center Kenneth Roberts isn't far behind, averaging 15.3 points and 6.6 boards per outing. All five BYU starters are now averaging double figures in scoring.
"They present some real size and match-up problems for us up front," Abegglen said. "Coach Reid's teams are always well disciplined in all areas of the game."
GAME NOTES: Roberts and Weber's junior guard Justyn Tebbs were teammates playing for Bingham High when the Miners won back-to-back state titles in '89 and '90 . . . As a team the Cougars are shooting a sparkling 80 percent from the free throw line. "(BYU) can really shoot free throws, so maybe we won't foul them," Abegglen said . . . BYU leads the overall series 13-6, but all six of Weber's victories have been in Ogden . . . After tonight's game the Cougs will be finished with games until after Christmas, but Weber heads to Laramie to face Wyoming Friday night.