I don't have direct access to BYU basketball coach Dave Rose on game days (until after the game), but basketball sports information director Kyle Chilton tells me that sophomore forward Chris Collinsworth did not participate in this morning's shootaround, due to a sore knee, and is doubtful to play tonight against UNLV.
However, it appears that Jackson Emery will start, having practiced enough this past week to earn his starting status back, per Rose's rules.
Still, not having Collinsworth tonight is a big blow to the Cougars' upset hopes (UNLV is a four-point favorite here at the sportsbooks in Las Vegas).
In last year's MWC tournament semifinals, the Rebels killed BYU inside and on the offensive glass. The Cougars will need a solid game from James Anderson off the bench, like he had against Arizona, and Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies will have to stay out of foul trouble.

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I caught some Las Vegas sportsradio talk while driving around town this afternoon, and at one point the host literally screamed about his dislike for BYU. I thought I was back at a junior high pep rally.
Anyway, it is obvious from the unprofessional radio rants to the newspaper coverage that UNLV folks consider the Cougars their biggest basketball rival.
Oddly enough, I asked Rose earlier this week if UNLV is BYU's biggest basketball rival.
Here's his reply:
"The way we approach this game is that this is a really good opportunity for us if we go down there and get a win. You know, we've won the league three times without beating them there. So it won't be the end of the world [if BYU loses]. But right now, you look at this as a great chance to get one, and then you put pressure on the whole league to go in there and get one, and it is going to be really tough, because they are really good, and really good at home."
In other words, not really.

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Here are a few more odds and ends from Rose about the game, stuff gathered from his MWC teleconference on Monday and availability after Monday's practice:

On whether he likes the idea of starting conference play on the road at UNLV:
"Like we have said before, when you play one of the top teams in the league, on their home floor, early in the conference season, you have a chance, a real opportunity, to see where you stand and then if you can get a win, you got a leg up, and guys are chasing you.
So home games are great, but road games are really good opportunities to see how you will do."

On addressing the losing streak in Vegas with the team:
"Yeah, we have talked about it. But that's a different group of guys. This is our own team. It is our opportunity now. We have done some things with this group already that other teams haven't done before.
We went to Creighton and won a game. They hadn't lost there in however long and so this team needs to focus in on there opportunities, and I think this is a good one."

On why UNLV plays so well against BYU:
"Sometimes it is matchups. Their matchups are good [against BYU]. UNLV plays really well against a lot of people. I don't think they just pick out a couple schools and that's who they play well against.
I think that we have come up a couple plays short in a couple games down there. They have come up a couple plays short up here. There have been blowouts at both places. We will see how this game goes, but I am excited for the opportunity."

On UNLV missing some shooters like Kendall Wallace:
"They still have a lot of perimeter guys who can make a lot of shots. So missing Wallace is an issue, but I think they can overcome that. There five [spot] players aren't great perimeter shooters, but Lopez has a chance to be a great perimeter shooter. He's still early in his career.
They have got plenty of good players. We don't need to feel sorry for them about not having players. They've got plenty."


On whether UNLV is any different than before:
"Pretty similar. It is a team that really stretches their defense. I think their defense has been really consistent over the course of this year. They need to score points off their defense. That's kind of how they play, so they are going to trap you, they are going to run at you. I think for the most part, from what we can see, most of their roles are the same.
Offensively, it is a little bit different. They don't stretch their five men as much. But they love to ball screen, love to get to the rim. They space the floor, so it is pretty similar."