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PROVO— Don't look now, but BYU may be getting ready for a run at the West Coast Conference title with their own "big three" — Brandon Davies, Tyler Haws and Matt Carlino.
Davies, Haws and Carlino combined for 61 points, 20 rebounds, 15 assists, eight steals, three blocks and seven turnovers to help lead BYU to a 80-61 win over Georgia State in the second game of the Coaches for Cancer tournament Tuesday night in Provo.
While NBA teams are contending for championships with three superstars on their roster, the three stars of the BYU team have been playing winning basketball so far.
Brandon Davies, the senior forward, has provided excellent leadership on the floor as the main post option on offense and the last line of defense on the other end.
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Tyler Haws, a sophomore wing, has helped provide a reliable scoring hand by shooting 56 percent on field goals, 50 percent on 3-point attempts, and 91 percent on free throws.
Matt Carlino, the sophomore point guard, helped set up the offense all night long, ratcheting up seven assists to go with 11 points, four rebounds and four turnovers.
While the team was expecting big contributions from Haws and Davies, the wild card on the team going into the season was Carlino.
Carlino came to BYU as a transfer from UCLA and was only able to join the team in the second half of the season. There were times when Carlino would rush his actions, trying to do too much and, as a result, derailing the offense. This year however, Carlino has morphed his game into a more mature, knowledgeable style that has drawn praise from his teammates and fans.
"Matt (Carlino) is more comfortable in every area," said Davies, one of the captains for BYU. "He is going at a different pace than last year, and it's a night and day difference. We're going to be hard to beat when he is playing like this."
"I said it earlier today on BYU Radio, Carlino went from trying to be Russell Westbrook to trying to be Rajon Rondo, and that’s a good thing." Ben Wilson, a sports director at BYU radio, said on Twitter shortly after the game.
Carlino helped get the Cougars out to a historic start against the Georgia State squad. After 10 minutes of game time, BYU was up 31-4. Carlino had a hand on nearly every play, going to the bench for a rest at the 11:01-mark with six points, four assists, three rebounds, four steals and one turnover.
"The first five minutes of the game, Brock (Zylstra) hit a couple threes, Tyler (Haws) hit a couple threes, and all that was because of Matt (Carlino) getting us into that spot," said BYU head coach Dave Rose.
The contributions from Carlino were monumental against Georgia State. Devonte White, the Panther's lone returning starter from last year, drew the assignment to guard Carlino, and Carlino returned the favor on the opposite end. Carlino was able to keep White in check for most of the game, as the Panther point guard finished the game with 14 hard-earned points on 5-17 shooting, three and five turnovers.
"Matt (Carlino) had one of the biggest challenges tonight, because we knew he was going to have the ball in his hands most of the time and they were going to trap him," coach Rose said. "Sometimes he got into a tough spot where they came from behind and slapped him. For the most part he was finding guys, and that's what we had to do."
This excellent play at the point was not just against Georgia State. Carlino leads the team in assists (17), steals (5), and is tied with Haws for most minutes played (62).
"I think that Matt (Carlino) understands this team a lot better," Rose said after the game. "He understands that we have really consistent shooters on the wing, and that we're going to need him to score for us, but we're also going to need him to get the ball to guys in the right spot."
"I thought these first two games that Matt (Carlino) has really, really shown some great leadership for our team," Rose added. "I think he has been terrific."
In the two games, Carlino has only missed one field goal attempt from inside the 3-point line: A driving right-handed layup in the second half against Georgia State. He has more assists than points scored, and has a 2.125 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The points on offense are going to come through the experienced post play from Davies or the can't-miss hand of Haws. However, the offense is going to be difficult to contain if Carlino is able to continue his high level of play — getting to the rim, taking smart shots and hitting his teammates when they are open on the perimeter.
"Liked what I saw in the Marriott Center tonight from the boys. 1-2-3 punch of Brandon (Davies), Tyler (Haws), and Matty C, clicked well," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said on Twitter. "Good luck in NYC."
Things have to be good when the boss is dishing out compliments.
BYU travels Wednesday night to Brooklyn for the remaining two games of the Coaches versus Cancer Classic. The next game is Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST, and can be heard on KSL radio, home of the BYU Cougars.
