Game 2 Notes -- BYU hosts Arizona State

Coming off a road win over San Diego in its season-opener Saturday, BYU prepares for its first home game when it hosts Arizona State Saturday afternoon in the Marriott Center. The game tips at 4:07 p.m.

The game will be broadcast in Utah by SportsWest Productions on KSL-TV, channel 5. The game is also being telecast in Arizona on Fox Sports Net Arizona. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 with Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant describing the action.

GAME FACTS

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001

BYU (1-0) vs. Arizona State (1-1)

Marriott Center (22,700)

Provo, Utah

4 p.m. MT

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (68-57 in fifth year; same overall)

ASU, Rob Evans (47-46 in fourth year; 133-127 in 10th year overall)

TV:

SportsWest Productions (KSL, channel 5) / Fox Sports Net Arizona

Game time: 4:07 p.m.

Play-by-Play: Tom Kirkland (SWP)

Game Analyst: Criag Hislop (SWP)

Radio:

KSL Newsradio 1160 AM (Cougar Sports Network)

Pregame Air Time - 3 p.m. MT

Play-by-Play - Greg Wrubell

Game Analyst - Mark Durrant

Web:

Live audio available at www.KSL.com

BYU's Probable Starters:

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

F 3 Mark Bigelow 6-7 190 So. 9.0 2.0

F 25 Eric Nielsen 6-9 215 Sr. 8.0 7.0

C 52 Jared Jensen 6-9 245 Fr. 6.0 4.0

G 2 Travis Hansen 6-6 210 Jr. 21.0 8.0

G 31 Matt Montague 6-0 190 Sr. 11.0 8.0 *apg

BYU Reserves:

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

G 20 Daniel Bobik 6-6 195 So. 12.0 4.0

G 22 Jimmy Balderson 6-6 200 Fr. 3.0 5.0

F 32 Bart Jepsen 6-9 235 So. 0.0 1.0

C 40 Dan Howard 7-0 225 So. 0.0 1.0

G 12 Shawn Opunui 5-11 175 Fr. 0.0 0.0

G 10 Terry Nashif 5-10 165 Fr. 0.0 0.0

C 42 Jon Carlisle 6-10 260 So. -- --

ASU INFORMATION

Scouting ASU

Arizona State is 1-1 after losing 79-69 in OT to Portland State Tuesday night. The Sun Devils were trying to go 2-0 for the first time since 1997-98. ASU won its season opener 92-61 against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday as 10 Sun Devils saw at least 10 minutes of playing time and five players posted double digits in scoring. Chad Prewitt posted his third 20-point game of his career with 21 points in 23 minutes. ASU held SFA to just 15-of-50 (.300) from the field in the win and was 30-of-37 (.811) from the free throw line. Newcomer Curtis Millage posted 16 points in his Sun Devil debut. ASU shot .569 from the field (29-of-51).

Series Notes

This will be the 46th meeting between the two teams dating back to 1946. BYU has a 24-21 lead in the series. The teams will meet for the third straight season. They have split the last two meetings, each winning at home. ASU handed BYU its worst loss fo the season last year, downing the Cougars 80-52 in Tempe. BYU won the previous game 78-67 in Provo on Dec. 7, 1999. The previous meeting was during the 1993-94 season when they met twice with ASU defeated BYU 106-95 in Tempe in the season opener and then BYU topped the Sun Devils in the NIT, 74-67, in Provo. BYU's last win in Tempe was a slim 65-64 win on Dec. 5, 1989. ASU's last win in Provo was an 82-74 triumph on Dec. 12, 1990. The two teams are former conference foes in the Western Athletic Conference. Since the two teams last played a home and home season series in the 1977-78 year (each team winning at home), the Cougars have a 4-3 record against the Sun Devils (3-1 in Provo, 1-2 in Tempe). In the last game in Provo, ASU's high-scoring senior Eddie House did not make a field goal for the only time in his career, scoring five points on free throws while going 0-16 from the floor. BYU guard Matt Montague returned to the game after receiving stitches in a cut above his eye to lead the Cougars on a 14-1 run and take the lead for good.

Overall Series Record: BYU leads 24-21

BYU Record in Provo: 19-4

BYU Record in Tempe: 4-16

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 1-1

BYU Record under Steve Cleveland: 1-1

Longest BYU Win Streak: 4 (1964-66)

Longest ASU Win Streak: 4 two times (1961-1974, 1974-76)

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 19, 52-33 in 1946

Largest ASU Margin of Victory: 40, 54-94 in 1961

Most Points Scored by BYU: 111 two times in 1965,72

Most Points Scored by ASU: 110 two times in 1964, 75

Date Opponent Score W/L

12-5-46 vs. Arizona State 55-58 L

12-6-46 vs. Arizona State 52-33 W

12-15-47 Arizona State 46-45 W

12-16-47 Arizona State 48-45 W

12-30-61 at Arizona State 54-94 L

1-11-63 at Arizona State 84-89 L

2-16-63 Arizona State 87-104 L

2-14-64 at Arizona State 85-110 L

2-29-64 Arizona State 106-90 W

1-16-65 at Arizona State 111-102 W

2-27-65 Arizona State 104-91 W

1-7-66 Arizona State 95-81 W

2-18-66 at Arizona State 94-101 L

1-14-67 at Arizona St.(OT) 78-74 W

3-3-67 Arizona State 110-93 W

1-13-68 Arizona State 94-78 W

3-1-68 at Arizona State 97-99 L

1-25-69 at Arizona State 94-109 L

2-13-69 Arizona St 102-89 W

1-9-70 at Arizona State 88-98 L

2-12-70 Arizona State 97-91 W

1-28-71 at Arizona State 86-87 L

2-27-71 Arizona State 83-74 W

1-7-72 Arizona State 111-102 W

2-12-72 at Arizona State 95-99 L

1-27-73 Arizona State 81-67 W

2-23-73 at Arizona State 90-86 W

1-25-74 Arizona State 89-71 W

2-23-74 at Arizona State 77-100 L

1-10-75 Arizona State 80-110 L

2-15-75 at Arizona State 79-99 L

1-17-76 at Arizona State 68-83 L

2-13-76 Arizona State 93-89 W

1-20-77 at Arizona St.(OT) 84-86 L

2-19-77 Arizona State 65-84 L

1-21-78 Arizona State 96-89 W

2-16-78 at Arizona State 75-76 L

12-12-86 Arizona State' 91-85 W

12-5-89 at Arizona State 65-64 W

12-12-90 Arizona State 74-82 L

12-1-92 Arizona State 108-98 W

11-27-93 at Arizona State 95-106 L

3-17-94 Arizona State** 74-67 (NIT) W

12-7-99 Arizona State 78-67 W

12-2-00 at Arizona State 52-80 L

BYU NOTES

Hansen Opens with Big Night

Travis Hansen scored a career-high (and game-high) 21 points and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds to lead BYU to a season-opening win at the University of San Diego. Hansen led BYU in both categories. Hansen shot 54.5 percent from the floor and added a game-high two blocks while contributing one assist and one steal in the BYU win. Entering his second season with the Cougars, Hansen started and played a personal-high 37 minutes in the season-opener. He started nine times last year while appearing in 24 games.

Cleveland Perfect in Season-Openers

BYU won its season-opener for the fifth straight year. The Cougars are 3-0 at home and 2-0 on the road in season-openers under coach Steve Cleveland. Both road wins have been in San Diego. Before Saturday's win over the University of San Diego, the Cougars defeating San Diego State in Cleveland's BYU debut in 1997.

Shooting Numbers

BYU shot 45.5 percent from the floor while holding USD to a 34.6 field goal percentage. The Cougars shot 77.1 percent from the free throw line. Last year, BYU led the nation in free throw percentage at 78.0 percent.

In the Middle

Coach Steve Cleveland played 11 players against San Diego. He went with a small lineup for much of the game, due in part to foul trouble. Sophomore center Dan Howard started for the first time in 19 career appearances but played only seven minutes, with one rebound. Freshman center Jared Jensen played nine minutes off the bench before fouling out. He scored six points and grabbing four rebounds. Forward/center Bart Jepsen played three minutes with one rebound.

Senior Leaders

BYU's two seniors, Matt Montague and Eric Nielsen, each played a game-high 38 minutes. Montague scored 11 points and had a game-high eight assists while Nielsen added eight points and seven rebounds. Montague reached double-digit points only once last year in 33 games, scoring 12 points at the University of San Francisco.

Bigelow's Back

Sophomore forward Mark Bigelow played 23 minutes before fouling out in his return after spending the past two season serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman in 1999 (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Bigelow scored nine points and had 2 rebounds Saturday at San Diego.

Bobik Getting Time

After averaging 10 minutes off the bench last year while playing in 28 of 33 games, sophomore Daniel Bobik will get more playing time this season. Playing a sixth-man role, he played 33 minutes and scored 12 points with four rebounds and two assists at San Diego Saturday. He kept scored 10 points in the first half, making two threes, to give the Cougars the offensive spark it needed to maintain a 27-23 lead at the break. His season high in minutes last year was 20 vs. Florida International. He played 16 minutes at Arizona State.

Streak at Home

BYU hosts Arizona State Saturday in its first home game. BYU has a 20-game home winning streak, including a 15-0 record in the Marriott Center last season. The 20-game streak is the nation's sixth longest active home-court winning streak.

Top JC Center Signs with BYU

Rafael Araujo, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound center at Western Arizona, has signed an NCAA Letter-of-Intent to play basketball at BYU. Considered one of the top five junior-college players in the country, Araujo was recruited by North Carolina, Illinois, UNLV and San Diego State among others. A physically strong athlete with great leaping ability, Araujo runs the floor well and has range on the perimeter. "We are thrilled to have Rafael decide to join the BYU basketball program," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said. "He is a great young man that people really enjoy being around. He's got legitimate NBA center size and has the potential to make a significant impact on the program. He's still got some things to learn, but he has all the tools to become an outstanding player at the Division I level." Araujo is averaging 21 points and 13 rebounds this year for No. 7-ranked Western Arizona, located in Yuma. He scored a season-high 35 points in 22 minutes in the season-opener and has totaled a season-high 17 rebounds. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Araujo will enter BYU as a junior. He will enroll next fall.