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Provo • A couple slow starts offensively and some inconsistent play on the defensive end of the floor have caused BYU basketball coach Dave Rose to shuffle his starting lineup heading into Wednesday night's game at the Marriott Center against Mississippi Valley State.

Rose confirmed after practice Tuesday that freshman returned missionary Nick Emery will get the start and sophomore Jake Toolson will come off the bench.

"I think that we are just trying to find a group that, with our execution, that we can consistently count on," Rose said. "We need to get started off in games better. We are a little bit inconsistent in our execution, and I think Nick can help us. We will give it a try and see how it goes."

The other starters will remain the same: sophomore Corbin Kaufusi and junior Kyle Davis inside and seniors Kyle Collinsworth and Chase Fischer on the guard line. It will be the first official career start for Emery, although he did start in an exhibition game against Arizona Christian when Fischer and Collinsworth were ailing.

"It feels good," said Emery, who had a career-high 20 points and six assists off the bench in last Friday's 97-56 win over Adams State. "Whenever coach calls your number, you have to be ready, whether that's coming off the bench or starting. Coming off the bench, you get to see how the game is going and I think starting is obviously a good thing, too. I am just excited. It is going to be fun."

The Cougars will look to Toolson, sophomore Jamal Aytes and redshirt freshman Jordan Chatman to provide the spark off the bench that Emery was providing.

"I think that some consistency on the defensive end, and scoring to start the game, is really important for us, and hopefully Nick can bring that for us," Rose said.

The schedule becomes increasingly more difficult after the Delta Devils visit, because BYU hosts 4-2 Belmont on Saturday and then travels to Salt Lake City next Wednesday for a showdown with 4-1 Utah.

"This game tomorrow night is so much about us, and how we can progress from the last game," Rose said. "To me, execution is the whole key with this team right now, how we can run offensive sets, defensively play together, and be able to understand how we are going to guard all the different schemes teams put together against us."

Mississippi Valley State (0-4) is in the middle of a 14-game road trip. The Delta Devils lost 97-51 to Nebraska, 65-64 to Air Force, 85-46 to New Mexico State and 94-60 to Grand Canyon and play out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Rose said they are the kind of pressing, trapping team that has been able to give BYU trouble in the past.

"We are expecting them to put up a great effort," said Davis, who is averaging 12.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. "They've done that in all their games so far. Coach is telling us to be ready to play against a team that is going to be high energy, and high intensity, and we are looking forward to the challenge of playing them."

The Delta Devils have just two players taller than 6-foot-6 and have just one player averaging in double figures, 6-3 junior Damian Young (10.0 ppg.).

Twitter: @drewjay —

Mississippi State at BYU

P Wednesday, 7 p.m. At the Marriott Center, Provo

TV • BYUtv

Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM and Sirius XM 143

Records • BYU 2-1, MVSU 0-4

Series record • BYU leads, 1-0

Last meeting • BYU 86, MVSU 36 (Nov. 23, 2010)

About the Cougars • Center Corbin Kaufusi scored 31 points and had 17 rebounds last week in a loss at Long Beach State and a win over Adams State. … Opponents have shot 26.4, 31.0 and 27.7 percent from the field against the Cougars in BYU's first three games. … G Kyle Collinsworth leads them in scoring with a 13.7 average.

About the Delta Devils • They are coming off a 94-60 loss at Grand Canyon in which they were outscored 17-0 at the beginning of each half. … They are led in scoring by 6-foot-3 foreword Damian Young (10.0 ppg.) and in rebounding by 6-4 point guard Rashaan Surles (4.8 rpg.).