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Tyler Haws' record-breaking shot probably won't be spectacular. During a game Thursday night at Portland, the BYU guard will hit a pull-up jumper or a free throw and move ahead of Jimmer Fredette as the school's all-time leading scorer.

Fredette, who now leads Haws by seven points, memorably topped Danny Ainge's career total near the end of his 52-point night in the 2011 Mountain West tournament semifinals in Las Vegas. Haws' big moment, coming with far less drama in the early stages of a game in a 5,000-seat venue, will frame his career of consistency.

If it is possible to produce more points than any Utah collegian in history in an understated way, Haws has done it. By improving every year, scoring in the context of his team's offense and playing through injuries, he has made himself worthy of this record.

Haws deserves more, actually. If his career concludes somewhere outside of the NCAA tournament next month, BYU will have failed to maximize his talent.

Such an ending wouldn't diminish Haws' career performance. But unless the Cougars can do something extraordinary by beating No. 3 Gonzaga in one of two potential meetings, Haws is likely to finish with about 2,700 points — with eight of them coming in an NCAA Tournament victory.

That wouldn't be his fault. Gonzaga's dominant presence in the West Coast Conference, BYU's lack of defense and the Cougars' personnel turnover due to missions and injuries will have conspired to keep Haws from winning another NCAA game. In his freshman season of 2009-10, Haws helped BYU beat Florida in double overtime — as Fredette and Michael Loyd Jr. combined for 63 points.

If that remains his only NCAA victory, Haws will have more to show for his career than prolific scorers such as Utah State's Jaycee Carroll and Greg Grant, whose teams never won at that level. Yet, what distinguishes the likes of Fredette, Ainge and Utah's Keith Van Horn and Josh Grant is they did some of their best work in big-time victories in March. Haws wouldn't be remembered the same way, even after all he has accomplished in a humble, admirable style.

Haws' teams haven't won a regular-season championship or tournament title in the MW or the WCC. The Cougars lost to Oregon in the NCAA's round of 64 last March, with Kyle Collinsworth out due to injury. Haws would love one more shot on that stage.

"It's definitely pushing us, every single thing we're doing in practice," he said. "In a lot of ways, our tournament's already started. There's not a lot of room for error."

Haws experienced the emotions of Senior Night last week, believing that a win over San Diego would stand as his last Marriott Center appearance. He may have to come back for the NIT, though. BYU is playing like an NCAA Tournament team right now, but too many missed opportunities likely will keep them out of the event — even in a year when Haws has remained a top-four scorer (22.7 average) in the country and Collinsworth has broken an NCAA record with five triple-doubles.

Haws has tried to everything he could, showing "as much grit and toughness as any player we've had," said BYU coach Dave Rose, citing Haws' ankle injury in late December. He managed to score 24 points as the Cougars beat Stanford, but then shot poorly in a win over Massachusetts and a loss to Gonzaga. His 4-for-12 day vs. Gonzaga included a 3-point miss that could have tied the game in the late stages, after he was unable to practice during the week.

Otherwise, Haws has left few windows of regret in his career. He's the all-time example of rebuilding his game after a mission, scoring 20-plus points in his first six contests as a sophomore. The Cougars have 98 wins so far in his four years. He once scored 42 points at EnergySolutions Arena in a victory over Virginia Tech. In December, his 35 points helped BYU win at Utah State.

Haws now returns to Portland, where he scored 48 points in a triple-overtime battle last season. That would stand as his signature game, except the Cougars lost. Or maybe it is the ultimate example of his career, as another case when his teammates couldn't quite give him the help he deserved.

Twitter: @tribkurt —

The 2,000-point club

The list of 2,000-point scorers in the state's college basketball history, with their totals in NCAA tournament victories:

Player, school Years Points NCAA wins

Jimmer Fredette, BYU 2007-11 2,599 103

Tyler Haws, BYU 2009-15 2,593 8

Keith Van Horn, Utah 1993-97 2,542 100

Jaycee Carroll, Utah State 2004-08 2,522 0

Danny Ainge, BYU 1977-81 2,467 70

Billy McGill, Utah 1959-62 2,321 87

Michael Smith, BYU 1983-88 2,319 36

Devin Durrant, BYU 1978-84 2,285 23

Greg Grant, Utah State 1982-86 2,127 0

Bruce Collins, Weber State 1976-80 2,019 15

Wayne Estes, Utah State 1962-65 2,001 38

Josh Grant, Utah 1988-93 2,000 68