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BYU's men's basketball has arrived in Las Vegas, and got its first look at Orleans Arena on Friday morning. Of course, most of the Cougars have played in the venue that has hosted everything from hockey games to Arena Football League games to rock concerts, but a few — such as Wake Forest transfer Chase Fischer — haven't played here before.
Fischer said he didn't make the trip last year, when he was redshirting, because he was low on cash.
On whether Orleans is a shooter's gym:
"I remember Matt Carlino, who was my roommate last year, told me it was a really good gym and he liked shooting in it," Fischer said. "So hopefully that will be the case."
The Cougars practiced here for about an hour, before giving way to the last two women's quarterfinal games and the two men's first-round games. One of those men's games will be Santa Clara vs. Loyola Marymount (8:30 p.m. MST, BYUtv) and BYU will get the winner in the late quarterfinal on Saturday (approx. 8:30 p.m. MST, ESPN2).
"Hopefully, we are ready for either one. We will see how it plays out," said BYU coach Dave Rose. The Cougars worked on themselves on Monday, Santa Clara on Tuesday and LMU on Wednesday.
Here's my advance of Saturday's tourney opener, which focuses on how much (a lot) is at stake for the Cougars and their history of mediocre performances at conference tournaments. They are 3-3 in the WCC's big event, for instance. Still, Rose said he likes playing at the Orleans Arena.
"I think it is a good place to play," Rose said. " It has a good feel to it for kind of a hockey arena. We haven't played in a lot of hockey arenas, but the way they put it together for the conference tournament, it has got a good feel to it, and I think that the fan support that we get is tremendous, and hopefully they will all come out for this one.
It kinda looked like at one time that the two big teams, teams with big crowd followings, Gonzaga and BYU, would play in different sessions. But they are in the same session [on Saturday night]. It will be interesting how everybody fights for tickets for that late session."
Gonzaga fans traditionally outnumber fans of any other teams at the tournament, and that will probably be the case again this year, judging by the number of Zags fans at the women's game earlier Friday when the GU women routed LMU 70-50 to advance to Monday's semifinals against BYU's women.
LMU hung with the regular-season champions well into the second half before falling apart; I was interested in watching that because I've got a theory that the team which got a taste of the tourney, as LMU did Thursday, usually starts better and shoots better before the rested, better team takes over in the second half.
It will be interesting to see if that happens Saturday night when BYU takes on either LMU or Santa Clara.
"Well, I think that that is kinda up for debate," Rose said Wednesday when I asked him which team has the advantage. "The team that is rested, probably, is the one that is supposed to have the advantage because they have had a more successful season, and so they should have more confidence.
But there is something to be said about the team that gets into the tournament and feels that emotion and urgency of a tournament game, and then moves on. I think in some cases that kinda holds a real advantage — an advantage enough that somehow the format got changed again this year. Those games are on Friday instead of Thursday."
More comments from Rose, Tyler Haws, Fischer and Corbin Kaufusi from Wednesday's media availability:
Rose on what he says to the players about being on the NCAA Toiurnament bubble:
"Very similar to what we said before the [Gonzaga] game, which is, we have been here a lot of times going into this tournament with a chance to win the tournament and qualify for the NCAA Tournament .The only way it works is if you win, and going down the last three or four weeks, six games ago, we were in a really tough spot, but the only way to get yourself out of that is to win. And then the team has done a great job … I think the urgency, the energy, the execution of our team the last couple of weeks has been way better.
Why that is, and why I think their focus is better, and why they are peeking, that's a good question. But hopefully we will be able to keep it going."
Rose on whether the WCC postseason awards shook out like he expected:
"I don't know if you ever expect one team to have every individual award. But they were good. They are good, and I think that 17-1 in league is really impressive. Then you look at what's been done outside the league, on a national level, that that team, they deserve special recognition, that's for sure. It has been a great year for them.
In reality, that recognition has been really good for our league. We have gotten a lot of national publicity from the fact that Gonzaga is chasing a No. 1 seed in the tournament, and I think that helps everyone in our league."
Rose on what he would want national folks to know about the WCC:
"Well, I don't, I watch a lot of college basketball, and try to compare our league to other leagues, and the way the game is played is nothing like the Big East, but I think it is pretty similar, in ways. As far as the ways they are put together, and the institutions, and what they represent. The travel is obviously way different, but I think it is every bit as hard to win games in this league as it is to win games in that league.
And they seem to have a pretty good reputation around the country. I think our league, it is very physical, and very skilled. I think, which is a unique combination, and it goes from top to bottom as far as that quality — really skilled, and really physical."
Fischer on whether players like conference tournaments:
"Obviously, everybody gets really excited for them just because there is an opportunity to make it, for sure, into the NCAA Tournament. But I think it is good because it takes you out of your usual routine, for us, Thursday-Saturday, and it kind of gets you to a different place.
It is kind of like an AAU tournament, I feel like. So it is a good change of pace and I think for our team, it is nice to be focused this week. We know what we want to do, and some teams come in knot knowing what they want to do with the tournament. They just show up and play.
We have a goal, and we know what we want to do. I think our team is really having fun with it."
Fischer on whether they flipped a switch defensively, how it happened:
"I think it kinda started a couple weeks back, when our little streak started. Even before that, we had some flashes. I think we are a better defensive team than people give us credit for. It is just the pace we play with — you are going to give up more points.
I think the Saint Mary's game is really where we went over the hump with rebounding and just doing the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. I think that carried over to the Portland and Gonzaga game. Obviously, it really showed in the Gonzaga game. We played with a lot of heart. We had our backs against the wall, and not many people believed in us. I think we all kinda rallied together and bought into that."
Haws on what fans have said after win over Gonzaga:
"Yeah, I think everybody is really excited. We had a big group of people meet us at the airport, and everyone is feeling good about ourselves right now. But that is a challenge. You come off a really big win, and you are heading into a big tournament where everyone is gunning for you.
And everyone is playing for that spot in the NCAA Tournament. We feel good right now, but we have got to stay hungry and stay ready for that next game."
Haws on how he is holding up physically and emotionally after breaking scoring record and etc:
"It is nice, having that behind me. Because I did hear about it a lot, just from media and everyone I see at school. So it is nice to have that in the rearview, but it is a challenge, this time of year. You've played 30 games, and it is a challenge to stay focused, and stay in it. But the joy is just winning.
We didn't play our best game against the Zags, but we just found a way to win, and you can kinda ride that high emotionally for a while when you just win games."
Finally, this gem from Kaufusi when I asked him what he calls that hook-shot type thing that went in against the Zags in the second half:
"It is a little bit of a skyhook, mixed with a prayer. I have been working on that," he said.