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The BYU Cougars welcomed back junior Kyle Collinsworth in their 75 - 44 win over Seattle Pacific on Saturday Night.
Collinsworth went out with a knee injury 241 days ago in the WCC title game against Gonzaga. In BYU’s final exhibition game, Collinsworth played aggressively on both ends of the floor, forcing a turnover on one end and slamming down a dunk on the other. His passes were crisp and he looked healthy rebounding the ball during his 13 minutes of play.
Corbin Kaufusi saw his first unofficial minutes as a BYU Cougar. BYUtv’s Blaine Fowler reported that Kaufusi said his lung collapsed prior to the first exhibition game and stated that was the reason he did not play against the Colorado School of Mines.
Kaufusi was aggressive in the paint, showing a lot of his raw potential. He was able to block some big shots, grab some rebounds, but did occasionally get lost on the court or set up some poor screens down low. He had eight rebounds and four blocks.
Defense appeared to be an emphasis in this game, as several different Cougars forced turnovers throughout the game. In the first half alone, BYU forced 14 turnovers to Seattle Pacific’s 11 field goals. Seattle Pacific had 24 total turnovers.
The highlight from the first half was Frank Bartley’s huge dunk after a turnover with an assist from Chase Fischer, showing the Wake Forest transfer’s unselfish play. Corbin Kaufusi's blocks made up the highlights for the second half.
Fischer showed he was a much more all-around player than advertised, with his excellent passes and defense. He registered the most minutes this game, and scored the most points. Most of his points came from driving to the basket, rather than taking his usual jump shots. His play showed a glimpse into why he was named as one of the team captains.
Nate Austin stayed out of the game with a sore back but is expected to play in BYU’s season opener against Long Beach State. Ryan Andrus did not play due to a concussion sustained in practice.
Head coach Dave Rose has several decisions to make in the next few days, including who to redshirt and finalizing lineups, thanks to a very deep and impressive roster.