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There are three MWC teams to which Dave Rose has never lost: New Mexico, TCU and Wyoming. Rose is a perfect 5-0 against the Cowboys coming into this afternoon's meeting in Laramie.
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Normally, coaches from the home school are nowhere to be found when their visiting opponents arrive for day-before-the-game practices or shootarounds. But last night was an exception to that rule, as Heath Schroyer waited for Rose and the Cougars to arrive for their Friday night walk-through.
BYU Basketball Media Relations Director Brett and I arrived just ahead of the team, so we got to spend a few minutes with Schroyer and his lead assistant Fred Langley (who served with Schroyer on Steve Cleveland's staff at Fresno State). It was great to catch up with a coach who has remained a friend over the years as I've followed his progress and successes. Steve Cleveland deserves a great deal of credit for his foresight in bringing to BYU two asistant coaches who would go on to become fine head coaches, and today, competitors.
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After watching the reunion that took place last night on the Arena-Auditorium hardwoods, it's tough to imagine two good friends wanting so hard to beat the other later today. But in my time at BYU, I have never seen two more outwardly competitive coaches than Dave Rose and Heath Schroyer. Today's game will be played on the floor, but reflected intensely from the sidelines.
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Trent Plaisted was looking good last night during the team's light shooting and scout session. He was smiling, joking, and looked positively jumpy compared to his morose appearance at the Clune arena the other day. He has been symptom-free, and gradually putting on some of the weight he lost during his days of sickness earlier in the week.
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ESPN's Joe Lunardi keeps BYU in his "Bracketology" projections (updated Friday) as an 11 seed. The Cougars strong play in league gives BYU a 17th ranked "Conference RPI," boosting BYU in Lunardi's eyes.
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Today's BYU-Wyoming matchup pits the MWC's highest-scoring frontcourt (Plaisted, Tavernari and Cummard) against the league's highest-scoring backcourt (Ewing and Jones).
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