BYU Basketball

The NCAA will accommodate BYU's school policy of not competing in athletic events on Sundays should the Cougars reach the Sweet 16. 

The organization announced Monday the East's regional semifinals and final would move to Saturday, March 27 and Monday, March 29 if the Cougars win their first two games. The Midwest region, which is currently slated to compete on those days, would move its last two rounds to March 28 and 30.

"That contingency will only be utilized in the event that BYU were to advance to the Sweet 16," Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, said of the situation. "If they do not, then there would be no change to dates for any teams for regionals."

The situation may resolve itself, considering BYU has made just one Sweet 16 appearance (2011) since 1981.

The Cougars earned a No. 6 seed after finishing 20-6 in the regular season, and they sit 29th in ESPN.com's College Basketball Power Index.

The selection committee did BYU few favors since a first-round matchup with either Michigan State or UCLA awaits Saturday. The Spartans in particular could be a tough out, having registered upsets of Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan within the last month.

Should BYU move on, a date with third-seeded Texas could beckon in the second round.

Former Purdue center Matt Haarms is transferring to BYU, he announced on Thursday, via 247 Sports' Evan Daniels. 

As a graduate transfer, the 7'3" big man will be eligible to play for the Cougars in 2020-21.

Haarms spent his first three years at Purdue, making 102 appearances for the Boilermakers. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks as a junior in 2019-20.

He told ESPN's Jeff Borzello his decision to leave West Lafayette, Indiana, was made with an eye toward a possible pro career: "Just believe I needed a change of scenery to take my game to the next level; [I] don't have anything but positive things to say about Purdue, but I just felt like it was time to move on."

Between his imposing height and NCAA tournament experience (one Sweet 16 appearance and a trip to the Elite Eight), Haarms will have had plenty of options as he weighed his next step.

Evan Daniels of 247Sports reported he had narrowed his list of finalists to three programs: BYU, Kentucky and Texas Tech.

The Athletic's Dustin Dopirak explained some of what Haarms would bring to a new team:

"His shot-blocking can play at any level, and he could be especially valuable to a team that is just missing that piece. And wherever he goes, his new team will be able to trust that he’ll bring energy. In his early years at Purdue, he sometimes got overly excited and wore himself out early in games, but he found a rhythm and has mostly stuck to it since the latter half of his sophomore season, including during the Boilermakers' Elite Eight run. He won't expect to join a team and be its captain, but he'll most likely be a good locker room presence with the experience of two Sweet 16 runs."

The COVID-19 pandemic hit particularly hard for the Cougars because they were having their most successful season in years.

ESPN's Seth Walder ran a simulation that combined Joe Lunardi's projected bracket with the Basketball Power Index. In the exercise, BYU advanced to the national title game, where it lost to Wisconsin.

There's no guarantee the team will even get to the tournament in 2021. Seven players from this year's roster, including the top three scorers, were seniors.

Jeff Call of Deseret News wrote Wednesday that head coach Mark Pope and his assistants "have been aggressively pursuing graduate transfers" to ensure the team is once again a contender in the West Coast Conference.

Landing Haarms gives Pope a big piece in the paint.

A man who has tested positive for the coronavirus attended BYU's home game against Gonzaga last month, the school said in a statement Tuesday.

"BYU was contacted by the Utah County Health Department to notify the university that an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 attended a basketball game in the Marriott Center on Feb. 22, 2020," BYU said in a statement.

"According to the health department, the individual had mild symptoms on Feb. 22 and the risk of transmission to others at the game is low. As a precaution, those who were sitting within six feet of the individual are being contacted to let them know of the possible exposure."

Utah County Health Department spokeswoman Aislynn Tolman-Hill told the The Salt Lake Tribune that the man likely contracted the coronavirus on a cruise. He is currently under an isolation order and in recovery.

Tolman-Hill estimated about 10 individuals were in close enough proximity to the man, and they have been informed they could be at risk. Those who were not contacted are not believed to be at risk.

BYU said all "high-touch surfaces" at the Marriott Center are regularly disinfected, and there's no belief that there is an ongoing risk.

There have been 849 cases of the coronavirus in the United States and 28 deaths. 

The NCAA has suspended BYU forward Yoeli Childs for nine games after he "did not submit appropriate paperwork and received impermissible expenses when he worked with an agent while testing his NBA draft prospects," according to ESPN.

Childs made the decision in May to return to BYU for his senior season.

"Amid the confusion of the NCAA allowing student athletes to sign with agents and still return to school, Yoeli was caught in the transition of a changing landscape," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement.

More from BYU AD Tom Holmoe: “Yoeli was honest and forthright throughout the reinstatement process. He clearly communicated his desire to return to BYU to graduate and compete with his teammates. Yoeli Childs is an outstanding student athlete with a bright future.”

— Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) August 9, 2019

BYU appealed the suspension but was unable to get Childs' suspension overturned. 

"There was some confusion with this new process, and I made decisions that have caused an outcome that none of us like," Childs said Friday. "I just want everyone to know that my intent was never to do something wrong."

Yoeli Childs will travel to Italy and play w/ his teammates overseas; he said today that "I'm just grateful to be here. I'm excited to go to Italy and play in these games, to play in these preseason games...and I'm excited for when I get to get back, but these guys will be fine."

— Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) August 9, 2019

Childs was BYU's best player in the 2018-19 season, leading the team in points (21.2 PPG) and rebounds (9.7). He also averaged a block and a steal per game and shot 70.8 from the charity stripe, 50.7 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three.

His suspension was stiff for what appears to have essentially been a clerical error; Childs signed with an agent before filing the required paperwork with the NCAA, and the severity of the punishment was met with surprise:

Wow. Sanctioned for choosing to come back to school. What purpose does this serve? None. Embarrassing. https://t.co/BRJrWLOZSy

— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) August 10, 2019

NCAA suspends Yoeli Childs for first nine games of 2019-20 season

Yup. NCAA strikes again.

— Brad Rock (@therockmonster) August 9, 2019

The NCAA's decision to suspend BYU forward Yoeli Childs for nine games over what amounts to a paperwork snafu is the epitome of arbitrary and heavy handed. #BYU #BYUhoops

— John Coon (@johncoonsports) August 9, 2019

"Nine games wasn't a number any of us were expecting, but that's life,” Childs said, per Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune. "I am not going to say this hasn't been an extremely emotional process, because it has been. For the past day or so I have wrestled between being so mad and being accepting of what is happening."

BYU's basketball program has received six sanctions stemming from an illegal payment from a booster to a student-athlete. 

Per Emily James of NCAA.org, the Division I Committee on Infractions panel discovered a booster paid a BYU men's basketball player more than $12,000 in benefits that include cash, vacations, meals and use of a car. 

BYU received two years of probation through Nov. 8, 2020, will vacate all records from games in which the student-athlete played and submit to recruiting restrictions. The school also self-imposed sanctions that include loss of one men's basketball scholarship, a $5,000 fine and additional recruiting restrictions. 

Nate Carlisle and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune reported in October 2017 that Nick Emery was the player under investigation by the school and NCAA for potentially receiving improper benefits. 

Emery announced in April he would be returning to school after withdrawing in November 2017. He was reinstated to the program in June, but the NCAA also issued a nine-game suspension stemming from the investigation into receiving improper benefits. 

Per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, BYU will vacate 47 wins as a result of the violations. 

In announcing sanctions against BYU on Friday, the Committee on Infractions said it was "concerned about the level of unmonitored access" boosters had to Emery. 

Emery averaged 14.7 points and 2.5 assists in 70 games with the Cougars over two seasons. He will be eligible to return on Dec. 5 when BYU hosts Utah State. 

LAFAYETTE, La. — Basketball hasn't taken Frank Bartley IV on a short journey.

The former BYU guard played high school basketball in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and later at a prep academy in California. But after his two-year stint in Provo, Bartley will finally be heading home—to Lafayette.

"My dad went here. He played football here," said Bartley. "[Louisiana-Lafayette] has been recruiting me since I was in high school. When I announced that I was leaving BYU, they were the first school to contact me, and we went from there."

After announcing that he would transfer in April, Bartley received interest from Hawaii, Nevada, Long Beach State, Oral Roberts, Southeastern Louisiana, UIndy and Louisiana Tech. Family ties and familiarity with the coaching staff led him to choose Louisiana. 

Bartley averaged 3.2 points and 2.0 blocks in 10 minutes per game at BYU but scarcely played his natural position. That was one of the main factors in his decision to transfer.

"At BYU, I only played at [power forward]," said Bartley. "I was rarely a guard. I was always the smallest guy on the court, and I never played my natural position. I didn’t feel comfortable playing that position, but I had to do it to help the team. I don’t play the 4, but that’s what they had me playing.

"I wanted to play a guard position. Coach [Dave Rose] said that it would be very hard for me to get on the court as a guard because of Kyle [Collinsworth] and Chase [Fischer]. I didn’t want to risk not playing again, and waiting until my senior year to finally play. So I felt like it was best to leave and to start a new chapter."

Bartley has nothing but good things to say about BYU and the state of Utah, though. He has high praise for the family-oriented culture in the area and loved his coaches and teammates.

"It was a great environment," said Bartley. "You drive around Provo and Utah, and everybody has their kids and stuff, and the crime rate isn’t that high. It’s a great place to live. There’s a beautiful view wherever you go. The coaches are amazing, too. Coach Pope especially."

Bartley's admiration for coach Mark Pope extends beyond the hardwood. He believes that their relationship will continue, no matter where Bartley plays.

But when Pope tried to lure Bartley to Utah Valley, Bartley chose to head home, and Pope understood.

"He wanted me to come [to UVU] so bad, but I just told him that I didn’t really want to, and he understood," Bartley said. "He’s a really good guy. He always says to come to him for whatever I need. We have that kind of relationship; it goes beyond basketball."

As a non-LDS athlete at BYU, adjusting to the culture can be difficult. But when Bartley was asked whether religion played a factor in his decision to transfer, he was adamant that he had nothing but respect for the LDS church and its members.

"When I got [to BYU], my best friends were [LDS players] Eric Mika and Luke Worthington," said Bartley. "I had a lot of friends on the football team that were Mormon, too. I respect a lot of them and the Mormon culture. It was interesting; I learned a lot of stuff. But it wasn’t a factor in my decision to leave. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from my [LDS] teammates."

Bartley could have enjoyed a successful career in Provo, but an unfortunate series of events sent him in another direction. He's making the best of his situation, though, and expects to have a bright future as a Ragin' Cajun.

"This season, I want to get better and learn the system, and help the other guys on the team to get better," said Bartley. "My goal, when I start to play, is to win two [Sun Belt] conference championships. I want to go to the NCAA tournament and have that feeling again. After that, I want to go professional and play professional ball."

Bartley will sit out for one season, per NCAA transfer rules.

Samuel Benson covers BYU athletics as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Contact Samuel at bensonsamb@gmail.com.

PROVO, Utah — Despite an impressive collegiate tenure, being drafted into the NBA looks like a long shot for BYU's Tyler Haws.

The former Cougar standout hasn’t necessarily gained serious interest from NBA teams, which was only solidified after Haws failed to receive a combine invitation. He may have a great professional future playing basketball, but several NBA draft experts claim that the league may not be his long-term home.

“He’s on the outside looking in (at the NBA draft),” said Chad Ford, ESPN’s draft insider. “He’s in our Top 100 right now, but he’s more than 30 spots away from the Top 60. … I think he’ll make a lot of money playing basketball.  I just think it will likely be overseas.”

Adjusting to foreign ball may not be a huge problem for Haws, who was born in Belgium while his father, Marty, played professional basketball. What may be an issue, though, is missing out on any player's dream: being drafted into the NBA.

Luckily for him, nothing is ruled out yet. Haws may not have immediate professional success—his overall athleticism and defense are his biggest flaws—but finding a spot in the league is definitely possible.

“NBA GMs are leaning towards not drafting him, mainly because of his age and lack of versatility,” said Daniel O’Brien, an NBA draft specialist for Bleacher Report. “He’s a versatile college player, but he’ll have a tough time creating his own shot in the NBA, and he probably won’t be a great pro defender against NBA shooting guards.

“Whether he’s drafted or not is one thing, whether or not he can find a spot in the league is another. You see guys all the time who go undrafted, but they find a spot (later on) in the league. I love Haws’ ability to find open shots, he has good footwork and he’s quick.”

Haws was undoubtedly a phenomenal college player, but like so many others, his game may not translate to the NBA. He lacks any outstanding physical skills that appeal to league scouts, and that may be what holds him back from finding a niche at the next level.

“He’s such a great college player,” added Ford. “I love his feel for the game. He has a crazy high basketball IQ and just knows how to get his shot.

“Unfortunately, in the NBA, that’s rarely enough. They want to see some combination of elite size, athleticism or skill set. Haws is just average as far as size goes, he’s a little below average as an athlete by NBA standards, and while he’s incredibly well-rounded, he doesn’t have one elite skill (like being a 40 percent-plus three-point shooter) that gives him a foothold in the league.”

For guys like Haws, playing in the West Coast Conference doesn’t supply preparation for the NBA like most “power” conferences. This doesn’t make or break a pro career, as so many mid-major stars have become standouts at the next level, but it doesn’t give Haws the extra advantage of consistently playing against high-level competition.

“The NBA is a whole different beast compared to college,” added O’ Brien. “That’s why you see guys who have great college careers…that don’t see it translate to the NBA, because you need elite athleticism (to succeed). In college, Haws gets away it because guys in the WCC aren’t as quick, aren’t as big, as NBA-caliber players.”

Another factor that could hurt Haws’ draft stock is his style of play. He’s at his best from the 15-foot range or off the dribble, which is a diminishing role in the NBA unless paired with another outstanding skill.

“I think there’s a role for that. I do,” said Ford. “It’s getting smaller and smaller in the league, but it’s there. But it’s not the offense that will be the problem; it’s his ability to defend his position at the NBA level that will cause him the most grief. Without the size, length or explosiveness, he’ll struggle to score more on offense than he gives up on defense."

Regardless of whether or not Haws is drafted, don’t count him out. He’ll do whatever he can to find a place in the league, whether it is the first time around or later on.

“I think the best thing about Haws is his work ethic and his character. His intangibles are off the charts,” said Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. “You don’t want to bet against a guy like that because you know he’s going to work on his body, his three-point shot, his defense.

“Even if (Haws) doesn’t get drafted, he’s someone that could go to Europe, play really well and maybe eventually make his way back into the NBA.”

Samuel Benson is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Contact him at bensonsamb@gmail.com. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Two teams capable of advancing past the next round will meet in the First Four Tuesday when the Ole Miss Rebels and BYU Cougars battle as No. 11 seeds in Dayton.

The winner gets to play the sixth-seeded Xavier Musketeers Thursday in Jacksonville, and each team has played tough against other NCAA tournament teams this season. The Rebels upset the Cincinnati Bearcats at a neutral site and the Oregon Ducks as road underdogs late in 2014, and the Cougars fell to the Purdue Boilermakers and Utah Utes at home during the first month of the season by a combined six points.

Opening spread
The Cougars opened as two-point favorites. (Compare Lines and Consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report.)

Why pick Mississippi to cover the spread

Ole Miss is more battle-tested than BYU despite ending the regular season on a slide.

The Rebels dropped three of their past four games and were then upset by the South Carolina Gamecocks as 4.5-point favorites in the SEC tournament. But before that rough closing stretch, they won eight of nine games and went 6-2 against the spread, twice beating the Florida Gators as underdogs.

Overall, Ole Miss played in a superior conference—which was led by the nation's best team in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats—compared to the Cougars, who lost two of three meetings with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Gonzaga was one of only three teams from the WCC that totaled 20 overall wins. Meanwhile, the Rebels are one of six teams in the SEC that has 20 wins or more, and all of them are playing in the Big Dance.

Why pick BYU to cover the spread

BYU enters the NCAA tournament having won 10 of 12 games, with the lone losses coming on the road against the Pepperdine Waves and in the WCC title game against Gonzaga.

The Cougars upset the Bulldogs 73-70 as 13.5-point road underdogs on February 28 for their biggest win of the season, and they seem to be playing their best basketball right now even though they were blown out by Gonzaga 91-75 in the aforementioned conference championship.

BYU is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games and 6-1 versus the line in its past seven as a favorite. The Cougars were the No. 10 seed in the Big Dance a year ago and will be extra motivated to turn in a better performance after the seventh-seeded Oregon Ducks crushed them 87-68 as five-point underdogs.

Smart betting pick

Current form definitely favors BYU in this game, although the team also went into last year's NCAA tournament having won 10 of 12 before fizzling out in a lopsided loss to the Ducks.

Ole Miss was 9-2 ATS as an underdog this season and will be able to keep this game close against the Cougars, if not pull off the straight-up upset.

The strength of schedule and quality of competition throughout the year simply favors the Rebels, and that could be the difference in terms of who faces Xavier next.

Power rankings (per Odds Shark)

Mississippi Rebels: No. 102

BYU Cougars: No. 18

March Madness betting trends

BYU ended the year on an 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS run.

BYU is 6-1 ATS in their past seven games as favorites.

Ole Miss was 9-2 ATS this season as underdogs.

All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark—download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

A month ago, BYU's NCAA tournament hopes looked next to impossible. The Cougars added a fifth WCC loss to their resume—their second this year to Pepperdine—and seemingly needed to win the conference tournament to get into the Big Dance.

But what a difference a month can make. Since that February 5 loss to the Waves, BYU has rattled off six straight victories, including big wins over St. Mary's and No. 3 Gonzaga. The latter may have secured them an at-large bid in the tournament, according to Bleacher Report's college basketball expert, Kerry Miller.

"I think the big win over Gonzaga really helped them," said Miller. "A road win over an RPI top 10 is certainly not a dime a dozen. That’s one of the best resume-building wins that any bubble team in the country is going to have."

At this point, there's a solid chance that BYU could make the NCAA tourney, regardless of how far they get in the WCC tournament. But getting to the conference championship may be just enough to secure them a bid into the Big Dance.

"I think they need to get to the finals of the WCC tourney (to get an at-large bid)," Miller noted. "It would really help if they get a second win over St. Mary’s in the semifinals, and that may be enough to get them in, win or lose against Gonzaga in the championship. ...Regardless, it would definitely be in their best interest to win the whole conference tournament and erase any question (of missing the NCAA tourney)."

Falling short of the tournament completely for the second time in three years would be an ugly blow, especially with the talent on this year's squad. Tyler Haws is BYU's all-time leading scorer, and Kyle Collinsworth is arguably the most versatile player in college basketball, with five triple-doubles this season alone. Many think that it would be a shame to have the Cougars fall short of a bid in the Big Dance, but Miller thinks otherwise.

"I wouldn’t call it a shame (if they don’t make the tournament). We'd be a little robbed, not getting to see (Haws and Collinsworth) play on the big stage. I think we were robbed by Collinsworth’s torn ACL last season. That could've been a pretty decent team. They ended up getting a No. 10 seed, but yeah, they could’ve done damage. I never say it’s a shame if someone misses the tournament. They get their opportunities."

Should BYU make the tournament, they have a good enough offense to do some damage. But it comes down to where, and if, the selection committee decides to include them on the bracket. 

"It certainly depends on the draw," Miller stated. "Their defense kind of hurts them...they have an outstanding offense, but not a great defense. That usually ends up not really cutting it in the tournament, but for one game, maybe two, it could certainly work. When you’re one of the highest-scoring teams in the country, you can sometimes make up for some poor defense."

All quotes obtained first-hand unless otherwise noted. 

Kyle Collinsworth plopped down at BYU’s bench Feb. 7, greeted by a teammate’s sly smile and a question.

“Did you get it?” Chase Fischer asked, meaning history.

Collinsworth insists he had no idea, until Fischer replied with a game-show host’s enthusiasm that, indeed, Collinsworth tallied his fifth triple-double. No player has ever accomplished that in a season. 

“I knew I had enough points and rebounds,” the BYU junior recalled. “But assists—no idea where I was at.”

Coach Dave Rose showered Collinsworth with a bucket of ice cubes after the win at Loyola Marymount. Jubilant teammates reveled in where the 6’6’’ point guard was at but also where he came from.

Heading into this season, Collinsworth was considered a question mark after tearing his ACL in last season's West Coast Conference championship game. But he’s been an exclamation point since being ready to go in mid-October.

A new diet, enhanced mental strength and a regimented tenacity like Rocky Balboa in Siberia have turned him into one of this college basketball season’s most uniquely successful players.

The feat hasn’t exactly brought attention on NBA draft boards, even though what he’s done is phenomenally rare—and he's passed some big names.

There have been nine other Division I triple-doubles this season, but no one else has two. Historically speaking, Collinsworth bypassed Michael Anderson (Drexel, 1986), Brian Shaw (UC Santa Barbara, 1988), Jason Kidd (Cal, 1994) and Stephane Lasme (UMass, 2007).

Collinsworth’s on-court brilliance is about a steady dose of points, rebounds and assists. His off-court progress has featured three key figures, too.

Along with BYU athletic trainer Bob Medina's expertise, there’s Park City, Utah-based surgeon Vernon Cooley and in-house mental strength coach Craig Manning. These three became integral parts of Collinsworth's success during his recovery 

Manning is employed by BYU, but like Cooley, he often works with some of America’s most fearless daredevils—the U.S. ski team. He talks about “creating strong neural pathways” and “conditioning the subconscious”—big words for snuffing out negativity. Manning preaches that a clear mind leads to a quicker healing body.

Each day, Collinsworth texts Manning three things he did well and one topic to focus on the next day. Control the controllable.

It was tamed so well following ACL surgery, Collinsworth had no setbacks—a modern marvel when most hyper-competitive athletes impede their own progress at some point.

Medina half-jokes that Collinsworth is probably still eating ultra-green meals delivered by Mom. They’ve talked countless times about many NBA superstars Medina worked with. That emboldened Collinsworth, who could live by a disciplined playbook too.

“I’ve seen big-time, major surgeries with a lot of athletes,” said Medina, who spent 21 years in the NBA. “I’ve never seen a kid recover like him. Never. And I’m not taking any credit for that. Kyle’s just unbelievable. I didn’t see Kyle doing some of the things last year that he’s doing now. He looks even more explosive.”

Collinsworth viewed the injury through his own special kaleidoscope. He saw an opportunity, not a curse.

“My goal in the back of my mind was just to be ready to play the first game,” Collinsworth said. “Then we’d go from there.”

It couldn’t have been easy to shake some hard feelings. Collinsworth was playing some of his best basketball leading up to the injury.

He desperately wanted to play in the NCAA tournament again. He hasn’t been there since contributing as a freshman on BYU’s 2011 team that was fueled by Jimmer-mania. (He served a two-year Mormon mission to a remote area of Russia, returning in time for last season.)

The torment of serious knee surgery freshened family scars, too. Collinsworth’s older brother, Chris, had his own promising BYU career ended by a variety of leg injuries a few years earlier.

Collinsworth nonetheless confided to various Cougars that he'd come back an improved player. 

Astonishingly, he played a total of 30 minutes in the first two regular-season games and then bypassed that number in the third.

Then, he went from go-kart speed to Indy 500: 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a double-overtime loss to San Diego State in the Maui Invitational.

Cooley was an odd mix of dismayed and proud when he heard Collinsworth played 45 minutes in his third outing. That wasn’t exactly on the prescription note.

“But in the coach’s defense, he and their staff looked for any sign that Kyle was wearing down,” Cooley said. “Kyle just felt great out there. Who was anyone to tell him ‘no’ at that point?”

Opposing defenses have had a tough time commanding “no,” too.

Opponent/date	Points	Rebounds	Assists
vs. Hawaii, Dec. 6	19	12	10
vs. Gonzaga, Dec. 27	13	10	10
@ San Francisco, Jan. 3	12	12	10
@ Pacific, Jan. 15	17	11	11
@ Loyola Marymount, Feb. 7	23	12	10

His first four triple-doubles came between Dec. 6 and Jan. 15 before setting the NCAA record Feb. 7 at Loyola Marymount with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He came up one assist short of another in a Valentine’s Day blowout of Pacific, when Rose pulled him with less than a minute left, fearful of ongoing chippy play.

BYU hadn’t even produced a triple-double since 1988. Collinsworth is always on the verge. Besides the five triple-doubles, he's had seven other double-doubles.

It helps having insatiable jump-shooter Tyler Haws, the country’s No. 3 scorer (22.4). Collinsworth also is a gifted slasher and 15 percentage points more accurate on free throws—improved because before he could run, he could still take countless repetitions from the foul line.

Rose’s teams are always among the fastest-paced in the country, leaving plenty of possessions for points and assists.

But his greatest value is rebounding, especially as BYU has dealt with a slew of injuries (10 different starting lineups) and some meager depth inside.

Collinsworth seems to follow the mantra of Charles Barkley: “Just go get the damn ball.” Rose is more tactful, pinpointing his player’s edge as unusually keen timing and anticipation. Assistant Tim LaComb compares it to a star receiver high-pointing a pass.

Collinsworth’s clear-minded tenacity transferred from rehab, and he’s not afraid to tangle in traffic.

Still, BYU must be careful with its stat sheet thoroughbred.

He played 42 minutes of an overtime win against San Francisco in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals (18 points, 12 rebounds), surely salvaging the Cougars’ shaky NCAA at-large bid last March.

Dealing with a badly bruised knee, the heroic effort came with a price tag: His right knee buckled the next night.

It marked the beginning of a lot of physical reconstruction and countless mind-transforming text messages to Manning, who proudly recalls Collinsworth making his phone buzz the morning of the historic LMU game.

He has taken an athlete’s most dreaded three-letter injury and turned it into a steady stream of double digits.

“As soon as I saw his text, I just thought, ‘he’s in a good mental place right now,’” Manning said.

Jason Franchuk covered BYU basketball for the Provo (Utah) Daily Herald for 11 years, including all of "Jimmer Mania," and now resides in Albany, New York. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.