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Provo • Point guard Kyle Collinsworth says he can only wish that the injury that kept him out of BYU's 78-57 win over Santa Clara last week was a bruised tailbone.
It was much more painful than that, BYU's versatile junior said Tuesday as the Cougars wrapped up practice and looked ahead to Thursday's showdown at Pepperdine (9 p.m. MST, TWC/Root). The Cougars (17-7, 7-4) and Waves (14-8, 7-4) are tied for third place in the league standings, and nobody wants to finish fourth and have to meet No. 2 Gonzaga in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Collinsworth said the left side of his back and hip are sore, and it effects him when he tries to run, plant or jump, but he still expects to play on Thursday.
"Bone and muscle down there [are sore]," he said. "It is pretty bad. Saturday, it was too painful to [play]. I couldn't be myself, with the pain. … But I feel a lot better about Thursday [after practicing hard Tuesday]. So, yeah, I will play Thursday, for sure."
BYU coach Dave Rose said Collinsworth "looked good" in practice.
"He lasted the whole practice, so that is a good sign," Rose said. "We will see how he feels tomorrow, when he comes in. He took a couple tough falls, but he was moving around pretty well after that, too."
Shuffling continues
Freshman center Corbin Kaufusi, who started the last two games — wins over San Francisco and Santa Clara — hasn't practiced this week due to an ankle sprain. Rose said he expects Kaufusi to be cleared to play after he sees a doctor, but he also hinted that freshman Ryan Andrus could see more playing time after Andrus had a career-high eight rebounds and tied a career high with five points against the Broncos.
"There will be a real opportunity for him," Rose said of Andrus. "Hopefully, he continues to grow."
Another freshman, Isaac Neilson, had a career-high nine rebounds last Saturday and Rose said the team's best rebounder — senior center Nate Austin, who has been out since Dec. 10 with a hamstring injury — could return to the lineup soon.
"Maybe we can get Nate back," Rose said. "That's still what we are looking to do, and that will fill a big hole for us."
Fischer the barometer
Those who have followed transfer guard Chase Fischer's season know that as he goes, so go the Cougars. Fischer is BYU's barometer, and when he shoots the ball well, it usually wins.
That's news to Fischer, who turned 22 on Tuesday, or so he says.
"I am completely unaware of that, but I like to look at myself as kind of an energy guy and a glue guy," he said. "When I play well, I guess we do win. But I try not to look at it like that. I need to step up every game."
Fischer said his parents were in Provo last weekend and celebrated his birthday with him then. He didn't have plans Tuesday night because he had a project to complete, but thought he might go to dinner with Anson Winder and Collinsworth.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU at Pepperdine
O Thursday, 9 p.m. MST
TV • TWC/ROOT