WCC tourney vital for Cougars

When Brigham Young made the decision to leave the Mountain West Conference and join the West Coast Conference, many Cougars fans figured their basketball team would waltz in, unseat Gonzaga and Saint Mary's and dominate their new league in much the same way they did the Mountain West -- even without high-scoring Jimmer Fredette.

Dave Rose knew better.

The Cougars' veteran coach knew the depth and quality of the WCC was going to be a challenge for his rebuilding program, which not only lost Fredette to the NBA but also Jackson Emery, its outstanding defensive backcourt stopper, to graduation and top assistant coach Dave Rice, who left to become UNLV's head coach.

Sure enough, BYU finished third in the WCC, in large part due to home losses at the usually impregnable Marriott Center to Loyola Marymount and Saint Mary's. And with a resume that doesn't guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament, a berth in Monday's WCC championship game at Orleans Arena would go a long way to ensuring the Cougars (24-7 overall, 12-4 WCC, No. 49 NCAA Ratings Percentage Index) make the field of 68 when it is announced March 11.

"The style of play is a little different, but the competition is the same as it was when we were in the Mountain West," Rose said Tuesday. "These (WCC) teams run a lot more stuff, both offensively and defensively. I think the Mountain West was a little more athletic.

"But I'm proud of the way our guys have responded this year. We obviously were in a transition year with Jimmer and Jackson moving on, and we had a lot of new faces to integrate and we changed the focus of how we played offensively."

The return of forward Brandon Davies and the emergence of forward Noah Hartsock helped keep BYU competitive. Hartsock, a 6-foot-8-inch senior, led the WCC in scoring (16.8 points) while shooting 57 percent from the floor. Davies, a 6-9 junior who was booted from the program last season for violating BYU's honor code and reinstated in the fall, averages 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.

"Noah's role has changed every year and, to his credit, he's handled it well," Rose said. "He's become more involved in the offense with Jimmer gone, and we've gone to him more on the block and gotten him more touches. He's been in a better position to score than in the past, and he has been much more consistent.

"Brandon hasn't let the past detract from his progress. He's been an important person for us with his leadership. He's been great for us."

The WCC Tournament starts today with No. 8 Portland facing No. 9 Santa Clara at 6 p.m. at Orleans Arena.

BYU, the No. 3, seed, doesn't play until 8 p.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday's second-round game between No. 6 San Diego and No. 7 Pepperdine. Should the Cougars win, they'll face second-seeded Gonzaga in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Saturday. BYU and Gonzaga split their regular-season series, with each winning on their home floor.

The Cougars already have had an impact on the tournament. Because BYU does not compete on Sunday for religious reasons, the WCC was forced to start its tournament a day early. The teams that make it to Monday's title game will have a day to rest and prepare with the semifinals being played Saturday instead of Sunday, as in previous years.

"In some ways, it's the same," Rose said. "In the past, when we were seeded No. 1 in the Mountain West, we didn't know who we were playing, and we're in a similar situation this year because we don't know who we're playing yet (Friday).

"I think having Sunday off will help whoever is playing Monday. It gives you a chance to rest up and regroup. I just hope we're one of those teams."

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