It's always nice to beat the Utes. And it's especially nice to crush the Utes at their place in the only game of the season when they've had more than a hundred fans in the seats. And to set a record for largest margin of victory is sweet. What's not sweet is that NM wrapped up the regular season conference title earlier this evening. But, what is sweet is the selection committee places a premium on winning a conference tournament (anybody remember Utah last year?), which may bode extremely well for BYU (or UNLV--ugh!@#@!$%)...
Anyway, in tonight's melee on The Hill, the Cougars simply destroyed the impossibly inconsistent Utes, 71-51. I wasn't expecting a blowout--I don't think anybody who's familiar with the rivalry (not so much in basketball) would expect such a thing--but it was simply that: a blowout. It was BEAutiful beating the morale of Boiler Boylen, my least favorite--er, make that second-least favorite coach in the MWC (Lobo-lover Steve Alford now owns the coveted spot).
If you're getting the vibe that I'm not too excited right now, you right! Why? Jimmer is sick. Some may argue he played only 19 minutes because BYU owned the game. Maybe. But in those 19 minutes he was 1-7 from the field and looked sluggish. My fingers are crossed Mono hasn't returned in the nick of time for tourney play--that would be worst-case scenario for the Cougars.
Having said that, I hope Brandon Davies' performance won't go unnoticed. BYU is so much better with an inside presence and that's exactly what he provided tonight--21 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes. Incredibly efficient. If he can make this a consistent effort BYU can go a long way in the tourney, because we've all seen the kind of team they are when the outside shots are falling.
And kudos again to MLJ for stepping up BIG TIME in place of Jimmer. 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. My word, kid! I can't wait to see you the next two years...