Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
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For all those who think two league losses can stil earn a share of the conference crown, remember this: Since the turn of the millenium, every conference champ has had only one loss (2000, 2002, 2003) or no losses (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006). In the first year of the league (1999), BYU, CSU and Utah tied for the league title with 2 losses.
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Colorado State is one of five MWC teams against which Bronco Mendenhall has a perfect record. Bronco has never lost to CSU, Wyoming, Air Force, New Mexico or UNLV.
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BYU and SDSU are the only two teams in the country to have played as few as 7 games.
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It's interesting that the WAC is the only non-BCS league represented in the BCS Standings. Interesting, because the WAC is the only league in the country without a single non-conference win against teams from BCS conferences. The MWC has 7 such wins--trailing only the Big Ten and ACC.
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Broadcast News:
"The Bronco Mendenhall Show" is back at Ken Garff Porsche/Audio/Volkswagen on East University Parkway in Orem, Wednesday night (Halloween Night) at 7:00pm. The first 50 kids in costume will walk away with a free BYU t-shirt, Iceberg Drive-Inns will be on hand with free burgers and hot dogs, and Lehi Roller Mills will be along with good stuff, too. See y'all there!
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Hoops talk...
Don't forget about BYU's exhibition opener, Friday night versus Laval University out of Quebec City. That game and BYU's exhibition finale versus Bryant University will not be broadcast over-the-air, but will air live on ksl.com's "X-Stream" channel, and be audio archived on ksl.com. Former BYU player and coach Andy Toolson will be joining me on the exhibition broadcasts, then serve as Mark Durrant's fill-in for the handful of regular season games Mark will miss. The Cougars and the "Rouge et Or" (Red and Gold) tip it at 7:00pm, with pregame coverage at 6:00pm on ksl.com (remember, it's on the "X-Stream!")
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BYU Head hoops coach Dave Rose has no shortage of personnel options this season--likewise he has a number of tough roster calls to make over the next couple of weeks. One of the more pressing questions will be answered in the opening minutes of Friday night's exhibiton game--question being: "does Rose redshirt Chris Miles?"
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Newcomers (transfers, freshmen) may play in exhibiton games and still redshirt the season, but returning players (veterans and return missionaries who played before their mission) who play in exhibition games cannot redshirt--in other words, if Miles plays Friday, it means Rose plans to play Miles this season. If Miles plays this season, he will likely be splitting time with Ivanovic and/or MacGregor behind Plaisted, which means the three of them will be battling it out for minutes. With three guys fighting for maybe 10-15 combined minutes per game, it might be tempting to redshirt the talented and potential-laden Miles, while letting MacGregor and Ivanovic spell Plaisted. However, when you see Ivanovic sprain his ankle last week and MacGregor hobbled with foot pain this week, I'm sure Coach Rose wonders if he can afford to sit Miles this season. Plus, Miles is just a heck of a player, and the more talent on the floor, the better. We'll find out what Dave is thinking on Friday...
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More on MacGregor: while an MRI looks clean, soreness in one of his feet is not subsiding, and he could be in a boot for a week or so to let things settle down. Don't count on him for either exhibition game, and consider him a question mark for the regular season opener.
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Forward Jonathan Tavernari may shoot it like a "3" man, but he'll likely see most of his minutes at the "4" spot, at least for the time being. That leaves the bulk of the minutes at the "3" for Lee Cummard, with Tavernari able to slide to the "3" for stretches, and Archie Rose hoping to find some time at that spot. JT and Chris Collinsworth will be the primary options at the "4," with the starter yet to be determined.
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At shooting guard, you've basically got starter Sam Burgess and reserve Jimmer Fredette lined up to carry the position, with the biggest logjam occurring at point guard. At the point, Ben Murdock gets the starting nod right now, with Lamont Morgan, Michael Loyd, Jr., and Nick Martineau also in the mix. While nothing is set in stone, I would expect Matt Pinegar to redshirt, along with either Morgan or Loyd. Martineau has impressed in camp, and as someone in the program told me, if he were 2-3 inches taller, he wouldn't be walking on. The point guard position will be the most interesting spot to monitor during the two exhibition games.
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