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LOCATION: Provo, UT
CONFERENCE: Mountain West
LAST SEASON: 12-16 (.429)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 6-8 (5th, WAC Pacific)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Cougars
COLORS: Blue & White
HOMECOURT: Marriott Center (22,700)
COACH: Steve Cleveland (UC Irvine '76)
record at school 21-37 (3 years)
career record 21-37 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Dave Rose (Houston '83)
Nate Call (BYU '93)
Heath Schroyer (Armstrong State '94)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 22-15-1-9-12
RPI (last 5 years) 46-100-261-167-139
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinals.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Steve Cleveland finally can build a program. For the first time since he arrived from Fresno (Calif.) City College, Cleveland has returning players, missionaries back from their goodwill and incoming bodies to put together a winner. Cleveland took over one of the most decimated programs in the nation three years ago. He won nine games in his first season. He won 12 a year ago. He could win 16 to 19 this season and reach the NIT, or even challenge for the NCAA Tournament. It's unlikely, but it's not a total reach. "I finally feel comfortable," Cleveland said. "It's the first time we're not starting over. We've got a core of players returning. We can implement a system long-term. Our whole existence so far has been about the short term. We're going to be far more competitive over the next couple of years. We have returning players and we have a system." The BYU hierarchy kept telling Cleveland to be patient. It knew this was a four-to-five year project because of the missionary factor. "It's playing out that way," Cleveland said. "Our goal is to get to the NCAA Tournament. A lot of people don't think that's possible. But it's our goal and we think we're a lot closer than two years ago."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B- BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT B- INTANGIBLES C+
BYU is actually a threat to move up in the Mountain West and challenge for third. Terrell Lyday and Michael Vranes give them a backcourt that can beat any of the teams in the MWC. Silester Rivers and Mekeli Wesley, when on, can pose matchup problems for every team except Utah. The weak link in the lineup is Nathan Cooper, but he'll still out-hustle opponents. The bench may be too inexperienced to carry the Cougars as high as third and will probably keep them down battling for fourth or fifth. The schedule is weak, but there are some road spots that could be troubling such as at Florida International, South Alabama and Utah State. Beating Weber State in the Cougar Classic will be tough, too. BYU has to make the Marriott Center a tougher home court. Utah is the only team that should come in to the arena and win. "Behind Utah it's wide open," Cleveland said. "It will be a dogfight for that fourth and fifth position. The NIT would be a feather in our cap. We want the NCAA Tournament, but if we can't get it, the NIT would be a mark of real progress. You want to be in the NIT by your third or fourth year, the NCAA by your fifth. The chemistry we had this summer will go a long way. We were really, really close a couple of times last year. I expect we'll win those close games this year." |
The reason is simple: The Cougars have players who can get Cleveland to the postseason. BYU has beaten New Mexico in the Pit and beaten TCU in the WAC Tournament. Now the Cougars are ready to take out the elite teams on a regular basis. The point-guard position has never been more stable than it is now with the return of all-league candidate 6-3 sophomore Michael Vranes (10.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and returning missionary 6-1 sophomore Matt Montague (6.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg two years ago). Vranes is a scoring point. Cleveland may use him some at the wing when the ball is in 6-3 junior Terrell Lyday's hands. "Michael can be the scorer we need," Cleveland said. "He's athletic enough to create on his own and yet he learns the system and plays within it. Matt gives us depth at the point that we didn't have." Lyday (Fresno City College/Fresno, Calif.) has history with Cleveland. He didn't play for him but knew him while he was at Hoover High and Cleveland was the Fresno City coach. Cleveland needed to bring in a junior college wing/point guard who could give the Cougars an athletic presence on the perimeter. Lyday (17.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is a pure scorer and will push the Cougars to a tempo they haven't seen. Having 6-1 junior Todd Christensen (7.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg) as a backup gives the Cougars quickness at the guard spots to compete with any team in the Mountain West. "He can score 12- to 15 points for us," Cleveland said. "He'll pick up the slack that (Mark) Bigelow (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) gave us before going on a mission. Terrell has really acclimated himself well here. He can put it on the floor and create and get to the basket. BYU has had outstanding three-point shooters but mostly guys who needed someone else to create for them. Terrell can do it on his own." Cleveland said Christensen gained 20 pounds over the summer and was the second-leading scorer on BYU's summer tour of England, Italy and Croatia. Vranes will play some small forward, but 6-5 junior Nathan Cooper (9.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg) will probably start. Cooper is a gritty small forward who will shove, push and screen until he gets his way. He adds the toughness that most teams lack. "He's one of those guys who just works extremely hard and does the little things," Cleveland said. "He'll crash the offensive boards for us. He actually may end up being our best three-point shooter." The strength of this team is up front: 6-9 junior Mekeli Wesley (11 ppg, 4.9 rpg), 6-7 senior Silester Rivers (11.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 6-8 returning missionary sophomore Eric Nielsen (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg two years ago) and 6-11 senior Bret Jepsen (3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg). "Mekeli was the most improved player this summer," Cleveland said. Wesley, a decent low-post scorer, was suspended the first semester last year and struggled to get going early in the WAC. "He worked on his body in the weight room and was our leading scorer on our summer trip," Cleveland said. "He can go outside, shoot the three-pointer and put it on the floor. He's got better balance to his game and more explosiveness." Rivers, who gives the Cougars a toughness inside and can be a bear on the boards, suffered a severe ankle sprain and didn't play on the team's summer trip. "He needs to get in shape," Cleveland said. "He's lost an edge. He needs to go when we go. We can't wait for him." Jepsen has been a disappointment, unable to recapture the skills he displayed before his mission. Cleveland said he needs Jepsen to be a defensive pest and rebounder. If he does that, Cleveland will be satisfied. Nielsen will play a lot of minutes up front after getting back from a mission in Russia. "He's an aggressive rebounder and a good defender," Cleveland said. "He'll be a serious player for us down the line. He needs to develop a 15- to 17-foot jump shot." The rest of the depth is unproven but needed. Six-foot-four sophomore David Nielsen, who redshirted last season, will be a defensive stopper. Also in the mix are 6-6 returning missionary freshman Morgan Smith and 7-foot returning missionary freshman Dan Howard. Howard is probably the only player of this group who could get time. He's got the touch but needs strength. He could replace Jepsen if he outworks him.
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