BYU Hosts Florida International Thursday

PROVO -- Coming off two road losses last week, BYU returns to Provo for a single home game with Florida International Thursday before returning to the road to face Rice in Houston Saturday. Thursday's game, the second of a home-and-home series with Florida International, begins at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 AM with Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant calling the action, beginning with the pregame show at 6:30 p.m. The game is not being televised.

Up Next

BYU leaves Friday morning for Houston to face Rice at the Compaq Center Saturday at 5 p.m. CST as part of a double-header also featuring North Carolina and Texas A&M. The game can be heard on KSL Newsradio. The game is not being televised.

Game 5 Fast Facts

Teams:

Brigham Young University Cougars (2-2) -- Provo, Utah

Florida International Golden Panthers (2-5) -- Miami, Fla.

Date: Thursday Dec. 7, 2000

Site: Provo, Utah

Arena: Marriott Center (22,700)

Time: 7 p.m. MST

Series: BYU leads, 1-0

Last Meeting: BYU 83, FIU 75 in overtime last year in Miami (Dec. 23, 1999)

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (45-50 in fourth year; same overall)

FIU, Donnie Marsh (2-5 in first year; 78-59 in 6th year overall)

TV: None

Radio:

KSL Newsradio 1160 AM (Cougar Sports Network)

Pregame Air Time -- 6:30 p.m. MST

Play-by-Play -- Greg Wrubell

Game Analyst -- Mark Durrant

BYU's Probable Starters:

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

F 42 Nathan Cooper 6-6 210 Sr. 6.2 5.8

F 25 Eric Nielsen 6-9 215 Jr. 6.0 4.8

F 15 Mekeli Wesley 6-9 240 Sr. 15.2 6.8

G 24 Terrell Lyday 6-3 195 Sr. 14.2 1.2

G 31 Matt Montague 6-0 190 Jr. 6.8 3.0

FIU's Probable Starters:

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

F 34 Ben Schifferer 6-5 200 Sr. 7.3 2.4

F 45 Javier Cuenca 6-4 210 So. 5.0 4.7

C 50 Karel Rosario 6-9 235 Sr. 14.6 6.1

G 23 Slavcho Slavtchev 6-4 196 Fr. 11.6 1.4

G 30 Carlos Arroyo 6-2 202 Sr. 21.9 4.1

Coach Steve Cleveland Quote

"I have been pleased with our practices the past two days (Monday and Tuesday). We will have to play well at home to beat Florida International. We certainly will need to play better than we did last week if we want to win. They have a very talented post player and two good scoring guards. It is going to be a good game."

Scouting Florida International

Florida International returns four lettermen and two starters from last year's 16-14 team. The Golden Panthers are 2-5 this season in the first year of new coach Donnie Marsh, who has a 78-59 overall record in six years overall. Marsh has only eight players on his roster but has a very athletic and talented team. Returning starter Carlos Arroyo (6-2, Sr., G) averaged 17.7 points last year and is scoring at a rate of 21.9 points per game this year to lead the Golden Panthers. Fellow returning starter Karel Rosario (6-9, Sr., C) contributes 14.6 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game while Sofia, Bulgaria-native Slavcho Slavtchev (6-4, Fr., G) is scoring 11.6 points in his freshman season. Florida International is shooting 42.4 percent from the floor, including 33.8 percent on threes, and makes 75.4 percent of its free throws. The Golden Panthers are only averaging 26.0 rebounds, being out rebounded by 10 boards per contest. They are averaging 65.7 points while allowing 74.4 after seven games. Like the Cougars, Florida International is coming off its worst defeat of the season, a 91-65 defeat at St. Bonaventure Saturday.

Series History

This will be the second meeting between the two teams. BYU won the first meeting 83-75 in overtime last year at Florida International.

Last Year's Game

MIAMI -- Scoring eight of his 12 points in the five-minute overtime period, BYU's Michael Vranes helped the Cougars pull away from Florida International Thursday for an 83-75 overtime win. Improving to 8-2 on the year with the win, BYU almost suffered the same fate it faced Tuesday in a loss at South Alabama when the Cougars lost a double-digit second half lead and trailed the home team entering the final minute of the game. But this time the Cougars were able to even the score with less than a minute remaining when senior forward Silester Rivers completed a three-point play to tie the game at 69. Terrell Lyday's tough perimeter defense on Marsho Fairweather, Florida International's leading scorer, kept Fairweather from getting a good look and his shot fell short of the mark. Lyday scored a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers while Christensen chipped in 14, Michael Vranes contributed 12 and Rivers added 10 points and a game- and season-high 11 rebounds in his first start of the year in place of Eric Nielsen. Mekeli Wesley had eight points and seven rebounds while Montague dished out a game-high eight assists. The Cougars took a 38-36 lead into intermission thanks to Todd Christensen's 14 first half points. Christensen's four three-pointers helped the Cougars match their season high with eight threes in the first half alone. Wesley, BYU's leading scorer on the season, was scoreless in the first 20 minutes but tallied five points right out of the break, including BYU's ninth three-pointer, to start a 10-0 Cougar run that grew to 14-2 when BYU took its biggest lead of the game at 52-38. But with the Cougars seemingly in charge with a 13-point lead at 56-43, the Golden Panthers turned the tables and scored the next 13 points as part of a larger 18-4 Florida International run to even the score at 56. Even though the Cougars had lost a 10-point lead at South Alabama Tuesday, and eventually the game, the Cougars were able to force overtime against a very athletic Florida International team and allow Vranes the opportunity to provide his heroics. Vranes sealed the win in overtime when his steal forced a Florida International foul and his subsequent free throw gave BYU an 81-75 advantage. Two Lyday free throws finished the scoring and gave BYU the final 83-75 margin. The Cougars shot 44 percent for the game while holding the Golden Panthers to 34 percent. BYU set season highs in three-pointers made and attempted, converting on 11 of 22 treys. Florida International was led by Fairweather with 22 points, while teammates Darius Cook added 20 and Karel Rosario 18. The Golden Panthers fell to 4-5 with the loss.

FIU Quick Facts

General Info

Location: Miami, Fla.

Founded: 1972

Enrollment: 31,274

Nickname: Golden Panthers

Colors: Blue and Gold

Home Arena: Golden Panther Arena

Conference: Sun Belt

Athletic Director: Rick Mello

Basketball Info

Head Coach: Donnie Marsh

Alma Mater: Franklin & Marshall, 1979

Office Phone: 305-348-2756

Best time to contact: Contact SID

Overall Record (Years): 78-59 (5)

Record at School (Years): 2-5 (first)

Assistant Coaches: Don Kelbick, Sergio Rouco, Lonnie Williams

1999-2000

Overall Record: 16-14

Conf. Record/Finish: 9-7/fourth

Final Ranking/Post Season Finish: N/A

2000-2001

Lettermen Returning/Lost: 4/7

Starters Returning/Lost:2/3

Returning Starters

Carlos Arroyo, 6-2, 195, Sr., G (17.7 ppg, 5.2 apg)

Karel Rosario, 6-9, 227, Sr., F (8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Media Relations

Basketball Contact: Rich Kelch

Office: 305-348-3164

Home: 954-680-0992

E-mail: kelchr@fiu.edu

Fax: 305-348-2963

Athletic Web Site: www.fiu.edu/~athletic/mbhome

2000-01 Schedule

11/17-18 FIU Tip-Off Classic

Belmont 67-65 W

Hofstra 50-78 L

11/21 Palm Beach Atlantic 77-60 W

11/24-25 FIU Thanksgiving Shootout

Canisius 65-67 L

Florida Atlantic 81-86 L

11/29 at Providence 55-74 L

12/2 at St. Bonaventure 65-91 L

12/7 at BYU

12/16 Purdue

12/22 at Purdue

12/28 at Arkansas State

12/30 at North Texas

1/4 South Alabama

1/7 Pennsylvania

1/11 at Middle Tennessee State

1/13 at Louisiana-Lafayette

1/20 Arkansas State

1/24 at Arkansas-Little Rock

1/27 Western Kentucky

2/1 Louisiana Tech

2/3 Middle Tennessee State

2/7 at New Mexico State

2/10 New Orleans

2/15 at Western Kentucky

2/17 Denver

2/21 Arkansas-Little Rock

2/25 at Louisiana Tech

3/2-6 at Sun Belt Conference Championships

BYU TEAM NOTES

Hot and Cold

After shooting 55.6 percent from the floor at home in two wins last week, BYU shot only 31.9 percent from the floor this week on the road and suffered its first two losses of the year. The Cougars especially had a hard time from three-point range, going 7-36 (.194). In the two losses, BYU's opponents shot a combined 51.5 percent from the floor, including 57.1 percent on threes (12-21). BYU allowed 80 points in both games while averaging 61. In the loss at ASU, BYU shot a season-low 25.4 percent from the floor while Arizona State made a BYU opponent-high 51.8 percent of its attempts. BYU also had season lows in points (52), field goals made (16), free throw percentage (62.1) and assists (8) vs. ASU. BYU shot 38.9 percent at USF while the Dons shot 51.2 percent. BYU was only 3-19 on three-point attempts in the game,including Terrell Lyday's 1-9 shooting behind the arc.

Shooting and Scoring

Mekeli Wesley and Terrell Lyday led the Cougars in scoring last week, averaging 15.5 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. Neither, however, was effective from the floor, going a combined 14-60 on field goal attempts. Wesley was 7-26 (.269) and Lyday 7-34 (.206). Lyday was 3-17 on threes (.176) and Wesley 0-5. At ASU, Lyday went 3-17 from the floor and Wesley 3-15 as BYU made only 15 of their 59 field goal attempts on its way to a season-low 52 points.

Starting and Playing

After playing only a combined 20 minutes in the previous two games because of foul trouble, Eric Nielsen came off the bench for the first time this year at ASU and played 31 minutes with nine points and a season-high nine rebounds. Freshman Derek Dawes got his first start. The 6-11 center played only six minutes and had one rebound and two blocks.

Winning and Losing

BYU is now 2-2 on the year. The last time BYU had an equal number of wins to losses was after the Cougars' Jan. 21 home win over San Jose State in 1999 to even their record at 8-8. BYU lost its next four games that season and ultimately finished 12-16. Last year BYU had more wins than losses throughout the entire season on its way to a 22-11 record.

Injuries Play Role as Three Players Plan to Redshirt the 2000-01 Season

BYU Head Basketball Coach Steve Cleveland announced Nov. 17 that three players on this year's team - Garner Meads, Jesse Pinegar and Bart Jepsen - plan to redshirt during the 2000-01 season. Meads and Pinegar are both freshmen members of last year's top-20 recruiting class while Jepsen is a sophomore who returned from an LDS Church mission this summer. All three players have experienced injuries that have factored into the decision to redshirt. Meads, a McDonald's High School All-American forward, has had multiple injuries impede his ability to practice. A knee surgery limited his basketball until late summer and a lung injury sustained in only the team's fifth practice has kept the 6-foot-8 forward from any physical activity for the past month. "After meeting with Garner and his family we have determined it is in his best interest to redshirt this season," Cleveland said. "He has not been able to condition because of his lung injury and has also missed nearly all of our practices. He plans to leave on his mission in February, which means he will not enroll in school for the Winter semester." Pinegar, who was a high school teammate of Meads' at Salt Lake City's Brighton High School, suffered a stress fracture in his left foot last week and has a sesmoid (inflamed bone) problem on his right foot. While he will be able to condition and lift weights, the 6-foot-9 forward will not be able to jump and practice for 4-6 weeks. A 6-foot-9 forward, Jepsen has planned on redshirting this year since returning from his mission this summer. While serving his two-year mission, he sustained a severe broken leg injury.

BYU's Last Outing

The Cougars were cold and the Sun Devils were hot Saturday afternoon in Tempe, Ariz., as Arizona State defeated BYU 80-52 at Wells Fargo Arena. BYU shot a season-low 25.4 percent from the floor while Arizona State made a BYU opponent-high 51.8 percent of their attempts. BYU fell to 2-2 with the loss while Arizona State improved to 5-1 on the year. After falling behind 15-5, BYU scored 13 straight points to take an 18-15 advantage when Eric Nielsen made a lay-in off a Mekeli Wesley assist. The Cougar edge soon became a distant memory, however, as Arizona State took a 37-22 halftime lead in the middle of an incredible 60-13 scoring run that gave the Sun Devils a margin as high as 44 points with eight minutes to go in the game. Four ASU players reached double figures, led by center Chad Prewitt with 20. Wesley and Terrell Lyday led BYU with 11 points apiece while Nielsen added nine points and a season-high nine rebounds. Lyday went 3-17 from the floor and Wesley 3-15 as BYU made only 15 of their 59 field goal attempts. The 28-point loss was BYU's third-worst scoring deficit suffered during Cleveland's tenure.

BYU PLAYER NOTES

Mekeli Wesley (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Last Game: 11 points, 7 rebounds in 30 minutes at ASU

• Wesley and Lyday scored a team-high 11 points vs. ASU. Wesley has scored in double figures in each of BYU's four games and was the Cougars' top scorer in three of the four games.Last year he had double figures in 30 of 33 games and led the Cougar in scoring in 17 games.

• Wesley made a string of 17 straight free throws over the last three games before missing his second attempt vs. ASU Saturday (finished 5-8 vs. ASU). His string included a perfect 12-12 night at USF. Wesley is 31-40 (.775) overall this year on free throws.

• Of his 12 rebounds in the last two games 10 have come off the offensive glass.

WESLEY CAPSULE: A preseason All-Mountain West Conference selection, Wesley enters his senior year as the only player on the roster to have played in each of head coach Steve Cleveland's three previous seasons ... a three-year starter, he has developed into one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference with good scoring ability from both the post and the perimeter ... he earned second-team All-MWC honors as a junior and was on the WAC Newcomer Team as a freshman ... he has bulked up between his junior and senior seasons and is in the best shape of his career ... he missed part of his sophomore season while attending Salt Lake Community College for a semester and struggled to regain his freshman form ... a team captain, he returned to lead BYU in rebounding and was nine points shy of Lyday in scoring last year ... he will again be asked to provide leadership as a primary scorer and rebounder.

2000-01 BIO: Wesley had team-high 11 points, 7 rebounds in 30 minutes at ASU ... had a season-high 20 points and 5 rebounds, 2 assists in 32 minutes vs. USF ... recorded career highs of 12 rebounds and five blocks against UCSB while recording his fifth career double double (first of season) with 11 points ... had a team-high 19 points, 3 rebounds in 21 minutes vs. Elon College, making all five of his field goal attempts.

Terrell Lyday (14.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg)

Last Game: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 38 minutes at ASU.

• Lyday has made a three in each of his four games this year. He has made multiple threes in three of the four games. Last year he made a two or more treys in 20 of 33 games.

• The usually accurate Lyday has been in a shooting slump thus far this year, shooting 29 percent from the floor and from three-point range.

• Lyday did not have a rebound against UCSB and at USF. Lyday has had at least one rebound in the other 35 games he has played at BYU. Last year he averaged 4.0 rebounds per game.

LYDAY CAPSULE: Lyday enters his senior season after exciting Cougar fans with a strong first season upon transferring from Fresno City College ... a preseason All-Mountain West Conference selection, he is a MWC Player of the Year candidate and considered the top guard in the league ... he was named MWC Newcomer of the Year last year ... athletic with a smooth jumper, he is a scorer who can finish inside or consistently knock down shots from the outside ... quick with good hands, he is an outstanding defender who led the MWC in steals last year ... he will be a go-to player for the Cougars in his final season.

2000-01 BIO: Lyday had 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 38 minutes at ASU ... had 16 points, no rebounds, 1 assist in 39 minutes at USF ... had team-high 21 points, no rebounds, 1 assist in 30 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 9 points, 3 rebounds in 23 minutes vs. Elon College ... he sat out the last exhibition with a muscle strain in his lower leg and played just over half vs. Elon.

Nathan Cooper (6.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg)

Last Game: 5 points, 5 rebounds in 19 minutes at ASU.

• He is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor (8-12) and on threes (2-3).

• He has had at least 5 rebounds in each of the four games this year.

COOPER CAPSULE: Cooper returns for his senior season as one of the team captains ... he is a versatile player who has a solid outside shot and a willingness to mix it up inside ... he has been considered the heart of the team because of his tough, scrappy nature and competitive desire ... he was the team's top free throw shooter last year... tendonitis in his knee limited his off-season play ... he has been a solid contributor in each of his first three seasons, both as a starter and off the bench.

2000-01 BIO: Cooper had 5 points, 5 re bounds in 19 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists in 31 minutes at USF ... had 6 points, 6 rebounds vs. UCSB in 28 minutes ... had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes vs. Elon College, going 3-3 from the floor, including 1-1 on threes, and hit 3-4 free throws.

Eric Nielsen (6.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Last Game: 9 points, 9 rebounds in 31 minutes at 31 minutes at ASU.

• Nielsen added season highs of nine points and a nine rebounds at ASU.

• He was 3-6 on field goals at ASU and is shooting 64.3 percent on the year. He was only 3 of 8 free throws at ASU and is shooting 54.5 percent overall from the line.

NIELSEN CAPSULE: Nielsen came on strong at the end of last season and is expected to be a major contributor during his junior season ... a two-year starter, he played on the 1-25 1996-97 team and, after returning from an LDS Church mission, on last year's 22-11 NIT quarterfinalist squad ... an intelligent player with a good mid-range jumper, he returns for his junior year physically much stronger and has improved his shooting.

2000-01 BIO: Nielsen had season highs of nine points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, 2 rebounds in 8 minutes at USF, fouling out ... had 3 points, 2 rebounds in 12 foul-trouble limited minutes vs. UCSB ... had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists in 25 minutes vs. Elon College ... his 3 assists vs. Elon College matched his season high of last season.

Matt Montague (6.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.0 apg)

Last Game: No points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers in 28 minutes at ASU.

• At USF he made his first two shots, both three-pointers, to improve to a perfect 8-8 from the floor and 5-5 on treys before missing an NBA-range three at USF. He is now shooting 10-13 (.769) from the floor and an MWC-best 83.3 percent (5-6) on threes, for the year. He was 3-12 on threes last year.

MONTAGUE CAPSULE: Montague enters his junior season as the top assist maker on the Cougar roster ... he led the team in assists last year while starting 19 of 33 games ... prior to serving his LDS Church mission, he led the 1996-97 Cougars in assists while starting every game ... a hard-nosed competitor, he sees the floor well and is a great transition passer ... he was slowed some by an achilles injury last year and wasn't able to participate in preseason conditioning fully because of a flair up of the injury.

2000-01 BIO: Montague did not score for the first time this year and had 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 28 minutes at ASU ... had a season-high 12 points with 2 rebounds, 6 assists in 34 minutes at USF ... had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists in 33 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 6 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists in team-high 30 minutes vs. Elon College. He was 2-2 from the floor, both three pointers. It is the first time he has made two treys in a game during his career at BYU. In addition to handing out a game-high 8 assists, he didn't commit a turnover and had a game-best 3 steals.

Travis Hansen (5.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

Last Game: 8 points, 2 rebounds in 17 minutes at ASU.

• Hansen was 3-8 from the floor Saturday after going 0-6 at USF. He is shooting 33.3 percent on the year (8-24). He is 2-4 on threes.

• He equaled his season high of eight points at ASU.

HANSEN CAPSULE: Hansen enters his first season at BYU and should make an immediate impact ... he enrolled this fall after sitting out a redshirt season last year upon return from his LDS Church mission ... he played at Utah Valley State College as a freshman ... he is one of the most athletic players on the team ... he is a scorer who has nice range from outside and can slash to the basket effectively ... his explosive athleticism will be highlighted in BYU's motion offense and should improve the Cougars' team rebounding.

2000-01 BIO: Hansen had 8 points, 2 rebounds in 17 minutes at ASU .... he did not score and had 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 11 minutes at USF ... had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 18 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists in 11 minutes vs. Elon College ... After missing the final exhibition game with a groin injury, he only played limited minutes vs. Elon.

Daniel Bobik (5.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg)

Last Game: 3 points, 3 rebounds in 16 minutes at ASU.

• He was 1-5 from the floor at ASU but had a season high 3 rebounds.

BOBIK CAPSULE: Bobik has enrolled at BYU for his freshman season after returning from an LDS Church mission to the Dominican Republic ... he was one of the first recruits to sign with BYU under Steve Cleveland ... he is an excellent shooter and good passer with good court awareness who could play either guard position ... he has worked with a personal trainer since returning from his two-year mission to prepare for the season.

2000-01 BIO: Bobik had 3 points, 3 rebounds in 16 minutes at ASU ... had 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 12 minutes at USF ... had 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist in 9 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 assists in 19 minutes in his college debut vs. Elon College and was 5-10 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. He had three more field goal attempts than the next closest Cougar (Terrell Lyday with 7) ... started against EA Sports (Exhibition) in place of injured Terrell Lyday and had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists ... had 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists off the bench vs. Team Reebok.

Jacob Chrisman (7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Last Game: 5 points, 3 rebounds in 12 minutes at ASU.

• He had a personal-best 4 rebounds at USF. He was one of three Cougars to foul out of the game. He had four fouls at ASU (9 fouls in last 27 minutes).

• He has made 11-17 (.647) field goals this year.

CHRISMAN CAPSULE: Chrisman could be a significant contributor in his freshman season ... he is extremely mobile and a strong rebounder ... he is an athletic low post player who can score in multiple ways ... he has developed a nice perimeter game ... a hard worker, he has a knack for the game and finds a way to make plays both on offense and defense ... a slasher-type player who has a nice shooting touch ... he will be primarily a three but could also play some four for the Cougars.

2000-01 BIO: Chrisman had 5 points, 3 rebounds in 12 minutes at ASU ... had 7 points, 4 rebounds in 15 minutes at USF ... had 4 points, 1 block, 1 steal in 23 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 1 assist in 20 minutes in his college debut vs. Elon College.

Derek Dawes (2.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Last Game: No points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks in six minutes at ASU.

• He started in place of Eric Nielsen at ASU. He came out after three minutes and only took one shot, playing a total six minutes with a personal-best 2 blocks.

• He has only taken one shot in the last two games but is 4-8 on the year from the field.

• Despite a limited role he has been an effective rebounder. He averages 3.2 rebounds in just under eight minutes per game.

DAWES CAPSULE: Dawes enters his first year of college basketball as one of the most sought-after centers in the West ... he is an active player who runs the floor well and is a good free throw shooter ... he could see significant time as a freshman ... he has outstanding shot blocking ability with great timing and good athleticism and size.

2000-01 BIO: Dawes started at ASU and did not score with two blocks and one rebound in only six minutes ... had 1 point, 1 rebound in 6 minutes at USF ... had 3 points, 4 rebounds in 7 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block in 12 minutes vs. Elon College in his college debut.

Dan Howard (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Last Game: 2 rebounds in 2 minutes at ASU.

• He was 0-1 in very limited action but had one offensive and one defensive rebound at ASU ... he fouled out after playing a season-high 12 minutes at USF with Eric Nielsen in foul trouble and USF putting a 7-footer on the court.

• He is a perfect 2-2 from both the floor and the line this year.

HOWARD CAPSULE: Howard played four games last year but redshirted after having knee surgery ... he has not had any significant game experience since last playing for his high school team in 1996 ... a hard worker, he has a knack for the ball and could be a factor in his freshman year with his size inside.

2000-01 BIO: Howard had 2 rebounds in 2 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, no rebounds, 1 block in season-high 12 minutes at USF ... did not play vs. UCSB ... had 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block in 5 minutes vs. Elon College.

Ty Shippen (1.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)

Last Game: 1 assist in 1 minute at ASU.

• After averaging 5 minutes in BYU's two home wins, he played only one minute last week in BYU's two road losses.

SHIPPEN CAPSULE: Shippen joins the Cougars after transferring from Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho ... he is a gifted shooter and can play either guard position ... he is married to the former Kaly Gillette, who plays on the BYU women's basketball team ... he is the younger brother of BYU women's basketball coach Trent Shippen ... he served an LDS Church mission to North Carolina.

2000-01 BIO: Shippen had 1 assist in 1 minute at ASU ... he did not play at USF ... played only two minutes with one turnover vs. UCSB ... had 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 8 minutes vs. Elon College.

Jordan Archibald (1.0 ppg, 1.0 apg)

Last Game: Did not play at ASU.

• He has only played six minutes this year, all in the season opener vs. Elon College.

ARCHIBALD CAPSULE: Archibald redshirted last year and returns for his freshman season ... he has good size and is a good shooter ... he suffered a broken hand during the off-season and his preseason skill development and conditioning opportunities were further limited due to a fall groin pull.

2000-01 BIO: Archibald did not play vs. ASU, USF and UCSB ... had 1 point, 1 assist in 6 minutes vs. Elon College.

Transfers Eligible on Dec. 16

KNIGHT CAPSULE: Knight transferred to BYU from Kentucky ... he becomes eligible to play his senior season on Dec. 16 vs. Utah State because of transfer rules ... he previously played at Utah Valley State College and Oregon State ... he is a hard-nosed player who can create problems for opponents with his ability to run the floor and post up ... he is primarily a power forward but could also play at center ... provides experience and depth to Cougar front line ... his brother Shane played for BYU and brother Travis currently plays in the NBA after a college career at Connecticut.

WHITING CAPSULE: Whiting enters his first year at BYU after transferring from Utah last year ... he will not be eligible to compete until Dec. 16th against Utah State because of transfer rules ... he only played five games at Utah last year because of injury ... a NJCAA All-American at Snow College, he can play either guard position ... expected to be a key contributor, he is a gifted outside shooter with excellent range and a conditioned athlete with a strong vertical leap.

Vranes out for the Year

Two-year starting guard Michael Vranes will miss the entire season after a foot injury required to fall surgeries. Vranes played both the point and wing for the Cougars and was the third leading scorer last season and the team's best defender on the perimeter.