Brigham Young University
Feb 26 | 01:00 PM
60 - 69
University of Utah
  • How to Watch/Listen
  • ESPN+
Anonymous | Posted: 26 Feb 2005 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
Anonymous

Utes Top Cougars

Image
SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 26, 2005) -- Despite a fast start, BYU lost an early lead and the game to in-state rival Utah, 69-60, Saturday in the Huntsman Center. The loss drops the Cougars to 9-19, 3-10 in Mountain West Conference play, while the No. 12 Utes improve to 24-4 and 12-1 in the MWC. "Our aggression level was good. We competed," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said. "A coach can't be upset with this kind of effort." BYU came out scrappy and very aggressive, taking an early 20-9 lead, while holding Utah to a 1-for-10 shooting start. Foul shots kept the Utes in the game early. Utah had 16 first half foul shots compared to BYU's two. Foul shooting helped propel a Ute 20-9 run to end the first half. Over the final 2:21 of the first half, Utah scored the last seven points to tie the Cougars at the half, 29-29. Associate head coach Dave Rose was encouraged with the way the Cougars came out after their demoralizing loss at Air Force. "The guys were able to bounce back, and had a good week in practice," he said. "It's just a shame we weren't able to take advantage of that early lead." Utah pulled away in the second half, going on a 21-9 in the first eight minutes of the second half to stretch the lead to 50-38. The Cougars put together a small run to cut the Utes' lead to five, 56-51. Utah was able to overcome the late surge to win the game by nine. Rose credits Utah for its ability to execute in the second half. "You have to give a lot of credit to Utah for their patience and execution in their half-court offense in the second half," Rose said. Austin Ainge led the way for the Cougars with 17 points in the losing cause. Walk-on Brock Reichner had a career-high 9 points on 3-for-3 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three-point range. Bogut led the Utes with 26 points. Justin Hawkins added 21. The Cougars conclude regular-season play Saturday, March 5, in a home contest against UNLV. Game time will be at 7 p.m.
 

 
Brett Pyne | Posted: 23 Feb 2005 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
Brett Pyne

Game 28 - BYU Faces Utah Saturday at 1 p.m.

Image

BYU (9-18, 3-9 MWC) will play the final game of a three-game road stretch when the Cougars meet the 12th-ranked Utah Utes (23-4, 11-1) Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+Plus (KJZZ-TV in Utah) as well as being available via ESPN FULL COURT. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 (KSL.com).

UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS

The Cougars return home for the final game of the regular season when they face UNLV Saturday, March 5, at 7 p.m. in the Marriott Center. The game will be a SportsWest telecast available in Utah on KSL-TV.

BYU GAME #28 FAST FACTS

BYU COUGARS (9-18 3-9 MWC) at No. 12 UTAH UTES (23-4, 11-1 MWC)

SATURDAY, FEB. 26, 2005

JON M. HUNTSMAN CENTER (15,000)

SALT LAKE CITY 1:04 p.m. MST

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (138-105 in eighth season; same overall)

Utah, Ray Giacoletti (23-4 in first season; 140-87 in eighth season overall)

Series:

Utah leads, 121-117 (Utah defeated BYU 72-58 earlier this season in Provo)

TV:

ESPN+Plus (KJZZ-TV in Utah and available nationally via ESPN FULL COURT with Rich Waltz calling play-by-play and Irv Brown adding analysis)

Radio:

KSL 1160, BYU Sports Network (Greg Wrubell calls play-by-play with Mark Durrant adding commentary)

Web:

Live audio and live stats are available at byucougars.com/basketball_m/ (see upcoming schedule)

COUGAR QUICK HITS

- BYU (9-18, 3-9 MWC) is 6-7 at home, 2-8 away and 1-3 on a neutral floor. Saturday's game will be BYU's fourth this season against a top-25 team (North Carolina, NC State and Utah). BYU's non-league schedule this season included four Pac-10 opponents and two ACC teams.

- The Cougars are coming off two blowout losses. BYU had held the lead or been tied in the second half of every league game until the last two games. Overall, nine of BYU's losses have been single-digit setbacks, including six by five points or less and five defeats of three-points or less. Eight of BYU nine wins had been double-digit victories, including its overtime win at UNLV. It's last win was a one-point victory at home over Colorado State.

- With BYU's last victory against Colorado State, BYU coach Steve Cleveland passed Frank Arnold (1975-83) into fourth place on BYU's all-time victory list with 138 wins. He needs 14 more wins to equal Ott Romney (1927-35) and Roger Reid (1989-96) who both achieved 152 victories.

- BYU coach Steve Cleveland has utilized 17 different starting lineups this season while dealing with injuries and inconsistent play from an inexperienced roster. Before using his 16th lineup at UNM due to Keena Young's injury, he had used the same lineup the prior six games -- the first time this year the same five players have started even three consecutive games.

- The 10 BYU players averaging double-digit minutes this season include six sophomores, three seniors and one freshman. Only three players -- seniors Mike Hall and Jared Jensen and sophomore Garner Meads -- averaged more than 10 minutes during a prior season as a Cougar. Of BYU's freshmen top-20 signing class, only F/C Chris Miles is currently playing as David Burgess (ankles) and Trent Plaisted (knees) are out while top guard prospect and Arizona Player of the Year Lee Cummard has not been with the team this year after opting to serve an LDS Church mission. After returning early, he will join BYU next season.

- Senior guard Mike Hall leads BYU in scoring at 13.7 ppg. Sophomore point guard Austin Ainge contributes 9.4 ppg. Ainge leads BYU with 3.9 assists (3rd in MWC; 4.4 apg in league games is 2nd in MWC). Sophomore transfer Keena Young pulls down a team-best 5.6 rebounds but is out of action with a broken hand. Sophomore center Derek Dawes adding 4.8 rpg. Jared Jensen is No. 4 in the MWC in FG (.580) and FT (.836) percentage.

LOOKING AT UTAH

With an 11-1 mark in Mountain West Conference play, the No. 12 Utes have already secured the regular-season league championship. However, their 18-game winning streak was snapped with a 65-54 loss to New Mexico on Monday. Utah is led by 7-0 sophomore center Andrew Bogut. The 2004 MWC Freshman of the Year is averaging 20.4 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories and ranking first in the nation on the glass. Bogut has started every game this season and is shooting 63.9 percent from the field, first in the MWC and fourth in the nation. Senior Marc Jackson, who returns this season after a year-long hiatus, is second on the team in scoring with 10.9 ppg. The 6-1 guard also leads the team in assists, averaging 3.4 per outing, and is tops in three-point field goal percentage, making 48.5 percent from beyond the arc. Junior Bryant Markson, who is third on the team in scoring with 10.3 ppg and second in rebounding with 4.0 per game, is questionable for this week's contest after suffering an injury at New Mexico. A 2004 MWC All-Tournament Team selection, junior Richard Chaney is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.3 ppg. As a team, Utah shoots 52 percent from the field, including 47.6 percent from three-point range, while averaging 69.2 points per game. The Utes allow their opponents to shoot 42.2 percent with a 35.4 percent efficiency from beyond the arc while averaging 56.9 points per game. Utah is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense, second in field goal percentage and third in rebound margin (10.3). First-year Ute head coach Ray Giacoletti owns a 140-87 record in his eighth season overall.

LAST OUTING - UTES UPSET BY LOBOS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Mark Walters scored a season-high 22 points and New Mexico beat No. 12 Utah 65-54 Monday night, snapping the Utes' 18-game winning streak. The Lobos (20-6, 7-4 Mountain West Conference) used tenacious defense and strong rebounding to win for the sixth time in seven games. The Utes (23-4, 11-1), who clinched the conference regular-season title with a victory over Air Force on Saturday, shot just 37 percent. Utah entered the game ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage (52.8) and third in rebounding margin. Utah center Andrew Bogut, averaging 20.6 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds. But he shot just 3-for-11 in the second half and didn't get many touches until after the Lobos' lead had reached double digits late in the second half. Danny Granger, New Mexico's leading scorer and rebounder, had 15 points and nine boards, but it was Walters who repeatedly hit the big shot or came up with a key steal. Walters made a layup and followed with a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left on the shot clock to finish a 7-0 run that gave New Mexico a 56-42 lead with 3:42 left. Utah got within 58-51 on a dunk by Justin Hawkins with 1:13 left, but New Mexico sealed it with five free throws and a dunk by David Chiotti in the final 57 seconds.

UTAH'S PROJECTED STARTERS

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG

F 5 Justin Hawkins 6-5 220 So. 7.8 3.7

F 13 Richard Chaney 6-4 195 Jr. 9.3 2.3

C 4 Andrew Bogut 7-0 240 So. 20.4 11.9

G 2 Marc Jackson 6-1 175 Sr. 10.9 3.3

G 11 Tim Drisdom 6-3 203 So. 5.1 2.0

SERIES NOTES

BYU and Utah will meet for the 239th time Monday. The series ranks 10th in the NCAA record book in terms of most games in a rivalry and is the 11th longest running rivalry dating back to 1909. Utah is the opponent that BYU has played the most in its history (238 games) and is BYU's second longest running series (Utah State series began in 1905 and includes 220 games). BYU won the inaugural game, 32-9 in Provo, on Jan. 23, 1909, and won again on March 5 of that year, 40-27, in SLC on its way to winning the first eight games against the Utes. Utah beat the Cougars 72-58 in Provo earlier this season. Last year BYU won in Provo after the Utes' come-from-behind win in Salt Lake City and then lost to Utah in the semifinals of the MWC Tournament. The Utes' 2003 victory in Provo ended BYU's nation-best 44-game homecourt victory streak. Utah has won seven of the last 11 games since BYU ended a string of 12 straight Utah wins, its longest in the series, with the Cougars' 58-54 win at the 2000 MWC tournament semifinals. The Utes have won 10 straight at the Huntsman Center. BYU's last win at Utah was a 64-62 victory on Jan. 8, 1994. That win started a four-game BYU winning streak that preceded Utah's 12-game streak. BYU has a 65-47 record in Provo against the Utes, while Utah holds a 70-46 advantage in Salt Lake City. BYU has a 6-4 edge on neutral floors.

UTES HOLD RARE EDGE IN LONG-RUNNING SERIES

In the 96 years of the BYU-Utah series, this season will mark only the third year the Cougars have finished a season trailing Utah in the overall series. Utah has held the advantage at the end of each of the last three seasons. Utah swept the regular-season series in 2000 to take its first-ever lead (114-113) in the overall series since it began in 1909. BYU evened the series with a 2000 MWC Tournament victory that year. Utah again held a one-game edge (116-115) in 2002 with its win in Salt Lake City. In the second game that year the Cougars staged a second-half comeback from 21 points down to even the series again at 116-116. With its sweep of the season series in 2003, Utah earned its third overall advantage in the long-running series and finished a season with the lead for the first time ever. It was also Utah's first-ever multi-game lead (118-116). Utah won two out of three meetings last year to increase its advantage and won in Provo this year to earn its largest series lead of four games (121-117).

BYU SERIES RECORD VS. UTAH

Overall Series Record: Utah leads 121-117

BYU Record in Provo: 65-47

BYU Record in Salt Lake: 46-70

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 6-4

BYU Record under Steve Cleveland: 4-14

BYU Record in OT Games: 4-6* (1-1 Rd, 2-5 Hm, 1-0 Ntrl)

*1-0 in 2OT, 0-2 in 3OT - all in Provo (83-85)

Last Overtime Game: 1991, won v. Utah @ WAC, 51-49

Longest BYU Win Streak: 8 (1909-12)

Longest Utah Win Streak: 12 (1995-2000)

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 31 two times (1965, 94)

Largest Utah Margin of Victory: 36, 85-49 (1997)

Most Points Scored by BYU: 115 (1966)

Most Points Scored by Utah: 106 two times (1962, 1963)

THIS YEAR IN PROVO -- NO. 21 UTES PULL AWAY IN SECOND HALF

PROVO -- A solid first half was not enough for the Cougars as the University of Utah pulled away to defeat BYU, 72-58, Monday in the Marriott Center in the first of two meetings between the in-state rivals. No. 21 Utah increased its lead to 121-117 in the series, its largest margin ever. BYU Coach Steve Cleveland said his team played a solid first half but made too many mistakes to stay in the game. Austin Ainge led three double figure scorers for BYU with 15 points while Jimmy Balderson recorded 13 and Keena Young contributed 10. Ainge added five assists, and Young and Garner Meads had four rebounds each. Four Utes finished with double digits, led by Andrew Bogut's game-high 20. Bryant Markson and Tim Drisdom had 11 points each, and Mark Jackson chipped in 10. Bogut also had a game-high nine rebounds and added four assists. For the game, the Cougars shot 43.2 percent (19-44) while Utah connected on 61.9 percent of its shots (26-42). The Utes also won the rebounding battle, grabbing 27 to BYU's 20. The Cougars did not let Utah's No. 21 ranking intimidate them in the first period as they came out aggressive on both sides of the ball. Derek Dawes gave BYU its first lead at 3-2 with a thunderous dunk off a feed from Ainge. The Utes went ahead at 7-5 before an Ainge three gave the Cougars a lead they would hold for more than nine minutes. Rose hit a three from the corner that was followed by an Ainge turnaround jumper over Bogut, putting BYU up 15-9. Utah chipped its way back into the game with a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to 15-14, but a Balderson layup for the Cougars pushed the lead back to three. The Utes then went on an 8-2 run, capped by layups from Jackson and Bogut to give Utah a 22-19 lead. BYU put together a run of its own with Jared Jensen and Ainge hitting two-point field goals and Balderson nailing a three. A Jensen free throw extended the Cougars' lead to 27-24. Utah took the lead once more on four consecutive free throws by Bogut. Meads came down the floor determined to send his team into the locker room with the lead, rebounding his own miss and putting it back for the 29-28 halftime lead. It marked only the fourth time this season the Utes have gone into the locker room trailing. The shot also made Meads the eighth BYU player to score in the first half. Utah stormed out of the gates in the second period of play, scoring the first four points before Balderson tied the score at 32 with a three pointer from the corner. The Utes then scored seven straight points, forcing a BYU timeout. The timeout did not halt the momentum as Markson kept the run alive by getting a dunk and a three-pointer to put the Utes up 44-32, extend the run to 16-3 and forcing another Cougar timeout. Hall ended the run with a turnaround jumper out of the timeout to pull the Cougars to within 10. But Utah again pulled away, going up by 13 at 54-41. Balderson responded with a three to again cut the lead to 10. BYU would get no closer as the Utes stayed in control the rest of the way to take the game and stay perfect in the Mountain West.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME IN PROVO THIS YEAR

"The turning point of the game was in the second half. We had control of the basketball game but we let it go in the first three or four minutes of the second half. We're not good enough to beat this caliber of team when our whole team isn't playing well."

LAST YEAR AT UTAH -- UTES EARN COMEBACK WIN OVER BYU

SALT LAKE -- Utah's Nick Jacobson and Andrew Bogut each scored 21 points and the Utes held BYU to just one field goal in the final six minutes as Utah overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to earn a 64-56 victory Saturday afternoon at the Huntsman Center. The Cougars jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half behind the shooting of Mark Bigelow and Garner Meads. Bigelow scored 14 points in the first half on 5-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers, while Meads added 10 points. BYU used runs of 10-2 and 11-4 to build its lead in the first 20 minutes with Utah never leading, but the Utes came out of the locker room in the second half fired up behind the 3-point shooting of Jacobson and the inside play of Bogut. After a Mike Hall basket to open the second half, the Utes exploded for a 15-4 run to cut the BYU lead to six at 40-34. Utah would take its first lead of the game on a Jacobson 3-point basket with 7:16 remaining. Utah would take the lead for good a few of minutes later on another 3-pointer by Jacobson, who finished the game with five triples, four in the second half. Then the Utes turned up the defensive pressure, holding BYU to just six points over the final four minutes. Bigelow finished with a season-high 22 points to lead BYU, while Rafael Araujo added a team-high nine boards. Bogut pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for Utah and also had an excellent game defensively, helping hold Araujo, who entered the game with a league-leading 19.8 scoring average, to just eight points. BYU forward Jared Jensen missed his third straight game with a back injury, and Cougar backup point guard Terry Nashif was not able to play, out with mononucleosis. With the loss, BYU falls to 2-4 in conference and 12-7 overall, while Utah improves to 4-2 in conference and 16-5 overall. The Cougars have lost three games in a row for the first time since a three-game skid in 2002. BYU has played eight of its last 11 games on the road, including the last three contests. The Cougars will play five of their final eight regular-season games in Provo.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME AT UTAH LAST YEAR ...

"We played well in the first half. We were able to stop them from getting second and third shots, but we weren't able to stop them from getting second and third opportunities in the second half. In the last five minutes (of the game) they got their confidence back and we weren't able to counter."

BYU's LAST OUTING - FALCONS SLAM COUGARS

USAFA -- Records were broken at the Clune arena, as the Falcons dominated the Cougars in every way possible to give BYU its worst lost in MWC history, 70-39. For the Cougars and head coach Steve Cleveland, it is the lowest point total for BYU in the MWC and also is the Falcons' first-ever sweep against the Cougars. "There were too many no-shows in tonight's game," said Cleveland. "It's impossible to compete with teams in this conference if we can't have two or three players producing every night." It was another nightmarish start for BYU, as the Falcons left the Cougars scoreless until Austin Ainge hit a deep three-point shot with 9:21 remaining in the first half. The Falcons Antoine Hood scored 14 points in the game, including the first two points of the game to start a 19-0 run. The Falcons continued to overwhelm the Cougars in the opening half, leading by as many as 26 points on their way to a 37-13 advantage. The frustration continued for the Cougars in the second half. BYU had no answer for the Flacons offense and struggled to find a high quality shot to close the gap on Air Force's hefty lead. A bigger BYU team struggled inside the paint, being outrebounded 36-24 and outscored in the low-post 38-10. Cougar guard Sam Burgess led the way for all Cougar scoring, finishing with nine points and center Chris Miles added seven points. Overall, BYU made a season-low 28 percent on 14-of-50 shooting from the field. The Cougars return to Utah to face the regular-season champion Utah Utes. The Utes had their 18-game winning streak come to an end Monday night with a loss at New Mexico.

LINEUPS AND INJURIES A PLENTY FOR COUGARS

The Cougars have used 17 different starting lineups this year with 12 different Cougars receiving a starting assignment. Due to injuries, BYU played the last two games with eight scholarship players among its 11 players currently available. Seven players have missed time due to injury this year. After helping BYU to a 3-3 record in six straight starts, the team's leading rebounder Keena Young became the most recent Cougar to go down (broken hand), missing the past two games. He is likely out for the year. The return of forward Garner Meads is considered doubtful for Saturday. He has has missed the last five games (leg) and 10 overall.

JENSEN HAD HOT HAND AT UNM

Jared Jensen went 9-of-10 from the floor to score 20 points in 21 minutes of play, despite missing practice with the flu and not feeling 100 percent in the Pit against UNM. His nine field goals made is a new career high. BYU lost for only the second time in the seven games this year when Jensen has taken at least eight shot attempts. Jensen leads the team and is fourth in the conference in both field goal (.580) and free throw (.836) accuracy.

COUGARS AMONG STATISTICAL LEADERS

Jared Jensen is fourth among MWC players in field goal (.580) and free throw (.836) percentage. Austin Ainge is No. 3 in assists (3.9) and No. 2 in league games only (4.4). Mike Hall ranks No. 4 in steals (1.6) and No. 3 in thefts in MWC games (1.8) while also ranking No. 7 in scoring (13.8) in league games. Jimmy Balderson ranks fifth in three-point percentage overall (.426) and fourth in MWC games (.444) while Mike Rose is No. 7 in overall games in three point percentage (.398) and is No. 2 in most threes made overall (53).

SHOOTING BAROMETER

BYU is 9-1 when the Cougars have the better shooting percentage. BYU is 4-1 when topping 50 percent, suffering its first loss at New Mexico when making more than half its shots despite shooting 55 percent, its highest percentage during MWC play. The Lobos made 62 percent from the floor and 68.4 percent on threes, both highs by a BYU opponent this year. After its loss at AFA, BYU is now 0-5 when its opposition makes 50 percent or better and is 0-17 this season when being outshot. BYU made a season-low 28 percent at Air Force while the Falcons shot 56.3 percent.

DOUBLE-FIGURE POINTS

BYU has struggled to receive consistent performances from its young roster this season, a significant reason for its 9-18 record despite being competitive in most games. The Cougars have proven a strong team when more than two players have been able to put up double-digit points in a game. BYU has had 11 games this year when three or more players scored in double figures and the Cougars are 8-3 in those games. When two or fewer Cougars reach double figures, however, BYU is a mere 1-15. The impact of not having at least three players consistently stepping up offensively in a given game has been significant when considering the fact that BYU has lost nine games by single-digit margins, including five by three points or less. When seniors Mike Hall and Jared Jensen both score in double figures and are joined by any other Cougar with 10 or more points, BYU has not lost this season (5-0). When Hall and Jensen are the only Cougars to reach double figures, BYU has a 5-4 record. Listed below are some breakdowns on BYU's double-digit scoring this season.

BYU Record When ...

6 players reach double figures 1-0

5 players reach double figures 2-1

4 players reach double figures 5-1

3 players reach double figures 0-1

2 players reach double figures 1-11

1 players reach double figures 0-3

No players reach double figures 0-1

Mike Hall reaches double figures 9-12

Austin Ainge reaches double figures 5-6

Jared Jensen reaches double figures 5-5

Keena Young reaches double figures 6-3

Mike Rose reaches double figures 5-4

Jimmy Balderson reaches double figures 2-4

Derek Dawes reaches double figures 3-2

Garner Meads reaches double figures 1-1

Terry Nashif reaches double figures 1-0

Chris Miles reaches double figures 1-0

DAWES NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Jan. 31)

Sophomore center Derek Dawes earned MWC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 31 for his career night against New Mexico, marking the first award of his career. The 6-foot-11 Dawes set career bests of 14 points, 6-of-7 (.857) shooting, and 4 blocks while tying career marks of 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in the victory. He was also perfect from the free-throw line (2-2) in 32 minutes of action. After his only missed shot of the game, Dawes used his hustle to regain the Cougar possession by stealing a Lobo pass. Dawes' energy and effort in the post led the Cougars to a 68-53 win over the Lobos, their first MWC win of the season. The 14-point, 10-rebound double-double was the first of his career.

CLEVELAND NOW NO. 4 IN ALL-TIME WINS, NO. 2 ON MARRIOTT CENTER VICTORIES, NO. 1 IN MWC WINS

With a 138-105 overall record in his eighth season in Provo, BYU coach Steve Cleveland is fourth on BYU's career coaching victories list and is 15 wins from moving into second. Cleveland passed Frank Arnold (1975-83) with his victory over Colorado State in Provo on Feb. 14. Legendary Cougar coach Stan Watts has the most wins in school history with 372 triumphs from 1949-72. Ott Romney (1927-35) and Roger Reid (1989-96) both achieved 152 victories. Cleveland has guided BYU to the second-most Marriott Center wins and needs three more to have the most ever by a BYU coach. With his 90-25 record in the Cougars' home arena, he is currently second behind Roger Reid, who has 92 Marriott Center wins. Cleveland has 48 MWC wins, sharing top honors with Wyoming's Steve McClain.

STREET & SMITH'S NAMES BYU THE No.36 BASKETBALL PROGRAM ALL-TIME

The BYU men's basketball program has been named one of the nation's all-time greatest basketball programs. Street & Smith's has produced a publication (released Jan. 25) recognizing the "100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time," ranking BYU No. 36 on its list. Kentucky is named the No. 1 basketball program, with UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas and Duke completing the top five. Indiana, Louisville, Arkansas, UConn and Cincinnati round out the top 10. Street & Smith's graded each program's basketball history on the basis of NCAA Tournament success, NIT success, national championships, conference regular-season and tournament titles, all-time win-loss percentage, graduation rate, NCAA infractions, NBA first-round draft picks and mascot ferocity. Five Mountain West Conference teams made the list with Utah ranked 11th, UNLV 28th, BYU 36th, Wyoming 42nd and New Mexico 98th. Other in-state schools recognized include Weber State at No. 51 and Utah State at No. 82. Since BYU's first season in 1903, Cougar fans have cheered BYU to 82 winning seasons, 26 conference titles, 21 NCAA invites and 2 NIT titles, while Cougar players have earned 40 All-America and 96 all-conference citations, 43 NBA Draft selections and one National Player of the Year award. BYU entered the season No. 19 all-time in total victories and No. 36 in winning percentage.

PLAYERS IN THE PROS

In the past five years the BYU program has helped several players go on to professional basketball opportunities. Rafael Araujo was the No. 8 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, selected by the Toronto Raptors. Travis Hansen was the second-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2003.After playing one year with the Hawks he signed a lucrative one-year contract to play in Spain. Others to play professionally over the past five years include Mekeli Wesley (Belgium), Terrell Lyday (France), Trent Whiting (Italy), Eric Nielsen (Spain) and Silester Rivers (Chile). In addition to Araujo, Mark Bigelow (Germany) and Luiz Lemes (Brazil) joined the professional ranks overseas from last year's team.

CURRENT BYU WIN/LOSS STREAKS ...

At home 1-0

On the road 0-3

On a neutral floor 0-1

At home vs. Nonconference 3-0

At home vs. MWC 1-0

On the road vs. Nonconference 0-2

On the road vs. MWC 0-3

On a neutral floor vs. Nonconference 0-1

On a neutral floor vs. MWC 0-1

at regular season tournament 1-0

at MWC Tournament 0-1

at NCAA Tournament 0-5

at NIT 0-1

ESPN+PLUS COVERAGE OF SATURDAY'S GAME

In addition to ESPN FULL COURT subscribers, Saturday's broadcast will be available in nine different states as part of the ESPN+Plus telecast. The stations airing ESPN+Plus games this season are listed below.

ESPN+Plus Affiliate Station

Market Affiliate

Salt Lake City KJZZ-TV

Las Vegas KFBT-TV

Phoenix KAZE-TV

Denver Altitude Sports Network (ALT)

San Diego Channel 4 San Diego

Albuquerque, N.M. KRQE-TV

Wichita/Hutchinson, Kan. KWCV-TV

Colorado Springs, Colo. KXRM-TV

Pocatello, Idaho KFXP-TV

Yuma, Ariz. KECY-TV

Grand Junction, Colo. KGJT-TV

Twin Falls, Idaho KXTF-TV

Casper, Wyo. KLWY-TV

Cheyenne, Wyo. KLWY-TV