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Provo • Having won a fourth straight game for the first time this season, the BYU Cougars are feeling pretty good about themselves these days.
With the exception of starting forward Nate Austin, lost for the year with a hamstring issue, everybody is relatively healthy, finally. Getting senior guard Anson Winder back from a groin pull was huge on Thursday as the Cougars' second-leading scorer posted 15 points off the bench in the 75-62 win over San Diego.
The Cougars (21-8, 11-5 WCC) will enjoy a bye this weekend and start looking toward a huge road trip next week that will in all likelihood decide whether they get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, or not.
They take on Portland on Thursday and finish the regular season next Saturday at No. 3 Gonzaga. If they win both — a task that looks Herculean, given the 27-1 Zags' dominance at home this year — they probably slide over to the right side of the bubble.
"I think we are in pretty good shape," coach Dave Rose said after the Cougars held off the Toreros, their fourth straight win of 13 points or more. "But we will find out. We got a pretty rough road trip [ahead]. We got swept on this thing last year, so we will see how we do."
Everything is always easier at home, where three of the four wins came, but the most promising development for BYU and its still-dim hopes of making the Big Dance has been its ability to rebound lately. The Cougars out-rebounded Loyola Marymount 42-25, Saint Mary's 37-26, Pacific 44-34 and San Diego 38-23 after the 80-74 loss at Pepperdine in which rebounds were even at 31 apiece.
Rebounds are "a good indication of how the game really turns out for us," Rose said. "If we can stay on that and really be dialed in and focused on it [that's good]. Next week will be as big a challenge as you will ever have. Portland is as big of a team as there is in Division I basketball, and then obviously Gonzaga is one of the best teams in the country, with a huge frontline. So it will be a challenge. But that's what our guys are excited for and looking forward to."
The Cougars' defense has seemingly improved, too, although it is never going to look good, statistically, because of the pace the nation's highest-scoring offense (84.4 ppg.) plays at. Not since early in the 2011-12 season have the Cougars held four straight opponents to fewer than 70 points.
"We are feeling good," said Tyler Haws, who moved to within six points of tying BYU's career scoring record. "We have won four in a row, but we are still hungry. We still feel like we have a lot to prove. … In a lot of ways, our tournament has already started. We have to bring it every single time we step on the floor. But I feel like we are in a good spot."
Rose rarely talks about BYU's NCAA Tournament chances during the regular season - and he's had a lot of opportunities the past few years coaching the perennial bubble-dweller - but he briefly broached the subject on Thursday night.
"Maybe it is because of the situation we are in," he said, while speaking about the team's resurgence lately. "You are on once side of the bubble, trying to jump yourself over to the other side. I don't know. I can't really put my finger on it. But I do know these guys are really focused on our game plans."
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU at Portland
P Thursday, 8 p.m. MST
TV • ROOT Sports —
Crashing the boards
BYU's rebounding during its four-game winning streak
Opponent Rebounding battle
San Diego BYU won, 38-23
Pacific BYU won, 44-34
Saint Mary's BYU won, 37-26
Loyola Marymount BYU won, 42-25