Exhibition play opens Saturday vs. Colorado School of Mines

PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball will play its first exhibition in preparation for the 2014-15 season when it hosts Colorado School of Mines in the Marriott Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. MDT. The game will be televised live on BYUtv and broadcast on the Cougar IMG Sports Network on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM.

The preseason began with the annual Cougar Tipoff that was highlighted by senior Tyler Haws scoring 35 points. Six others scored in double figures at the Tipoff, including Kyle Davis (16), Isaac Neilson (13), Jordan Ellis (13), Anson Winder (12), Chase Fischer (11) and Luke Worthington (11). Neilson had a game-high 10 rebounds and Skyler Halford dished out a high of 11 assists.

BYU finished 23-12 overall and 13-5 to finish second in the West Coast Conference in 2013-14. The Cougars received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they were eliminated by Oregon in the second round. Haws was named the WCC Player of the Year and Kyle Collinsworth earned All-WCC First Team honors.

Colorado School of Mines went 25-5 overall and 19-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season and advanced to the South Central Region Semifinals in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Leading the Orediggers this season will be seniors Brian Muller and Trevor Ritchie, All-RMAC honorees last season and preseason honorees this year. Muller started all 30 games a year ago at guard and averaged 12.8 points while shooting 42.3 percent from three and 89.4 percent from the free-throw line. Ritchie started 29 of 30 games while averaging 9.1 points and 4.3 assists. He shot 51.9 percent from the field and 91.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Saturday’s game is the first of two exhibitions the Cougars will play in the preseason. BYU will take on Seattle Pacific at home on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. MST.