Goat come talk BB here

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by jay santos

http://www.cougarboard.com/noframes/...tml?id=2464430

I agree this team is playing great. We've had four pretty good teams this decade:

2000: Wesley, Lyday, Whiting
2003: Hansen, Haffa, Bigs
2004: Haffa, Bigs, Hall

Of those I'd put the 2004 team as the best with this team playing equal to that level right now.

All three of those teams could have won an NCAA game, and it's very frustrating that none did--going up against three really good teams: Cincy, UCONN, and Syracuse.

Any of those teams--especially the 2003, 2004 teams had what it takes to make a Sweet 16 run.

With the RPI situation, I believe this team is a lock to make the NCAA. And I believe with the way they are playing, we have at least a 50-50 chance to win a 1st round game and if luck finally goes our way finally deeper.

This team is playing very well. The difference between the first 10 games and the last 10 games is significant.

If I were to rate the teams, I would rate this team as the best. The 2003 team, Hansen's senior year, would be #2. 2004 #3 and 2001 #4. This team is doing pretty well in a MWC that is the best it has ever been, that is why I rate this team as the top BYU team in recent memory. That 2003 club did win 5 MWC road games, but other than Utah and UNLV ever MWC team would be a bottom tier club in the MWC this year. The Y lost to the only two decent road teams it played. It also lost a home game. I think this BYU team would have gone 13-1 in that MWC.

This team is really playing well and improving. I think BYU might just be the best team in the MWC but I will wait until after the WYO game to make such a bold declaration. Dave Rose appears to be an upgrade to Cleveland and he is building a core that should make BYU pretty good for the next few years.

The early season losses could still be an achiles heel with regard to seeding, but BYU has a chance to win its way out of that hole if it can finish the season in style. By style I mean only one more loss in conference play. I think the most likely scenario is 12-4 in conference play and then losing to UNLV in the MWC championship. I think if BYU goes 12-4 and then beats AF in the MWC semis, BYU will get an 10 or 11 seed. I think they may win that game depending upon matchup. I think BYU wins if they are a 10 seed or higher. Seeding depends upon sweeping the remaining home games, winning two more road games and making the MWC tournament final.

The key will be taking care of the ball. I am far more impressed with the low turnovers against UNLV than I am Mike Rose having his second career night of his career. BYU will always have a couple of nights like that, I recall the first weekend of the 2001 conference season when Lyday and Whiting went off against UNLV and SDSU in the Marriott Center. Those come and go, by all means it was spectacular timing, but IMO if BYU can keep TOs at 13-14 and below they can beat both SDSU and WYO on the road. I also think we have a good chance of beating Air Force in Colorado Springs. Our key players have seen their system quite a few times and we have a big man they cannot stop. We matchup better with the Flyboys than many.