BYU Plays Rice in First Game of Double-Header at the Compaq Center

After winning at home Thursday over Florida International, BYU travels to Houston to face former conference foe Rice Saturday in the Compaq Center as part of a double-header that also features North Carolina and Texas A&M. BYU will play Rice at 5 p.m. CST followed by North Carolina and Texas A&M at 8 p.m. CT. The BYU game will not be televised but can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 AM with Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant calling the action.

Up Next

BYU returns home for two games against in-state opponents next week in the Marriott Center. The Cougars will play Southern Utah Thursday at 7 p.m. and Utah State Saturday at 4 p.m. Thursday's game is being televised live on KBYU-TV and Saturday's contest is being produced by SportsWest Productions on KSL-TV.

Game 6 Fast Facts

Teams:

Brigham Young University Cougars (3-2) -- Provo, Utah

Rice University Owls (5-1) -- Houston, Texas

Date: Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000

Site: Houston, Texas

Arena:Compaq Center

Time: 5 p.m. CST (4 p.m. Mountain)

Series:

Series tied, 2-2

Last Meeting: Rice 68 BYU 44 at Rice (Feb. 22, 1997)

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (46-50 in fourth year; same overall)

Rice, Willis Wilson (108-121 in eighth year; same overall)

TV: None

Radio:

KSL Newsradio 1160 AM (Cougar Sports Network)

Pregame Air Time -- 4:30 p.m. CST (3:30 p.m. Mountain)

Play-by-Play -- Greg Wrubell

Game Analyst -- Mark Durrant

BYU's Probable Starters:

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG

F 42 Nathan Cooper 6-6 210 Sr. 6.4 6.0

F 25 Eric Nielsen 6-9 215 Jr. 6.4 4.8

F 15 Mekeli Wesley 6-9 240 Sr. 15.4 6.2

G 24 Terrell Lyday 6-3 195 Sr. 14.6 1.6

G 31 Matt Montague 6-0 190 Jr. 7.0 3.0

Rice's Probable Starters:

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG

F 33 Erik Cooper 6-6 215 Sr. 13.0 8.7

G/F 22 Shawn Tyndell 6-5 205 Jr. 14.2 3.5

C 5 T.J. McKenzie 6-11 255 Jr. 4.3 4.8

G 34 Mike Wilks 5-11 180 Sr. 18.0 4.5

G 0 Omar-Seli Mance 6-2 190 So. 9.8 3.8

Scouting Rice

The Rice Owls are 5-1 this year and are coming off their only loss of the year, a two-point overtime defeat at home to Middle Tennessee State (75-73). The Owls have home victories over Houston (65-45), Birmingham-Southern (60-49) and Stephen F. Austin State (82-57) and two road wins, including a season-opening road win at Navy (69-51) and at Lamar (60-53). The Owls have a lot of returning players that have built on the experience of last year. Four starters and 12 lettermen returning from last year's team that finished 5-22. Senior guard Mike Wilks scores 18 points per game to lead the Owls, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent on three-pointers. Junior guard/forward Shawn Tyndell is also shooting well for Rice, making 45.1 percent of all attempts and 45.7 percent from behind the arc while scoring 14.2 points per contest. Wilks and Tyndell have made a combined 26 three-pointers while starting forward Erik Cooper (6-6, Sr.) has added five threes in nine attempts. Cooper contributes 13 points per game and a team-best 8.7 rebounds per contest to give a nice inside punch to the solid perimeter play of Wilks and Tyndell. Fellow starters Omar-Seli Mance (6-2, So., G) and T. J. McKenzie (6-11, 255, C) add 9.8 and 4.3 points, respectively. Among Rice's starters, all but McKenzie, who is averaging 16.2 minutes, plays more than 30 minutes per game. Four other reserves have played in all six games. Rice is shooting 43.9 percent from the floor, including a solid 39.1 percent on threes, and 70.7 percent on free throws. The Owls are averaging 37.7 rebounds to their opponent's 35.0. They have 73 assists and committed 83 turnovers.

Series History

This will be the fifth meeting between the two teams with each team having won twice in the series. Rice won the last meeting in Houston 68-44 on Feb. 22, 1977. The two teams have split the series in Provo, 1-1. Rice is 1-0 at home and BYU is 1-0 at a neutral site. This year's game, while in Houston, will be played on a neutral court, the Compaq Center. The Owls swept the only home-and-home series the two teams played as Western Athletic Conference opponents in 1997 when BYU suffered a program-worst 1-25 record the year before Steve Cleveland's arrival.

Series Results

Dec. 20, 1963

BYU def. Rice in Provo (89-78)

Dec. 29, 1971

BYU def. Rice at Old Dominion Classic (96-73)

Jan. 23, 1997

Rice def. BYU in Provo (62-59)

Feb. 22, 1997

Rice def. BYU in Houston (68-44)

Rice Quick Facts:

General Info

Location: Houston, Texas

Founded: 1891

Enrollment: 4,320

Nickname: Owls

Colors: Blue and Gray

Home Arena: Autry Court (5,000)

Conference: Western Athletic

Athletic Director: Bobby May

Basketball Info

Head Coach: Willis Wilson

Alma Mater: Rice, 1982

Best time to call: Contact SID

Office Phone: 713-527-4075

Overall Record (Years): 103-120 (8)

Record at School (Years): 103-120 (8)

Assistant Coaches: Marty Gross, Todd Smith, John Herndon

1999-2000

Overall Record: 5-22

Conf. Record/Finish: 1-13/8th

Final Ranking/Post Season Finish: N/A

2000-2001

Lettermen Returning/Lost: 12/1

Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1

Returning Starters

Mike Wilks, 5-11, 180, Sr., G (15.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

T.J. McKenzie 6-11, 255, Jr., F (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Michael Walton, 6-0, 165, So., G (4.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Kevin Craig, 6-6, 195, So., F (3.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Media Relations

Basketball Contact: Todd Kober

Office: 713-348-5636

Home: 713-796-2624

E-mail: gtkober@rice.edu

Fax: 713-348-6019

Athletic Web Site: www.riceowls.com

2000-01 Schedule

11/18 at Navy 69-51 W

11/21 Houston 65-45 W

11/24 Birmingham Southern 60-49 W

11/28 Stephen F. Austin 82-57 W

12/2 at Lamar 60-53 W

12/4 Middle Tennessee State 73-75 OT L

12/9 Brigham Young

12/20 Portland State

12/28 at Baylor

12/30 Duquesne

1/4 Fresno State

1/6 Nevada

1/10 Texas-Pan American

1/13 at Sienna

1/18 at Southern Methodist

1/20 at Texas Christian

1/25 San Jose State

1/27 Hawaii

2/1 at Texas El-Paso

2/5 Southern Methodist

2/8 at Tulsa

2/10 Texas Christian

2/15 at San Jose State

2/17 at Hawaii

2/22 Tulsa

2/24 Texas-El Paso

3/1 at Fresno State

3/3 at Nevada

3/6-10 at WAC Tournament

TEAM NOTES

BYU's Last Outing

After a road trip that saw BYU drop two games in a row by shooting 32 percent from the field, the Cougars were back on track Thursday night in the Marriott Center, defeating Florida International, 78-50. BYU came out hot, hitting six three-pointers in the first 10 minutes, including three in a row by Daniel Bobik in less than a three minute span. The Cougars led at half, 30-23, but scored 48 in the second half, outscoring Florida International by 21 points. As usual, Terrell Lyday and Mekeli Wesley led the Cougars with 16 points each, followed by nine points scored on Bobik's three-point barrage. Matt Montague also hit a three-pointer, doubling his season total from last year. Montague has the best three-point percentage among Mountain West Conference players this year, hitting six of seven on the year. Carlos Arroyo led the Golden Panthers with 14 points and Karel Rosario added 13. Rosario also pulled down six rebounds, but as a team the Cougars won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Florida International, 33-18.

Neutral Court

Despite playing in Rice's home town, BYU will play its first neutral court game of the year Saturday at the Compaq Center in Houston. BYU was 2-0 in neutral court games last year, beating New Mexico and Utah in Las Vegas at the MWC Tournament.

On Target

Eight of the nine Cougars to play Thursday vs. Florida International shot 50 percent or better from the floor. Only Nathan Cooper, who was 2-5, including 1-3 on treys, did not make half his attempts as BYU shot 56 percent for the game. The Cougars will need to find the target more often than they did in their two road losses last week if they hope to win Saturday in Houston vs. Rice.

Hot and Cold

After shooting 55.6 percent from the floor at home in two wins last week, BYU shot only 31.9 percent from the floor last week on the road and suffered its first two losses of the year. BYU equaled its hot shooting at home, making 56 percent of its attempts Thursday in the win over Florida International in the Marriott Center. The Cougars were 7-15(.467) on threes after having an especially hard time from three-point range last week, going 7-36 (.194). In the two losses, BYU's opponents shot a combined 51.5 percent from the floor, including 57.1 percent on threes (12-21). BYU allowed 80 points in both games while averaging 61.

Pointing Out Some Points

Like last season, Mekeli Wesley and Terrell Lyday continue to provide the bulk of BYU's scoring, averaging 15.4 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. Last year Lyday averaged 17.1 and Wesley 16.8 as BYU's top two scorers. Both players had a game-high 16 points Thursday in BYU's win over Florida International. Last week on the road Wesley averaging 15.5 and Lyday 13.5 points but neither was effective from the floor, going a combined 14-60 on field goal attempts. Wesley was 7-26 (.269) and Lyday 7-34 (.206). Lyday was 3-17 on threes (.176) and Wesley 0-5. At ASU, Lyday went 3-17 from the floor and Wesley 3-15 as BYU made only 15 of their 59 field goal attempts on its way to a season-low 52 points. Both players shot 50 percent at home Thursday.

Wins and Losses

BYU improved to 3-2 on the year Thursday. Before this past week, BYU had not had an equal number of wins to losses since a Jan. 21 home win over San Jose State in 1999 to even its record at 8-8. BYU lost its next four games that season and ultimately finished 12-16. Last year BYU had more wins than losses throughout the entire season on its way to a 22-11 record.

Injuries Play Role as Three Players Plan to Redshirt the 2000-01 Season

BYU Head Basketball Coach Steve Cleveland announced Nov. 17 that three players on this year's team - Garner Meads, Jesse Pinegar and Bart Jepsen - plan to redshirt during the 2000-01 season. Meads and Pinegar are both freshmen members of last year's top-20 recruiting class while Jepsen is a sophomore who returned from an LDS Church mission this summer. All three players have experienced injuries that have factored into the decision to redshirt. Meads, a McDonald's High School All-American forward, has had multiple injuries impede his ability to practice. A knee surgery limited his basketball until late summer and a lung injury sustained in only the team's fifth practice has kept the 6-foot-8 forward from any physical activity for the past month. "After meeting with Garner and his family we have determined it is in his best interest to redshirt this season," Cleveland said. "He has not been able to condition because of his lung injury and has also missed nearly all of our practices. He plans to leave on his mission in February, which means he will not enroll in school for the Winter semester." Pinegar, who was a high school teammate of Meads' at Salt Lake City's Brighton High School, suffered a stress fracture in his left foot last week and has a sesmoid (inflamed bone) problem on his right foot. While he will be able to condition and lift weights, the 6-foot-9 forward will not be able to jump and practice for 4-6 weeks. A 6-foot-9 forward, Jepsen has planned on redshirting this year since returning from his mission this summer. While serving his two-year mission, he sustained a broken leg.

Vranes out for the Year

Two-year starting guard Michael Vranes will miss the entire season after a foot injury required to fall surgeries. Vranes played both the point and wing for the Cougars and was the third leading scorer last season and the team's best defender on the perimeter.

BYU's record when . . .

BYU leads at half 3-0

Opponent leads at half 0-2

Score tied at half 0-0

BYU leads with 5 minutes left 3-0

Opponent leads with 5 min. left 0-2

BYU leads with 1 minute left 3-0

Opponent leads with 1 min. left 0-2

Score tied with 1 minute left 0-0

Game goes into overtime 0-0

BYU out rebounds opponent 2-0

Opponent out rebounds BYU 1-2

BYU and opponent tie in rebounds 0-0

BYU shoots 50 % or better 2-0

Opponent shoots 50 % or better 0-2

BYU out shoots opponent 3-0

Opponent out shoots BYU 0-2

PLAYER NOTES

Mekeli Wesley (15.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

Last Game: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 31 minutes vs. FIU.

• Wesley shot 50 percent Thursday for the first time in the last four games after opening the year 5-5 vs. Elon. He is shooting 38.6 percent on the year.

• Wesley has scored in double figures in each of BYU's five games and was the Cougars' top scorer or shared the honor in four of the five games. Last year he had double figures in 30 of 33 games and led the Cougar in scoring in 17 games.

• Wesley made a string of 17 straight free throws over three games before missing his second attempt vs. ASU. His string included a perfect 12-12 night at USF. After going 2-2 Thursday vs. FIU, Wesley is 33-42 (.786) overall this year on free throws.

• He has had an offensive rebound in each of the last four games. Of his 12 rebounds in the two road games, 10 have come off the offensive glass.

WESLEY CAPSULE: A preseason All-Mountain West Conference selection, Wesley enters his senior year as the only player on the roster to have played in each of head coach Steve Cleveland's three previous seasons ... a three-year starter, he has developed into one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference with good scoring ability from both the post and the perimeter ... he earned second-team All-MWC honors as a junior and was on the WAC Newcomer Team as a freshman ... he has bulked up between his junior and senior seasons and is in the best shape of his career ... he missed part of his sophomore season while attending Salt Lake Community College for a semester and struggled to regain his freshman form ... a team captain, he returned to lead BYU in rebounding and was nine points shy of Lyday in scoring last year ... he will again be asked to provide leadership as a primary scorer and rebounder.

2000-01 BIO: Wesley had 16 points, 4 rebounds, season-high 3 assists in 31 minutes vs. FIU ... had team-high 11 points, 7 rebounds in 30 minutes at ASU ... had a season-high 20 points and 5 rebounds, 2 assists in 32 minutes vs. USF ... recorded career highs of 12 rebounds and five blocks against UCSB while recording his fifth career double double (first of season) with 11 points ... had a team-high 19 points, 3 rebounds in 21 minutes vs. Elon College, making all five of his field goal attempts.

Terrell Lyday (14.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg)

Last Game: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 31 minutes vs. FIU.

• Lyday has made a three in each of his five games this year. He has made multiple threes in four of the five games. Last year he made a two or more treys in 20 of 33 games.

• The usually accurate Lyday has been in a shooting slump this year but had his best shooting night Thursday, making 6-12 shots. He is now shooting 32.4 percent overall.

• Lyday did not have a rebound against UCSB and at USF. Lyday has had at least one rebound in the other 36 games he has played at BYU, including a season-high 3 Thursday vs. FIU. Last year he averaged 4.0 rebounds per game.

LYDAY CAPSULE: Lyday enters his senior season after exciting Cougar fans with a strong first season upon transferring from Fresno City College ... a preseason All-Mountain West Conference selection, he is a MWC Player of the Year candidate and considered the top guard in the league ... he was named MWC Newcomer of the Year last year ... athletic with a smooth jumper, he is a scorer who can finish inside or consistently knock down shots from the outside ... quick with good hands, he is an outstanding defender who led the MWC in steals last year ... he will be a go-to player for the Cougars in his final season.

2000-01 BIO: Lyday had 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 31 minutes vs. FIU ... had 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 38 minutes at ASU ... had 16 points, no rebounds, 1 assist in 39 minutes at USF ... had team-high 21 points, no rebounds, 1 assist in 30 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 9 points, 3 rebounds in 23 minutes vs. Elon College ... he sat out the last exhibition with a muscle strain in his lower leg and played just over half vs. Elon.

Nathan Cooper (6.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

Last Game: 7 points, 7 rebounds in 21 minutes vs. FIU.

• He is shooting 58.8 percent from the floor (10-17) and is 3-6 on threes.

• After matching his season-best 7 rebounds Thursday, he has had at least 5 rebounds in each of the five games this year.

COOPER CAPSULE: Cooper returns for his senior season as one of the team captains ... he is a versatile player who has a solid outside shot and a willingness to mix it up inside ... he has been considered the heart of the team because of his tough, scrappy nature and competitive desire ... he was the team's top free throw shooter last year... tendonitis in his knee limited his off-season play ... he has been a solid contributor in each of his first three seasons, both as a starter and off the bench.

2000-01 BIO: Cooper had 7 points, 7 rebounds in 21 minutes vs. FIU ... had 5 points, 5 re bounds in 19 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists in 31 minutes at USF ... had 6 points, 6 rebounds vs. UCSB in 28 minutes ... had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes vs. Elon College, going 3-3 from the floor, including 1-1 on threes, and hit 3-4 free throws.

Eric Nielsen (6.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Last Game: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists in season-high 32 minutes vs. FIU.

• Nielsen has averaged 31.5 minutes in the last two games after averaging 10 minutes per game in the prior to contests because of foul trouble.

• He has made 5 of his last 8 field goal attempts and is shooting 68.8 percent overall this year from the floor.

NIELSEN CAPSULE: Nielsen came on strong at the end of last season and is expected to be a major contributor during his junior season ... a two-year starter, he played on the 1-25 1996-97 team and, after returning from an LDS Church mission, on last year's 22-11 NIT quarterfinalist squad ... an intelligent player with a good mid-range jumper, he returns for his junior year physically much stronger and has improved his shooting.

2000-01 BIO: Nielsen had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists in season-high 32 minutes vs. FIU ... had season highs of nine points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, 2 rebounds in 8 minutes at USF, fouling out ... had 3 points, 2 rebounds in 12 foul-trouble limited minutes vs. UCSB ... had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists in 25 minutes vs. Elon College ... his 3 assists vs. Elon College matched his season high of last season.

Matt Montague (7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.2 apg)

Last Game: 8 points, 3 rebounds, season-low 2 assists vs. FIU.

• After making his first eight shots of the year, including 5-5 on threes, he has made 5 of his last 8 shots, 1-2 on threes, to shoot a team-best 81.2 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent on threes.

• He is 6-7 on threes, doubling the total threes he made all of last year when he was 3-12 from behind the arc.

• He has had 5 assists and 7 turnovers in his last two games, each game committing one more turnover than the number of assists. He had 21 assists to only 5 turnovers in BYU's first three games.

MONTAGUE CAPSULE: Montague enters his junior season as the top assist maker on the Cougar roster ... he led the team in assists last year while starting 19 of 33 games ... prior to serving his LDS Church mission, he led the 1996-97 Cougars in assists while starting every game ... a hard-nosed competitor, he sees the floor well and is a great transition passer ... he was slowed some by an achilles injury last year and wasn't able to participate in preseason conditioning fully because of a flair up of the injury.

2000-01 BIO: Montague had 8 points, 3 rebounds, season-low 2 assists vs. FIU ... did not score for the first time this year and had 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 28 minutes at ASU ... had a season-high 12 points with 2 rebounds, 6 assists in 34 minutes at USF ... had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists in 33 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 6 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists in team-high 30 minutes vs. Elon College. He was 2-2 from the floor, both three pointers. It is the first time he has made two treys in a game during his career at BYU. In addition to handing out a game-high 8 assists, he didn't commit a turnover and had a game-best 3 steals.

Travis Hansen (5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg)

Last Game: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 18 minutes vs. FIU.

• He went 2-4 from the floor Thursday to shot 50 percent or better for the first time since the season-opening win over Elon College.

• He equaled his season high of eight points at ASU.

HANSEN CAPSULE: Hansen enters his first season at BYU and should make an immediate impact ... he enrolled this fall after sitting out a redshirt season last year upon return from his LDS Church mission ... he played at Utah Valley State College as a freshman ... he is one of the most athletic players on the team ... he is a scorer who has nice range from outside and can slash to the basket effectively ... his explosive athleticism will be highlighted in BYU's motion offense and should improve the Cougars' team rebounding.

2000-01 BIO: Hansen had 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 18 minutes vs. FIU ... had 8 points, 2 rebounds in 17 minutes at ASU .... he did not score and had 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 11 minutes at USF ... had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 18 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists in 11 minutes vs. Elon College ... After missing the final exhibition game with a groin injury, he only played limited minutes vs. Elon.

Daniel Bobik (6.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

Last Game: 9 points, 3 rebounds, season-high 3 assists in 20 minutes vs. FIU.

• He was 3-5 on threes for nine points vs. FIU. He was 3-14 on threes in the four previous games combined. Overall, he is making 31.6 percent on trey attempts.

BOBIK CAPSULE: Bobik has enrolled at BYU for his freshman season after returning from an LDS Church mission to the Dominican Republic ... he was one of the first recruits to sign with BYU under Steve Cleveland ... he is an excellent shooter and good passer with good court awareness who could play either guard position ... he has worked with a personal trainer since returning from his two-year mission to prepare for the season.

2000-01 BIO: Bobik had 9 points, 3 rebounds, season-high 3 assists in 20 minutes vs. FIU had 3 points, 3 rebounds in 16 minutes at ASU ... had 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 12 minutes at USF ... had 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist in 9 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 assists in 19 minutes in his college debut vs. Elon College and was 5-10 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. He had three more field goal attempts than the next closest Cougar (Terrell Lyday with 7) ... started against EA Sports (Exhibition) in place of injured Terrell Lyday and had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists ... had 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists off the bench vs. Team Reebok.

Jacob Chrisman (7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Last Game: 7 points, 4 rebounds in 11 minutes vs. FIU.

• He has had back-to-back bests of 4 rebounds in each of the last two games.

• After committing 9 fouls in his 27 minutes played over the previous two games, he had only 1 foul in 11 minutes Thursday vs. FIU.

• He has made 13-21 (.619) field goals this year.

CHRISMAN CAPSULE: Chrisman could be a significant contributor in his freshman season ... he is extremely mobile and a strong rebounder ... he is an athletic low post player who can score in multiple ways ... he has developed a nice perimeter game ... a hard worker, he has a knack for the game and finds a way to make plays both on offense and defense ... a slasher-type player who has a nice shooting touch ... he will be primarily a three but could also play some four for the Cougars.

2000-01 BIO: Chrisman had 7 points, 4 rebounds in 11 minutes vs. FIU ... had 5 points, 3 rebounds in 12 minutes at ASU ... had 7 points, 4 rebounds in 15 minutes at USF ... had 4 points, 1 block, 1 steal in 23 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 1 assist in 20 minutes in his college debut vs. Elon College.

Derek Dawes (2.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Last Game: Did not play vs. FIU.

• He started in place of Eric Nielsen at ASU. He came out after three minutes and only took one shot, playing a total six minutes with a personal-best 2 blocks.

• He has only taken one shot in the last two games he has played but is 4-8 on the year from the field.

• Despite a limited role he has been an effective rebounder. He averages 3.2 rebounds in just under eight minutes per game.

DAWES CAPSULE: Dawes enters his first year of college basketball as one of the most sought-after centers in the West ... he is an active player who runs the floor well and is a good free throw shooter ... he could see significant time as a freshman ... he has outstanding shot blocking ability with great timing and good athleticism and size.

2000-01 BIO: Dawes started at ASU and did not score with two blocks and one rebound in only six minutes ... had 1 point, 1 rebound in 6 minutes at USF ... had 3 points, 4 rebounds in 7 minutes vs. UCSB ... had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block in 12 minutes vs. Elon College in his college debut.

Dan Howard (2.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg)

Last Game: 2 points in 4 minutes vs. FIU.

• He has played in the last three games.

• He was 1-1 vs. FIU. He was 0-1 in very limited action but had one offensive and one defensive rebound at ASU.

• He fouled out after playing a season-high 12 minutes at USF with Eric Nielsen in foul trouble and USF putting a 7-footer on the court.

• He is 3-4 from both the floor and 2-2 from the line this year.

HOWARD CAPSULE: Howard played four games last year but redshirted after having knee surgery ... he has not had any significant game experience since last playing for his high school team in 1996 ... a hard worker, he has a knack for the ball and could be a factor in his freshman year with his size inside.

2000-01 BIO: Howard had 2 points in 4 minutes vs. FIU ... had 2 rebounds in 2 minutes at ASU ... had 4 points, no rebounds, 1 block in season-high 12 minutes at USF ... did not play vs. UCSB ... had 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block in 5 minutes vs. Elon College.

Ty Shippen (1.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)

Last Game: Did not play vs. FIU.

• After averaging 5 minutes in BYU's two home wins, he played only one minute last week in BYU's two road losses.

SHIPPEN CAPSULE: Shippen joins the Cougars after transferring from Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho ... he is a gifted shooter and can play either guard position ... he is married to the former Kaly Gillette, who plays on the BYU women's basketball team ... he is the younger brother of BYU women's basketball coach Trent Shippen ... he served an LDS Church mission to North Carolina.

2000-01 BIO: Shippen had 1 assist in 1 minute at ASU ... he did not play at USF ... played only two minutes with one turnover vs. UCSB ... had 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 8 minutes vs. Elon College.

Jordan Archibald (1.0 ppg, 1.0 apg)

Last Game: Did not play vs. FIU.

• He has only played six minutes this year, all in the season opener vs. Elon College.

ARCHIBALD CAPSULE: Archibald redshirted last year and returns for his freshman season ... he has good size and is a good shooter ... he suffered a broken hand during the off-season and his preseason skill development and conditioning opportunities were further limited due to a fall groin pull.

2000-01 BIO: Archibald had 1 point, 1 assist in 6 minutes vs. Elon College.

Transfers Eligible on Dec. 16

KNIGHT CAPSULE: Knight transferred to BYU from Kentucky ... he becomes eligible to play his senior season on Dec. 16 vs. Utah State because of transfer rules ... he previously played at Utah Valley State College and Oregon State ... he is a hard-nosed player who can create problems for opponents with his ability to run the floor and post up ... he is primarily a power forward but could also play at center ... provides experience and depth to Cougar front line ... his brother Shane played for BYU and brother Travis currently plays in the NBA after a college career at Connecticut.

WHITING CAPSULE: Whiting enters his first year at BYU after transferring from Utah last year ... he will not be eligible to compete until Dec. 16th against Utah State because of transfer rules ... he only played five games at Utah last year because of injury ... a NJCAA All-American at Snow College, he can play either guard position ... expected to be a key contributor, he is a gifted outside shooter with excellent range and a conditioned athlete with a strong vertical leap.