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Provo • When BYU coach Dave Rose says dealing with a season-ending injury suffered by a star player and a late game-time change that could drastically effect the turnout at the Marriott Center is "more normal than abnormal," you know it has been a long and difficult year in Provo.

On the eve of Wednesday's National Invitation Tournament opener against UT Arlington, Rose announced that sophomore guard Elijah Bryant — perhaps the team's second-best player the second half of the season — is out for the year after having reinjured his knee in the loss to Saint Mary's early last week.

"I think we are used to this now," Rose said dejectedly while confirming that junior Davin Guinn will start at the wing in Bryant's absence. "We have been doing this for awhile."

The Cougars are also used to late tipoffs, and that will be the case as well Wednesday night. Because the Syracuse-UNC Greensboro NIT game was pushed back to Wednesday by winter storm Stella, ESPN2 moved the BYU-UTA tip from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. MT.

"We asked them if there were any other options, and they told us there were not," Rose said, relating how he was reading about the Syracuse postponement Tuesday morning and thinking to himself, "someone is going to take a hit on this, some other team."

It was BYU, naturally.

But that bit of bad news paled in comparison with the loss of Bryant, who missed 10 games due to injury earlier this season before averaging 13.2 points on 45.6 percent shooting in West Coast Conference games. He had a career-high 39 points in BYU's 97-78 win at Portland and 14 points in the 79-71 upset of then-No. 1 Gonzaga.

It is too soon to know whether the injury requires surgery.

Coincidentally, UT Arlington is dealing with the loss of one of its best players, too. Senior guard Jalen Jones, who averages 12.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, suffered a hand injury in the recent Sun Belt Conference tournament and has played the final game of a fine college career.

"I think that if you compared the two, it would probably be pretty similar, what they've lost and what we've lost," Rose said. "We will tee it up and see how it works."

The key matchup will be BYU's Eric Mika against UTA's 6-foot-8 forward Kevin Hervey, the Sun Belt Player of the Year. Mika has 17 double-doubles, Hervey 16. Rose said UTA junior guard Erick Neal (10.4 ppg, 6.4 apg) will also be a handful because he's an excellent penetrator, passer and scorer.

"It is tough when any of your guys go down," BYU's TJ Haws said of the Bryant injury. "We feel for him, but now it is time to come together and have guys step up. … We have guys right now that are playing well in practice that are ready to step up and play well."

After all, it wouldn't be a postseason for BYU the past six years without a key player getting injured or dismissed from the team, Rose said.

In other words, more normal than abnormal.

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU vs. UT Arlington

At the Marriott Center, Provo

Tipoff: 9 p.m. MT

TV: ESPN2

Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143

Records: BYU 22-11, UTA 25-8

Series history: BYU leads 1-0

Last meeting: BYU 87, UTA 70 (Dec. 9, 1988)

About the Mavericks: A former UTA player, coach Scott Cross is 202-147 in his 11th season. … They earned an automatic bid to the NIT after winning the Sun Belt Conference by two games with a 14-4 league record. … They are led in scoring (17.1) and rebounding (8.6) by Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Kevin Hervey.

About the Cougars: They advanced to the NIT semifinals in their previous two appearances in the tournament, 2013 and 2016. … They won the NIT championships in 1951 and 1966 and have an 18-10 overall record in 12 appearances. … Sophomore center Eric Mika leads them in scoring (20.1) and rebounding (9.2) and is the USBWA District VIII Player of the year.