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Provo • The opportunity of a lifetime is how BYU basketball coach Dave Rose is pitching Thursday night's contest with No. 1-ranked Gonzaga at the Marriott Center to his inexperienced, ailing team.
"We have to cherish this moment because this is a moment we are going to remember for the rest of our lives," sophomore guard Elijah Bryant said.
For better or worse.
And if the inconsistent Cougars (16-7) don't turn in their best performance of the season, they are likely to be buried, even embarrassed, by the undefeated Zags (22-0), who have tied a school record with 22 straight victories and are dominating the West Coast Conference.
It will be the first time BYU has hosted the nation's top-ranked team, and Rose has stressed all week the importance of rising to the challenge.
"Absolutely," he said, noting that the 19,000-seat Marriott Center has been sold out for days. "People want to be able to see something that is not normal. This is not normal. We have played basketball here for almost 50 years, and we haven't had the No. 1 team in the country come in here yet. It is a unique opportunity, and hopefully our guys take advantage of it and play well."
But the Cougars might not be at their best. Sophomore starting guard Nick Emery was sent home before practice Wednesday with flu-like symptoms and might not play, let alone be at full strength.
"Nick has come down with something," Rose said. "He's got body aches and chills, and so we sent him home. Hopefully it doesn't spread through the team, and hopefully he is feeling better tomorrow."
With Kyle Davis having been lost for the season with a knee injury, Emery is the only Cougar who plays regularly who was on the floor when BYU upset Gonzaga 69-68 in Spokane last year then lost to the Zags 71-68 in Provo and 88-84 in the WCC Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas.
Big man Eric Mika played against Gonzaga twice in 2014 before his church mission, but the only Bulldog still around from those teams is 7-foot-1 center Przemek Karnowksi. Mika said BYU's practices have been spirited, competitive and intense all week as coaches split up the starters and regulars and had them go against each other.
"Coach has made it a point for us to recognize what a great opportunity it is for us as a team to really prove to everyone how good we are, and show everyone what we believe we are as a team," Mika said. "I am just excited to do that and come out and do what we have been doing the last three days of practice and … just kinda show people what we are really about. Because I don't think we've done that quite yet."
Now would be a good time to start. The eyes of the nation are upon the freshly minted No. 1 team in the land, and the Cougars, 7-3 in the WCC, have not lived up to expectations.
Rose said four days of studying film has convinced him that Gonzaga has earned its No. 1 ranking.
"There's no question in my mind now that they deserve to be the No. 1 team in the country," he said. Until someone beats them, I think they will stay there."
Could that be BYU? Gonzaga is an 11-point favorite and hasn't defeated an opponent by fewer than double digits in 14 straight games. The Zags are better defensively than they've ever been, and deeper, too, Rose said.
"The most important thing for us is to be able to play within ourselves, attack them and take advantage of opportunities," Rose said. "Defensively, we have to have a real aggressive mindset and make plays on the ball. And then our effort has to be extreme, it has to be unmatched, and hopefully that's what we get from our guys.
"And if you get a group of guys that gets going and you get the crowd behind you, who knows?" Rose continued. "That's what makes college basketball exciting. I look forward to it."
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Gonzaga
P At the Marriott Center, Provo
Tipoff • 9 p.m.
TV • ESPN 2 Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU (16-7, 7-3 WCC); Gonzaga (22-0, 10-0 WCC)
Series history • Gonzaga leads 11-5
Last meeting • Gonzaga won 88-84 (March 7, 2016)
About the Bulldogs • They have tied a program record with 22 straight wins and won 14 straight games by 10 points or more. … They are 3-2 against BYU in the Marriott Center but never have defeated BYU by more than seven points in Provo. … They are led in scoring by Washington transfer Nigel Williams-Goss (14.8 ppg.).
About the Cougars • Sophomore center Eric Mika is one of three players in the nation who is averaging 20 or more points, nine or more rebounds and two or more blocks per game. … They are 12-1 at the Marriott Center this season and 172-18 in coach Dave Rose's 12-year tenure. … They are hosting a No. 1-ranked team for the first time in school history.