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MILWAUKEE — No team in the NCAA tournament produces more points per game than 10th seeded BYU (84.2), and the Cougars get a large amount of their points in transition.
No. 7 seed Oregon is 10th in the nation scoring offense (81.8), and the Ducks have a roster loaded with athletes that can run their opponent off the court.
When the two teams square of Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. MDT in the second round of the NCAA tournament, chances are viewers will be able to notice more similarities than differences in the competing styles of play.
An electric pace will inevitably draw the "track meet" classification, which will undoubtedly be thrown around by countless broadcasters.
But with both squads trying to wear one another down, the game will likely come down execution in the half court, as well as the fundamental battles on the glass, free-throw line and in protecting the basketball.
BYU was tied or led for 43:46 of the 45-minute overtime loss to Oregon Dec. 21. BYU coach Dave Ross was at a loss for words when he tried to describe how the Cougars dropped the road contest that they controlled the majority of the night.
"Our guys played hard enough and well enough, but the bottom line is that's a game that got away," Rose said following the 100-96 defeat.
Nearly three months later, the March Madness foes have changed dramatically. BYU was stuck in what would become a four-game losing streak, and Oregon followed up the victory with a span of eight losses in 10 games.
Junior Matt Carlino was still the Cougars' starting point guard, a role he's been thrust back into after sophomore Kyle Collinsworth underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ACL.
Carlino had a rough night offensively last time around in going 5-for-17 from the floor and accounting for only one more assist (four) than he had turnovers (three).
However, his defense helped hold Johnathan Loyd, the Ducks' floor general, to 0-for-5 and four points.
Turnovers were one of the major components to Oregon's success. It scored 22 points off 18 BYU turnovers.
The Cougars outrebounded the Ducks 51-40, but the advantage disappeared when junior Nate Austin and freshman Eric Mika fouled out almost within a minute of each other near the end of regulation.
Mika and Austin will have their hands full with UNLV transfer Mike Moser, who averages 13.5 ppg and 8 rebounds and can step out of the paint and consistently make shots on the perimeter.
Oregon's leading scorer Joseph Young will have to get by the pesky junior Anson Winder, a matchup that didn't occur in the last meeting. Winder played only one minute and Young scored 25 points.
Assuming Winder will take Young leaves either junior Tyler Haws or Carlino on Jason Calliste, a 50.8 percent 3-point shooter who can also blow by his defender off the dribble.
Rose mentioned freshman Frank Bartley IV on Wednesday as another player that will see increased minutes to attempt to fill the void left by the Collinsworth injury.
Bartley and junior Skyler Halford have both played in the four-guard lineups Rose has implemented this season, and it wouldn't be a surprise if one or the other sees significant floor time to aid in combating the Calliste-Young backcourt.
Free throws clinched the Ducks' victory in December, and the Cougars will likely need a better performance than the 22-for-36 night at the line in Eugene, Ore.
With so much attention paid to Haws, each of the aforementioned players and the remaining reserves will need operate efficiently by avoiding turnovers and making open looks.
Many wrote BYU off when Collinsworth went down because of his impact, but if the Cougars can execute their game plan, they'll have an excellent chance to beat a team whose identity isn't much different from their own.
