BYU Hosts UC Santa Barbara Saturday

PROVO -- After its season-opening win over Elon College Tuesday, BYU now prepares to host UC Santa Barbara Saturday in the Marriott Center. The game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. as part of a double-header contest with the BYU women's basketball team, who face UCLA at 3 p.m. The women's game is on KBYU-TV while the men's game can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 AM with Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant calling the action. The men's game is not being televised.

Up Next

The Cougars will take their first road trip of the year next week when they travel to play San Francisco Thursday at 7 p.m. PST and Arizona State Saturday at 4 p.m. MST.

Game 2 Fast Facts

Teams:

BYU Cougars (1-0) -- Provo, Utah

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (0-2) -- Santa Barbara, Calif.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000

Site: Provo, Utah

Arena: Marriott Center (22,700)

Time: 7:05 p.m. MST

Series:

BYU leads series 3-0

Last year: BYU 57 UCSB 48 in Santa Barbara

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (44-48 in fourth year; same overall)

UCSB, Bob Williams (29-29 in third year; overall, 218-129 in 13th season)

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. 10.0 7.0

F 25 Eric Nielsen 6-9 215 Jr. 8.0 6.0

F 15 Mekeli Wesley 6-9 240 Sr. 19.0 3.0

G 24 Terrell Lyday 6-3 195 Sr. 9.0 3.0

G 31 Matt Montague 6-0 190 Jr. 6.0 4.0

UCSB's Probable Starters:

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

F 30 Mark Hull 6-7 200 So. 13.5 4.0

F 50 Juliano Jordani 6-7 235 Sr. 5.0 9.5

F 40 Mike Vukovich 6-9 235 Jr. 4.5 3.5

G 3 LaRon Bryant 6-2 195 Sr. 13.0 2.0

G 35 B.J. Ward 6-1 175 So. 9.5 1.0

UCSB Quick Facts:

General Info

Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Founded: 1944

Enrollment: 18,200

Nickname: Gauchos

Colors: Blue and Gold

Home Arena: The Thunderdome (6,000)

Conference: Big West

Athletic Director: Gary Cunningham

Basketball Info

Head Coach: Bob Williams

Alma Mater: San Jose State (1976)

Best time to call: Contact SID

Office Phone: (805) 893-2141

Overall Record (Years): 218-127 (12)

Record at School (Years): 29-27 (2)

Assistant Coaches: Marty Wilson, Pete Padgett and Mark Amaral

1999-2000

Overall Record: 13-14

Conf. Record/Finish: 10-6 / 2nd West

Final Ranking/Post Season Finish: N/A

2000-2001

Lettermen Returning/Lost: 7/5

Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3

Returning Starters

Mark Hull - 6-7, 200, So., F (10.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg)

Adama Ndiaye - 6-9, 235, Sr., F (9.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg)

Media Relations

Basketball Contact: Bill Mahoney

Office: (805) 893-3428

E-mail: BillMahoney@athletics.ucsb.edu

Fax: (805) 893-4537

Athletic Web Site: www.elon.edu/athletics

2000-01 Schedule

Nov. 19 - at Pepperdine 53-64 L

Nov. 21 - USF 74-77 (OT) L

Nov. 25 - at BYU

Nov. 29 - at UCLA

Dec. 2 - Westmont College

Dec. 6 - San Diego State

Dec. 9 - USC

Dec. 22 - at St. Mary's

Dec. 27 - at UC Riverside

Dec. 30 - Loyola Marymount

Jan. 4 - *Boise State

Jan. 11 - *at Cal State Fullerton

Jan. 13 - *at UC Irvine

Jan. 18 - *Long Beach State

Jan. 20 - *at Idaho

Jan. 25 - *UC Irvine

Jan. 27 - *Cal State Fullerton

Feb. 1 - *at Long Beach State

Feb. 3 - *at Pacific

Feb. 8 - *Idaho

Feb. 10 - *Cal Poly

Feb. 15 - *Utah State

Feb. 17 - UC Riverside

Feb. 22 - *at Cal Poly

Feb. 24 - *Pacific

Mar. 1 - *at Utah State

Mar. 3 - *at Boise State

Mar. 8-10 - Big West Tournament

Series History

This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams. They met last season with BYU winning, 57-48, in Santa Barbara on Dec. 29, 1999. The first meeting was in 1940 in Santa Barbara (BYU 47 UCSB 39. The other game was in Provo at the 1979 Cougar Classic (BYU 87 UCSB 65).

Scouting UC Santa Barbara

The Gauchos return seven letterwinners and two starters from last year's 14-14 team that finished second in the West Division of the Big West with a 10-4 mark. This year's squad is out of the blocks with an 0-2 record. The Gauchos lost at Pepperdine on Dec. 19, 53-64, and were defeated in overtime (74-77) Tuesday night at home against BYU's next opponent, San Francisco. The Gauchos are shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point range in the first two games. They are making 67.4 percent of their free throws. Their opponents are shooting 42.7 percent and only 22.9 percent on threes. The Gauchos are being out rebounded 39.0 to 36.5 thus far and have been out scored by an average of 70.5 to 63.5. Sophomore forward Mark Hull (6-7, 200) leads a balanced scoring attack for UCSB. He scores 13.5 points per game while freshman forward/guard Branduinn Fullove (6-4, 210) adds 13.0 off the bench and starting senior guard LaRon Bryant (6-2, 195) also chips in 13 points. Sophomore B.J. Ward (6-1, 175) contributes 9.5 points from the other guard starting guard spot. Senior forward Juliano Jordani (6-7, 235) leads the team on the boards with 9.5 rebounds per game. The Gauchos are coached by Bob Williams, who is now 29-29 in his third year in Santa Barbara. He is 218-129 overall in 13 seasons as a coach.

Last Year's Meeting

A strong defensive effort helped compensate for one of BYU's poorest offensive performances of the season in a 57-48 road win at UC Santa Barbara. Although the Cougars set season lows at the time in five offensive categories and two that stood the test of the entire season (field goal percentage of .296 and fewest field goals of 16 - tie with Utah and CSU games), they came up with 11 steals as part of a solid defensive performance while Mekeli Wesley (24 points) and Todd Christensen (13 points) provided enough offense to hold off the Gauchos. Neither the Cougars nor the Gauchos could get things going early as BYU scored a season-low 21 points at the half while Santa Barbara managed just 16. The Gauchos scored the first eight points of the game as BYU went nearly the first five minutes without scoring until reserve Nathan Cooper hit a jumper at the 15:09 mark. Cooper sparked an eight-point BYU run to tie the game, stealing a pass, forcing a turnover and providing a nice assist to Wesley for a three-point play on consecutive trips down the floor. The Cougars, however, went nearly the next five minutes without scoring, which allowed the Gauchos to build a 13-8 advantage with 7:29 left in the half. BYU, a 48 percent shooting team coming into the game, couldn't buy a basket with only three field goals in its first 17 attempts. But a Christensen four-point play and Wesley three-point play gave the Cougars seven points in less than a minute and their first lead at 15-13. Christensen made two jumpers, the last at the halftime buzzer, between an Eric Nielsen layup to give BYU a 21-16 halftime edge. The Cougars focused on getting Wesley touches inside in the second half and it paid off as their leading scorer responded with 16 second-half points on his way to a 24-point night. He was the only starter to score for BYU in the first half as Silester Rivers, Matt Montague, Michael Vranes and Terrell Lyday could not connect. For the game, Lyday finished with eight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, while Vranes and Montague added three points each. The Cougars improved to 9-2 with the win.

BYU PLAYER NOTES

Mekeli Wesley (19.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Last Game: 19 points, 3 rebounds in 21 minutes vs. Elon College.

• Mekeli has been BYU's leading scorer in its season opening game each of the past two seasons.

• Wesley made all five of his field goal attempts vs. Elon College and was 9-13 from the line.

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.

Terrell Lyday (9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Last Game: 9 points, 3 rebounds in 23 minutes vs. Elon College.

• Lyday sat out the last exhibition with a muscle strain in his lower leg and played just over half of the Elon game.

• Lyday played both point and shooting guard vs. Elon College. He was 3-7 from the floor and 2-5 from three-point range. He made multiple treys in a game 20 times last year. Lyday played point guard for eight minutes Tuesday (17-17 score during that time).

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.

Nathan Cooper (10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

Last Game: 10 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He was 3-3 from the floor, including 1-1 on threes, and hit 3-4 free throws.

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.

Eric Nielsen (8 ppg, 6 rpg)

Last Game: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists in 25 minutes vs. Elon College.

• His 3 assists matched his season high of last season.

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.

Matt Montague (6 ppg, 8 apg)

Last Game: 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, Matt didn't commit a turnover and had a game-best 3 steals.

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.

Travis Hansen (4.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Last Game: 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 Tuesday.

• He showed signs of his athleticism with a nice spin move and fadeaway for two of his points.

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.

Daniel Bobik (16.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Last Game: 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 assists in 19 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He was 5-10 from the floor, 2-6 on threes, and 4-4 from the line Tuesday. He had three more field goal attempts than the next closest Cougar (Terrell Lyday with 7).

• He started against EA Sports (Exhibition) in place of injured Terrell Lyday and had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists.

• He had 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists off the bench vs. Team Reebok.

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.

Jacob Chrisman (15.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Last Game: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 1 assist in 20 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He had 4 points, 2 rebounds in 15 minutes vs. EA Sports (Exhibition)

• He had 13 points wit no rebounds vs. Team Reebok.

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.

Derek Dawes (6.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

Last Game: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block in 12 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He had 6 points, 3 rebounds in 11 minutes vs. EA Sports (Exhibition)

• He had 5 points, 5 rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Team Reebok.

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.

Dan Howard (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Last Game: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block in 5 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He had 2 points, 4 rebounds in 5 minutes vs. EA Sports (Exhibition)

• He had 4 points, 1 rebounds in 8 minutes vs. Team Reebok.

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.

Ty Shippen (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 apg)

Last Game: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 8 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He had 1 assist in 6 minutes vs. EA Sports (Exhibition)

• He had 2 points, 3 assists in 6 minutes vs. Team Reebok.

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.

Jordan Archibald (1.0 ppg, 1.0 apg)

Last Game: 1 point, 1 assist in 6 minutes vs. Elon College.

• He had 1 point, 2 rebounds in 5 minutes vs. EA Sports (Exhibition)

• He had 3 points, 1 assists in 4 minutes vs. Team Reebok.

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.

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.