This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sophomore point guard Matt Carlino had a phenomenal week for the BYU basketball team last week, playing well in both the 92-51 win over Loyola Marymount and the 80-76 win on the road at San Francisco. Carlino totaled 43 points in the two games, along with 12 rebounds, nine assists and nine steals. But that wasn't enough to earn the Scottsdale, Ariz., product the West Coast Conference's Player of the Week award. The honor went to Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, who averaged 23.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in wins at Pepperdine and Santa Clara. BYU nominated Carlino; Pepperdine's Stacy Davis and USF's Cody Doolin, who had a great game against the Cougars, were also nominated. As I wrote in this piece in Monday's newspaper, Carlino's resurgence is a big reason why the Cougars have won four straight games. It appears that he is going to step up and become the reliable third scorer that the Cougars seemingly need to complement Brandon Davies and Tyler Haws and have a successful run in the WCC this season. "He's playing better," coach Dave Rose acknowledged Saturday night. "He has a purpose when he penetrates. He is way more confident, way more aggressive toward what he wants to get for himself. When he doesn't get it, he is doing a much better job of distributing. His confidence level is better. .. Our coaches have done a terrific job with him. I think Matty is ready for league. His first two games, he has been terrific." Rose said Carlino has put in the time off the court to improve his game. "Matt has always relied a lot on his natural athletic ability. He has worked really hard in the gym," Rose said. "But now I think he has spent a lot of time in the film room with the coaches, watching for opportunities that he can take advantage of. But he's confident, and he's on top of his mental game. I think he is getting a lot better results."————————
Last Friday, we reported that six-year offensive line coach Mark Weber was leaving the BYU football program to take a similar position at Utah State. Monday, the Aggies made it official, announcing in a news release that Weber will be USU's offensive line coach and assistant head coach. Weber has 34 years of collegiate coaching experience, and has been involved in 15 bowl games — six with BYU. "I'm really excited to work for [new USU coach] Matt Wells," Weber said in the USU release. "There is great energy and momentum with the Aggie program and I'm thrilled to get the chance to help in its growth. Matt is innovative and energetic and did a fantastic job as Utah State's offensive coordinator. I love the way those offensive linemen play with their mindset and attitude, and I can't wait to be part of that program and around those kids."