PROVO -- If the stellar season record and high national ranking were removed from BYU's opponent on Saturday, the phrase “a win is a win” might actually be true for the Cougars' matchup against the Big 12, undefeated, sixth-in-the-nation Baylor University Bears.

However, with those realities in place, a win for BYU over Baylor would do much more than simply add another W to the Cougars' record. Baylor is undisputedly the heaviest potential win that BYU has faced all season.

Senior forward Noah Hartsock feels a win against Baylor could have a strong impact on his team’s clout.

Cougar Tracks:

Rogers Out for Baylor and Beyond

Saturday's massive Marriott Center meeting between BYU and the 6th/7th-ranked Baylor Bears has been made more difficult for the Cougars with the news that forward Stephen Rogers is out two to four weeks.

“It (a win over Baylor) would mean a lot,” Hartsock said. “It’s a good chance for us to see where we’re at right now — playing against the top teams of the nation — if we can play the way we want to we can be a top 25 team. We just got to see where we’re at and how we can compete against them.”

In order for the Cougars to lift the heavy win to their side, they will have to jump over some rather high hurdles. With so many strong scorers on Baylor’s team, BYU will naturally be moved into a zone defense. If the Cougars can’t claw the Bears away from the rim with a zone defense, the opportunity door for the win could slam shut.

If the Cougars are able to distribute their barriers effectively and disallow career nights for a sleuth of Bears, it could come down to some clutch shots. In that case, BYU will have to turn to someone other than the team's commonly favored clutch player, Stephen Rogers.

“Stephen hurt his knee,” head coach Dave Rose said. “He’s had a problem with it for about two weeks. He had to come out of the Utah game the other night because he bumped knees. ... He was in a lot of pain and they took him to the hospital to have an MRI. … That’s a big blow if he can’t play.”

Rogers is officially out for two to four weeks after undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus.

Hartsock is all too aware that the players in the Marriott Center aren’t the only people in a building on campus who recognize the importance of this game.

“I think we’re going to have a really good turnout, and when we get a lot of people in here it gets loud, a ruckus; it’s just a lot of fun for us to play in,” Hartsock said.

The Marriott Center is considered a difficult arena for opposing teams to play in; ESPN's Andy Katz characterized it as "raucous." With finals over, the students in the arena could have even more energy than usual.

As influential as the home court advantage can be, BYU has a unique card — possibly a trump — to play against Baylor. Midseason (2010-2011) transfer from UCLA Matt Carlino can play his first game with the Cougars on Saturday. With zero film in the NCAA library, Carlino could be the silent missile to sink the Bears.

Guard Carlino feels he’s had the proper time to set up a good aim on the target and is ready to play.

“I’m just really excited, excited to play and excited to play against a good team,” Carlino said. “I’m really ready. I’ve been really ready for a while.”

Transferring a player midseason does present its challenges, but Rose decided any temporary discomfort was worth the long-term reaping.

“It’s not the most ideal situation to add a player 10 games in,” Rose said. “We felt like the opportunity to get Matt and to have him here for three and a half years with us was worth this adjustment period.”

Rose clarified that Carlino’s game time will be divided just as it is with every player.

“We’ll get him in, give him minutes, see how he plays and then go from there,” Rose said. “The way we’ve done things here for a long time is if you’re playing well you play more.”

Having to wait your turn for a whole year is a nightmare for a child, but sometimes it is the perfect ingredient for the ultimate adrenaline boost in sports: a boost that all of the Cougar guards will need when facing Baylor’s leading assists-per-game guards Pierre Jackson (4.4) and A.J. Walton (4.6).

“(Jackson is) a very good offensive point guard,” Rose said. “He’s a guy who can get shots for himself, share the ball. With Walton and him, the two of them together, it’s quite a good point guard situation for them.”

On Saturday the doors to the Marriott Center swing heavily with opportunity for the Cougars. With some possible WD-40 from Matt Carlino, a strong zone defense and possible new face at clutch, the Cougars are hoping to slam the door and leave Baylor out in the cold.

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