BYU comfy in WCC – for now

The Cougars landed in the West Coast Conference two years ago after bolting the Mountain West when the school’s football program became an independent. But there had been speculation BYU would return to the Mountain West after Boise State and San Diego State decided to stay in the MW rather than join the Big East.

So far, the WCC-BYU marriage appears to be holding up. But speculation continues to mount that it’s just a matter of time before BYU returns to the Mountain West.

Rose said nobody from his administration has told him of any pending move.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Rose said as he prepared his third-seeded team for today’s 8:30 p.m. WCC tournament quarterfinal against No. 6 San Diego at Orleans Arena. “It’s a football decision, and usually when you’re the basketball coach, you’re the last to know. But no one has talked to me.”

Rose was an assistant at BYU when it bolted the Western Athletic Conference to join the newly formed Mountain West in 1998. He was head coach when the Cougars left the MW after 2011. But he said he’s fine being in the WCC, which will expand to 10 schools next year when Pacific leaves the Big West.

“I haven’t heard anyone complain (about the WCC),” Rose said. “The fans appear happy. The excitement and energy level has been good. We had huge crowds for Saint Mary’s and for Gonzaga. It’s a good fit for us.”

Rose doesn’t read the Internet message boards, so he doesn’t hear the hue and cry some have raised for a return to the Mountain West. But BYU made the NCAA Tournament last year playing a WCC schedule, so the move wasn’t as bad as some would think.

Rose said he thinks it will be an even better fit next year when the WCC pairs its 10 teams into travel partners. BYU would partner on the road with San Diego, according to one proposal.

“We had five splits where we played a home game on Thursday and then a road game Saturday or vice versa, and that makes it tough travel,” Rose said. “I’m hoping when we travel next year, it’s two road, then two at home.”

But that’s next year. For now, Rose is trying to get the Cougars (21-10) into this year’s postseason. To reach the NCAA Tournament, they’ll probably need to win the WCC tourney. If they don’t, a bid to the National Invitation Tournament is likely.

“We’re going to have to play really well in Vegas,” Rose said. “But we’ve shown the ability to beat anyone. We’ve struggled with our consistency.”

For BYU to win, it’s going to need huge efforts by Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies, its two first-team All-WCC players, and hope some others step up.

“If you can get a couple of guys hot, you catch it all together, we can beat anyone,” Rose said. “But we’re going to have to have everything break right for us.”

■u2002Loyola Marymount 61, San Francisco 60 — The ninth-seeded Lions (10-22) advanced in overtime after blowing a five-point lead in the final 38.3 seconds of regulation against the fifth-seeded Dons.

Anthony Ireland scored 16 points, Ashley Hamilton had 11 points and 14 rebounds and former Findlay Prep player Godwin Okonji had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Loyola Marymount. The Lions will play fourth-seeded Santa Clara in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. today.

Cole Dickerson scored 23 for San Francisco (14-16), which hurt itself with 8-for-19 free-throw shooting.

■u2002San Diego 62, Pepperdine 59 — The sixth-seeded Toreros (15-17) advanced behind their backcourt as Johnny Dee scored 16 points and Chris Anderson 10.

San Diego nearly blew a 60-51 lead with just over two minutes to play, with Pepperdine (12-18) rallying to within 61-59 with three seconds left behind Stacy Davis’ three-point play and Lorne Jackson’s 3-pointer and two free throws.

Chris Mansera hit one of two free throws to give the Toreros a three-point lead, and Jordan Baker’s tying 30-foot try for Pepperdine fell short at the buzzer.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.