Oregon State Wants to Pluck a Rose?

ESPN.com's Andy Katz dropped these nuggets in a recent blog:

--

"• BYU coach Dave Rose said he's confident the Cougars have done enough to earn (an NCAA Tournament) berth with the MWC regular-season title. The Cougars end the regular season against TCU.

• Oregon State has interest in Rose, too, by the way, in addition to Portland State's Ken Bone and Saint Mary's Randy Bennett."

--

*******

Rose recently signed a new deal that locks him up at BYU through the 2010-2011 season, and is energized by the prospects of building a dominant program in Provo. The fact he was presented with a long-term contract before the season is testament to the fact that BYU "upped the ante" to keep both him and Bronco Mendenhall at market values that are both competitive within the Mountain West Conference, and reflective of their respective successes.

As noted previously, BYU's ability to more properly compensate both coaches was enhanced by the fundraising efforts of private supporters. In short, BYU wanted its two "money" coaches to know the school was not taking them for granted, and was not going to find itself "out of ammo" should other schools inquire about the coaches' availability.

I'm confident Rose isn't about to jump at the first opportunity that may come his way, but it's clear that his job status will become the subject of much speculation should BYU make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

*******

In much the same vein, Trent Plaisted's playing future will become a talking point, whether or not BYU advances deeper into the month of March.

Obviously, Trent would elevate his profile by staying for his senior season--a season that could possibly include All-America citations, and should feature more coast-to-coast publicity, given the mtn. network's satellite clearance.

On the floor, Plaisted would clearly benefit from another year to refine his game. While many believe that Plaisted's size lends him to a "4" spot in the pros, it's evident that he could not survive in the NBA at that position without a jump shot in his portfolio. If he wanted to increase his value and versatility at the next level, his senior season could be used to apply and demontstrate offensive skills additional to the ones he already uses.

However, if he were to be drafted as an athletic "5" in an up-tempo system and not expected to be an offensive cog, he could be attractive to some teams now--purely for his ability to run the floor, rebound and bounce around in the paint. But I think it's clear that another year in school could take Trent from "late first round/early second round" status to a spot much higher up in the first round in 2009, and he'll have to decide whether spending his final season at BYU is worth the extra millions he could make as a pro.

Another thought I have always had, as it relates to big men in particular, and more specifically as it relates to players Trent's size, and that thought is this: "If Tim Duncan thought he needed 4 years of college ball, Trent Plaisted needs 4 years of college ball."

While not disparaging Trent's talents in the least, I don't think he's as NBA-ready as he will be at this time next season, and I have to believe he would be doing himself and the program a disservice if he were to leave school after his junior campaign. Should he return, he, Lee Cummard and Jonathan Tavernari would be the "Terrific Trio," BYU would undoubtedly be a top 20 team next preseason, and poised to be one of the best teams in BYU Basketball history (even better than this year's version, which is really saying something). If he leaves, Dave Rose will find a way to compensate, but Trent's abilities are unique in this league, and losing them early will set BYU back in the post.

*******

Joe Lunardi has updated his "Bracketology" projections, and BYU is back up--to a 6 seed. UNLV is a 10, and New Mexico an 11. It is apparent that most experts see the MWC as a 3-bid league, barring a team other than those three winning the conference tournament.

*******