Jim H: Have you ever seen the ticket prices for major league baseball teams. They have at least three, sometimes four different levels of ticket prices. For example, the “bigs” are called something like “Premium” games or whatever. These, the highest ticket prices are for the Yankees, Angels, Red Sox at the Texas Rangers games in Arlington, Texas or anywhere else in the American League. In the National League it is the same thing, i.e. “the bigs”- Dodgers, Braves, Giants, Cubs, Mets, Phillies, etc. . Then there is a second tier, say :Silver" games, like some rivals or inter league games like Tigers, Rays, Blue Jays, or sometimes the inter league games like the Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Giants, Cubs,and/or any other rivals. At the bottom are cheap tickets, usually the bottom feeders like the Astros, San Diego, Arizona, Colorado, Pirates, Athletics, Mariners. The point is each team has different levels of rivals, or Premium teams, or Silvers. The prices vary by the markets, the inter leagues “rivalries,” and the cheaps. Then there are the mega markets like NY, LA, Boston, Phila., Washington, etc. Just like BYU in LA or at USF or SMC, GU, etc. The market dictates. . . .
This is a very good article about last night’s game. http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/byu-cougars-basketball/2015/2/5/7990411/rapid-reaction-pepperdine-recap-score-80-74
I happen agree with it completely. We’ve discussed this before about both basketball and football teams and how we come out at half time and think things will be the same if we had a good first half. While the other team’s coaches make changes and adjustments and clobber us. Yes, the officials gave Pepperdine the opportunity to catch BYU last night. But, BYU did not come out and play smart nor aggressive. Instead, we turned the ball over and hacked away or made slow slides and footwork actually fouling. Were there some over the backs on Pepp? Yes. But, when you stand around and barely jump, you aren’t going to get the calls in any league. When you don’t find a man to block out, you aren’t going to get any calls except a foul on you.
This one cannot be blamed on the referees. The author of the article is correct. We came out and played bad in the beginning of second half and in spots going down to the end of the game. One on one ball heroics that just didn’t happen. As great a shooter and player as Haws is, he’s not a clutch shooter. We missed Fischer. Concussion from being hit in the head with a ball in warm ups? The guy gets hurt a lot. At least MC didn’t get hurt.
Face it, this game came down to poor defense and poor shooting while they were polar opposites. Rose’s technical foul only cost us a point, but was simply at the wrong time. We were still maintaining a 6-7 point lead. One thing that I’m not sure about is why do we never dump the ball into the post and change up the offense? We get very predictable and the other teams in the second half make adjustments and shut our scoring down. Andrus has post skills. At least let him try.
Well, I think Rose has some blame for this. Most of the season who did he have starting and playing most minutes in the post? Worthington. He should have been developing the others and letting them play. But, here’s the catch. The weave offense has no post play involved. Even if the post players got the ball and took one dribble and passed back outside we would get a lot more easy drives to the basket and open outside shots. The offense is one dimensional and teams at half time take advantage of this if they have good coaches and the players to do it with and Pepperdine did.
The fact is, every team in the WCC can match up with us and over-power us in the paint. It’s hard to believe that our post players haven’t gotten better with at least a drop step and baby hook finger roll. Or, an up and under. And, simple things like blocking out so the refs don’t call the fouls for swatting at a player tipping in a missed shot.
We live by the 3 and die by the 3. It’s pretty simple and it happens when we get winded at ends of games. Haws is real good in the first half of games. But, has no stamina for the end of games. He has to sit on defensive plays.
Yep!!! 100% agree. It’s a guard offense and the weave just gets us tired. Dump it into the post a lot more. Even if they don’t shoot it. Change up the pressure on the other team’s defense. It gets really easy to defend when you do the same thing the entire game and get tired and bored doing it. We were gassed by half time and came out slow reacting and hacking away. While Pepperdine was crisp, drove the lanes without resistance and had open shots. Although a couple few of their 3’s were just plain luck.
Well, they are actually really good. Can they beat Kentucky? It will be a really good game. They have the inside ability and are very deep. They don’t get gassed at the end of games.
Gonzaga beat Kentucky?
LOL… that’s a good one.
They are not a top five team unless they have wcc refs doing the game. They were down to Santa Clara by 2 last night because they played poorly and because they aren’t #2 in the nation. That changed in the second half as the officials helped them right the ship.
It happens all the time with the Bulldogs. They are a better team this year than last but the result will be the same, win the wcc and league tournament, get a good seed, rinse and repeat. Like I’ve said before, even when they are weaker, they still do that. That is something that is unprecedented in any league because of the parity in college and the sheer number of good players and teams out there. Look at the top teams in every conference and then look at their history over the previous 10 years, only Gonzaga has been at the top year in and year out.
Testimony to coaching? or to the favoritism afforded them? I say it’s a little bit of both.
Kentucky has had some nail biters this year to some weak teams too. Gonzaga will play for the title game against Kentucky unless BYU wins the WCC tournament and plays against Kentucky for the championship 
Well SG, I am in agreement with you. The win over SMC proved a lot when we get some rebounds and play harder.
Is this GFGH?