#6 San Diego Toreros vs. #3 Brigham Young Cougars
If this quarterfinal match-up seems familiar that's because it should. These two teams met last season in the WCC Tournament Quarterfinals. The Toreros hung with the Cougars but couldn't do much more than that. BYU escaped with a five point victory. Last season the Cougars were an NCAA Tournament bubble team. This season they're an auto-bid-needed team, an unusual position for BYU.
Last Year's BYU vs. San Diego match-up in the WCC Tournament.
The Cougars haven't missed an NCAA Tournament since 2006. To keep that streak alive they have to start by winning this game. San Diego coach Bill Grier said after the Toreros victory over Pepperdine in the second round "We don't have to be perfect; we just have to have more points than the other team at the end of the game". For the Cougars that should be easy. Their 76.7 points per game is nearly 10 points above the national average and ranks 19th nationally. They are better than the national average in nearly every offensive statistical category with the notable exception of three point percentage. The Cougars shoot 33.5% from three, the national average is 33.9%.
It's not just that BYU is a good offensive team, it's that they have some exceptional offensive players. Tyler Haws is the WCC's leading scorer with 20.9 points per game. Brandon Davies ranks fifth in the conference with 17.5 points per game.
Highlights from the most recent meeting between BYU and San Diego.
How will Bill Grier's team do what he said and end up with more points? Honestly I have no idea. They managed to it once against BYU this season, a 74-68 home victory back on February 7th. Haws and Davies put up 27 and 20 but got very little help from others. San Diego had to shoot 50% from the field to pick up the win. What happens if Haws and Davies get some help? Matt Carlino is capable of putting up 30 points. Brock Zylstra could catch fire from deep. Well, San Diego is the team for that to happen against.
The Toreros have a pretty bad defense. Other than forcing turnovers and keeping the score low (a factor of playing a lower than average tempo game) the Toreros are below the national average in almost every defensive statistical category.
The key for the Toreros in last night's win over Pepperdine was the dynamic duo of Christopher Anderson and Johnny Dee. In the first half Dee scored 11 points despite a rough start. All three of his three pointers came off of an assist from Anderson and his one lay in was the result of an Anderson steal that led to a breakaway. Dee can light it up from three. Unfortunately, BYU plays a mean zone. In their recent game against Gonzaga in Provo that zone defense held the Zags to 6-30 shooting from behind the arc. The Zags were inept at getting the ball inside and equally inept at shooting from deep, to the tune of 20% shooting from three.
If Anderson gets in foul trouble or the zone gets to Dee BYU has a great chance for revenge over the Toreros, but more importantly at keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
8:30 PM PST (30 minutes after the first game ends.)
#6 San Diego Toreros vs. #3 Brigham Young Cougars
Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.
San Diego is 15-17 on the season, 7-9 in WCC regular season play and currently on a two game winning streak.
BYU is 21-10 on the season, 10-6 in WCC regular season play and currently on a one game winning streak.
The season series between these two teams was split 1-1.
TV: ESPNU.
Radio: XX 1090 AM in San Diego, KSL 1160 AM & 102.7 FM along the Wasatch Front, KMGR 95.9 FM in Manti, KSUB 590 AM in Cedar City, KDXU 890 AM in St. George and KTHK 105.5 FM in Idaho Falls.
Satellite Radio: Sirius 110, XM 193 and BYU Radio Sirius XM 143.
Online: Live video from ESPN3. Live audio from KSL and 1090 AM.
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