I figured I'd start one for midnight madness with some articles. FWIW I'm really looking at BYU here...it seems like they are going to be ready for SDSU after what happened in their first meeting. Good luck!
sb
After great expectations, Cougars getting desperate
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By Ed Graney
STAFF WRITER
February 9, 2004
PROVO, Utah – If the expectations hadn't begun to wear on BYU basketball coach Steve Cleveland, the losing had. Peers and players view Cleveland as one of the most well-liked and affable Mountain West Conference coaches, but just last week he didn't feel like walking out his front door.
He was that upset, that troubled about his team's performance.
"It's part of the game, and anyone in this business long enough realizes it," said Cleveland. "But you have to keep going and being committed to competing. We're about three shots and a few minutes from having three more (conference) wins. But to this point, it has been disappointing. We have expectations and have not met them."
The sting of being a preseason conference favorite and yet suddenly swimming in a state of mediocrity was lessened with a 64-61 win over Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday.
Tonight at 9, San Diego State visits BYU as part of ESPN's "Big Monday" package.
A month ago, SDSU opened conference play by defeating BYU by four.
Now, each team is 3-4 in conference and can barely see first-place Air Force (6-1) from its spot in the standings.
Road troubles?
The Cougars led with a minute to go at SDSU, lost in the final seconds at New Mexico and blew a 17-point lead at Utah.
"BYU is going to be hungry to play us, very anxious," said SDSU junior forward Chris Walton, who scored a career-high 15 in the team's 65-61 loss at Utah on Saturday. "We have to find a way to get some positives out of the (Utah game) and bring them to this one.
"We can't make this like the Colorado State-Wyoming trip, when we played well and lost a close one (to CSU) and then had no legs and played poorly against Wyoming. That's not an option this time. We have to fight through fatigue and find some way to get a victory."
It has been desperation time for SDSU and BYU the last few weeks and neither has been consistent enough to believe catching Air Force is likely. But in BYU, you have a team that is 80-18 under Cleveland in the Marriott Center, a team that is winning at home this season by an average of 21.7 points, a team that has won 58 of its last 59 here.
A team that plays four of its last seven regular-season games at home, which suggests there is still hope (however slight) for the side many assumed was the league's best.
"We have created an environment in practice to generate more toughness," said Cleveland. "Toughness isn't about throwing elbows and pushing and shoving and talking a lot. It's about getting offensive rebounds and loose balls. So we have created an effort level in practice by scrimmaging more, and hopefully that will exceed what we face in games."
SDSU knows the effort it will encounter tonight. There is no team nationally better at burying opponents with big scoring runs than BYU on its home court. Games here can go from competitive to blowouts in minutes.
"They are going to try and run us from one end of the floor to the other," said Aztecs coach Steve Fisher. "I expect a hectic pace. They can throw spurts at you like 10-0 or 14-4 better than anyone."
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BYU Preview
San Diego State at BYU
At the Marriott Center
Tipoff: 10 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL-AM (1160)
Records: BYU 13-7, 3-4; SDSU 12-10, 3-4
Series: BYU leads 36-16
Last Meeting: SDSU 65-61 (Jan. 12)
Line: BYU by 12
_________
About the Cougars: They are 9-0 at home this season and have won 13 consecutive games in the Marriott Center. They have won 58 of their last 59 home games and are 53-1 at home over the past four seasons. . . . F Jared Jensen played eight minutes against UNLV after missing three games with a sprained back.
About the Aztecs: Their starters combined for all but four points in the win over BYU last month. Freshman Brandon Heath hit a three-pointer with 1:24 left in the game to give the Aztecs the lead for good. F Aerick Sanders had 18 points and seven rebounds.
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Aztecs face tough task against BYU
By: MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer
The San Diego State men's basketball team lost its 22nd consecutive road game at Utah on Saturday. The Aztecs visit another house of horror tonight.
The Aztecs play at Brigham Young, a team that has won 58 of its last 59 home games. SDSU's lifetime record at the Marriott Center is 2-22.
Making the task tougher is that tonight's contest will be televised nationally as part of ESPN's "Big Monday" package.
The Cougars are tough enough to beat under normal circumstances. They figure to be extra feisty in the national spotlight in a game that starts at 10 p.m. MST (9 PST).
"We all want to be on national TV and we have the opportunity," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "It's in a time zone that means it starts at 10. I hope some of the BYU folks stay home and watch it on TV."
The Cougars (13-7, 3-4) find themselves in the middle of the Mountain West Conference race as opposed to the top. They were the preseason favorite to win the league, but they're in a five-way tie for third place; the Aztecs (12-10) are one of the others.
BYU was 10-2 at one point this season. The Cougars' season started to slide downward with a loss to North Carolina State in early January. They then suffered a 65-61 loss to the Aztecs at Cox Arena in the MWC opener for both squads.
The Cougars lost five of seven games before defeating Nevada Las Vegas 64-61 on Saturday. The win raised BYU's home record this season to 9-0.
It was the toughest game BYU has had at home. Prior to that contest, the closest winning margin was 14 and the average margin was 24.
"A win like this means a lot more than coming in and winning by 15," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said after Saturday's game. "Hopefully something like this will give us the confidence we need to get back playing well."
The Aztecs have lost six consecutive road games since winning at the University of San Diego on Dec. 3.
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Aztecs report
By: - North County Times
* WHAT: Men's college basketball
* TIPOFF: 9 p.m. at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah
* RECORDS: Aztecs 12-10, 3-4 Mountain West Conference; Brigham Young 13-7, 3-4
* TV/RADIO: ESPN; XPRS-1090 AM
* UPDATE: The Aztecs are in the midst of three consecutive road games. They lost to Utah on Saturday and also play at Nevada-Las Vegas on Feb. 17. Their next home is Feb. 21 against Wyoming. ... Aztecs coach Steve Fisher continually refers to junior PG Wesley Stokes as the team's most important player. So it's no surprise that the team struggles when Stokes has a poor game. In Saturday's loss to Utah, Stokes had just three assists and made 4 of 14 shots. He had notched at least five assists in each of the previous 18 contests. ... The Cougars are led by senior C Rafael Araujo, who leads the MWC in scoring (19.1 ppg) and ranks second in rebounding (10.5). Araujo is one of 30 candidates remaining in the mix for the Wooden Award. ... BYU senior PG Luiz Lemes ranks third in assists (4.6). He had a career-high 10 assists on Saturday to help the Cougars defeat UNLV. ... Aztecs F Chris Walton had failed to reach double figures in scoring in five consecutive games before scoring a career-high 15 points against Utah. He's averaging 8.6 points.
sb
After great expectations, Cougars getting desperate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Ed Graney
STAFF WRITER
February 9, 2004
PROVO, Utah – If the expectations hadn't begun to wear on BYU basketball coach Steve Cleveland, the losing had. Peers and players view Cleveland as one of the most well-liked and affable Mountain West Conference coaches, but just last week he didn't feel like walking out his front door.
He was that upset, that troubled about his team's performance.
"It's part of the game, and anyone in this business long enough realizes it," said Cleveland. "But you have to keep going and being committed to competing. We're about three shots and a few minutes from having three more (conference) wins. But to this point, it has been disappointing. We have expectations and have not met them."
The sting of being a preseason conference favorite and yet suddenly swimming in a state of mediocrity was lessened with a 64-61 win over Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday.
Tonight at 9, San Diego State visits BYU as part of ESPN's "Big Monday" package.
A month ago, SDSU opened conference play by defeating BYU by four.
Now, each team is 3-4 in conference and can barely see first-place Air Force (6-1) from its spot in the standings.
Road troubles?
The Cougars led with a minute to go at SDSU, lost in the final seconds at New Mexico and blew a 17-point lead at Utah.
"BYU is going to be hungry to play us, very anxious," said SDSU junior forward Chris Walton, who scored a career-high 15 in the team's 65-61 loss at Utah on Saturday. "We have to find a way to get some positives out of the (Utah game) and bring them to this one.
"We can't make this like the Colorado State-Wyoming trip, when we played well and lost a close one (to CSU) and then had no legs and played poorly against Wyoming. That's not an option this time. We have to fight through fatigue and find some way to get a victory."
It has been desperation time for SDSU and BYU the last few weeks and neither has been consistent enough to believe catching Air Force is likely. But in BYU, you have a team that is 80-18 under Cleveland in the Marriott Center, a team that is winning at home this season by an average of 21.7 points, a team that has won 58 of its last 59 here.
A team that plays four of its last seven regular-season games at home, which suggests there is still hope (however slight) for the side many assumed was the league's best.
"We have created an environment in practice to generate more toughness," said Cleveland. "Toughness isn't about throwing elbows and pushing and shoving and talking a lot. It's about getting offensive rebounds and loose balls. So we have created an effort level in practice by scrimmaging more, and hopefully that will exceed what we face in games."
SDSU knows the effort it will encounter tonight. There is no team nationally better at burying opponents with big scoring runs than BYU on its home court. Games here can go from competitive to blowouts in minutes.
"They are going to try and run us from one end of the floor to the other," said Aztecs coach Steve Fisher. "I expect a hectic pace. They can throw spurts at you like 10-0 or 14-4 better than anyone."
----------------------------------------------
BYU Preview
San Diego State at BYU
At the Marriott Center
Tipoff: 10 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL-AM (1160)
Records: BYU 13-7, 3-4; SDSU 12-10, 3-4
Series: BYU leads 36-16
Last Meeting: SDSU 65-61 (Jan. 12)
Line: BYU by 12
_________
About the Cougars: They are 9-0 at home this season and have won 13 consecutive games in the Marriott Center. They have won 58 of their last 59 home games and are 53-1 at home over the past four seasons. . . . F Jared Jensen played eight minutes against UNLV after missing three games with a sprained back.
About the Aztecs: Their starters combined for all but four points in the win over BYU last month. Freshman Brandon Heath hit a three-pointer with 1:24 left in the game to give the Aztecs the lead for good. F Aerick Sanders had 18 points and seven rebounds.
-----------------------------------------------
Aztecs face tough task against BYU
By: MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer
The San Diego State men's basketball team lost its 22nd consecutive road game at Utah on Saturday. The Aztecs visit another house of horror tonight.
The Aztecs play at Brigham Young, a team that has won 58 of its last 59 home games. SDSU's lifetime record at the Marriott Center is 2-22.
Making the task tougher is that tonight's contest will be televised nationally as part of ESPN's "Big Monday" package.
The Cougars are tough enough to beat under normal circumstances. They figure to be extra feisty in the national spotlight in a game that starts at 10 p.m. MST (9 PST).
"We all want to be on national TV and we have the opportunity," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "It's in a time zone that means it starts at 10. I hope some of the BYU folks stay home and watch it on TV."
The Cougars (13-7, 3-4) find themselves in the middle of the Mountain West Conference race as opposed to the top. They were the preseason favorite to win the league, but they're in a five-way tie for third place; the Aztecs (12-10) are one of the others.
BYU was 10-2 at one point this season. The Cougars' season started to slide downward with a loss to North Carolina State in early January. They then suffered a 65-61 loss to the Aztecs at Cox Arena in the MWC opener for both squads.
The Cougars lost five of seven games before defeating Nevada Las Vegas 64-61 on Saturday. The win raised BYU's home record this season to 9-0.
It was the toughest game BYU has had at home. Prior to that contest, the closest winning margin was 14 and the average margin was 24.
"A win like this means a lot more than coming in and winning by 15," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said after Saturday's game. "Hopefully something like this will give us the confidence we need to get back playing well."
The Aztecs have lost six consecutive road games since winning at the University of San Diego on Dec. 3.
-----------------------------------------------
Aztecs report
By: - North County Times
* WHAT: Men's college basketball
* TIPOFF: 9 p.m. at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah
* RECORDS: Aztecs 12-10, 3-4 Mountain West Conference; Brigham Young 13-7, 3-4
* TV/RADIO: ESPN; XPRS-1090 AM
* UPDATE: The Aztecs are in the midst of three consecutive road games. They lost to Utah on Saturday and also play at Nevada-Las Vegas on Feb. 17. Their next home is Feb. 21 against Wyoming. ... Aztecs coach Steve Fisher continually refers to junior PG Wesley Stokes as the team's most important player. So it's no surprise that the team struggles when Stokes has a poor game. In Saturday's loss to Utah, Stokes had just three assists and made 4 of 14 shots. He had notched at least five assists in each of the previous 18 contests. ... The Cougars are led by senior C Rafael Araujo, who leads the MWC in scoring (19.1 ppg) and ranks second in rebounding (10.5). Araujo is one of 30 candidates remaining in the mix for the Wooden Award. ... BYU senior PG Luiz Lemes ranks third in assists (4.6). He had a career-high 10 assists on Saturday to help the Cougars defeat UNLV. ... Aztecs F Chris Walton had failed to reach double figures in scoring in five consecutive games before scoring a career-high 15 points against Utah. He's averaging 8.6 points.
