Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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BYU head coach Dave Rose said Wednesday there is "no question" that postponing this evening's scheduled basketball game between Utah State and BYU was the correct decision, after Aggie forward Danny Berger's collapse and hospitalization on Tuesday.
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Speaking to reporters only hours before game would have tipped off, Rose said that although unconfirmed reports of a postponement circulated Tuesday night, Utah State requested that BYU hold off on a postponement announcement until Wednesday morning, since "there was still a possibility that the game would be played."
Rose says he spoke with Utah State head coach Stew Morrill on Wednesday morning, and "Stew felt like it was in the best interest of his group that we postpone the game until a later date."
"Obviously, they're the closest to the situation," Rose said of the Aggies' wishes with regards to the postponement. "They had all the facts and how the situation was unfolding at the time, so my comment to (BYU AD) Tom (Holmoe) was 'let's hope that Danny gets better--that he survives and gets through this, and we'll worry about the game at another time.'"
You can hear Rose's entire Marriott Center media session in "Cougar Cuts," above left.
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Rose empathized with the Aggies as they continue to deal with the traumatic impact of Berger's on-court collapse, saying "that's an emotional thing for the players, emotional thing for the coaches...you have all the unknowns that are involved after he leaves the gym, and even though they got him breathing before he left (for the hospital), that would have a real emotional effect on your team."
Rose says "the most important thing here is Danny's health and his family's welfare, and well-being."
"I've gone through something similar to this," said Rose, referring to his emergency cancer scare of a few years ago, "and it affects a lot of people.. So many people I know are entrenched in deep through and prayer to try to help (Berger) and his family. We mentioned that to our players today...to keep Danny and his family in their thoughts and prayers."
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On the subject of rescheduling the game with Utah State, Rose said that he and Morrill agreed that "once Danny's situation... continues to improve, then we'll talk about rescheduling the game at that point."
Asked if any day next week (week of final exams) would be a possibility, Rose said "I would probably believe that is not an option for us." Neither team has any games scheduled between this Saturday and the following Saturday to allow players to fully focus on end-of-semester academics.
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Looking forward to his team's weekend game with rival Utah, Rose admitted that "it's hard to compare a life-threatening situation and a basketball game, but we do obviously know life goes on and we'll play Utah on Saturday. I spent a lot of time today watching Utah film, and it's a much-improved team."
"We'll get a chance to watch the (Utes') game tonight, against Boise State, then prepare for them Thursday and Friday, and get ready for our game on Saturday. I think that's kind of where your professional thoughts move on to--what's next, but personally, I spent a lot of the day thinking about (the Berger) family and hoping everything turns out all right."
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