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Honolulu • There was both good and bad news from BYU basketball coach Dave Rose on Monday afternoon after the Cougars practiced at the Stan Sheriff Center for their appearance in the Diamond Head Classic, an eight-team tournament annually held during the week of Christmas.
BYU (7-3) will begin the tournament on Tuesday against Harvard (3-6) at 2:30 p.m. MST. The game will be televised by ESPNU.
Rose said the Cougars expect sophomore forward Jamal Aytes, who had sat out the last four games with a sprained ankle, to play against the Crimson. That's the good news.
The bad news is that sophomore guard Jake Toolson did not make the trip to Honolulu and will not play. Toolson is taking a leave of absence from the team for undisclosed medical reasons. He started five games, played in all 10 and averaged 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
"It's tough. I feel for Jake," Rose said. "He's a great student and a great teammate. He just needs some time. It is funny, because we start the season almost every year thinking we have a lot of depth, and then things don't always go the way you hope."
The Cougars are already without scholarship guard Cory Calvert, who left the team last week, and walk-on guard Cooper Ainge, who quit basketball to concentrate on academics last month.
Rose said Toolson's minutes will go to freshman wing Zac Seljaas and freshman guard Jordan Chatman.
"Zac Seljaas is playing really well, and Jordan Chatman will probably get some more minutes and see if he can settle in and make some plays on both ends of the floor," Rose said. "What it does is it gives someone else an opportunity."
The winner of the BYU-Harvard game will play the winner of the Auburn-New Mexico game at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday; First-round losers will play at 12:30 p.m.
Rose said Harvard plays differently on offense than BYU. The Crimson are as deliberate as any team in the country, with an average possession length time of 20.6 seconds, the longest in the nation. BYU has the seventh-shortest average possession time in the country, 14.1 seconds.
"They like to get late in the shot clock, so hopefully we can value every possession and not turn the ball over," Rose said. "It will be interesting to try to get the pace to our liking. If not, we will really have to execute in the half court. That's the game Harvard wants to play."
Former Brighton High star Corbin Miller is a reserve guard for Harvard, having returned from an LDS Church mission to Mexico. He is averaging 19.9 minutes and 6.4 points per game.
"I watched him play quite a bit in high school and on the AAU circuit," Rose said. "He is a really good scorer and can shoot the ball well from the perimeter."
Harvard also features 6-foot-9 forward Zena Edosomwan, the son of Nigerian immigrants who was born in Texas and grew up in Los Angeles. Edosomwan is averaging 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
No tournament games will be held on Thursday. The tournament concludes on Friday, Christmas Day.
Rose said BYU likes to play in one tournament such as this a year; In this case, ESPN contacted him a few years ago and he agreed to play.
"I like these tournaments because you play good teams, and that prepares you for what's next," Rose said.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Harvard
P Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Tipoff • Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. MST,
TV • ESPNU
Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM and Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU 7-3, Harvard 3-6
Series record • BYU leads, 1-0
Last meeting • BYU 113, Harvard 72 (Dec. 21, 1978)
About the Cougars • Kyle Collinsworth posted his NCAA-record eighth career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Friday's 98-85 win over Central Michigan. … They are playing in their second straight regular-season tournament in Hawaii, the Hawaii Airlines Diamond Head Classic, after playing in the Maui Classic last year. … Nick Emery had a career-best seven rebounds against Central Michigan.
About the Crimson • Coach Tommy Amaker is 164-85 in his ninth season at the helm. … They are averaging just 65.1 points per game, while allowing 63.6 ppg. … Zena Edosomwan, a 6-foot-9 forward, leads them in scoring and rebounding with a 12.7 scoring average and a 10.1 rebounding average.