BYU Looks To Rebound From Tough USF Loss In Matchup With Pepperdine

PROVO, Utah – The BYU Cougars return to the Marriott center on Thursday after suffering a loss for the third time in a row to the San Francisco Dons. The Cougars are looking to put the loss behind them as they welcome the Pepperdine Waves for the first of two meetings between the teams. 

“This is a dangerous team,” said BYU head coach Mark Pope. “We’re playing against a really explosive, isolation-oriented team.”

With nine West Coast Conference games remaining, the Cougars are 15-7, but only 4-3 in league play. 

SEE YOU THURSDAY!!

BYU vs Pepperdine
Marriott Center
6:30pm MSThttps://t.co/R6ryYMbU0G#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/lGYA98Xq68

— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) January 29, 2020

“All the teams in the league are good, but on any given night Pepperdine can beat anybody,” said coach Pope. The Cougars are currently tied in the WCC standings with Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Pepperdine, which makes this matchup particularly important. 

Wins over Pepperdine and St. Mary’s this weekend would put BYU back in the driver seat for securing a first and second-round bye in the WCC tournament. 

The Pepperdine Waves are led by junior point guard Colbey Ross who is second in the country in assists with 155. He’s also a dynamic scoring threat who pours in over 20 points per game. That’s second-best in the WCC behind St. Mary’s guard Jordan Ford. 

“They have really special talent,” said Coach Pope. “One through five, it’s a really interesting mix. They maybe have the best point guard in the league. Statistically averaging 20 points per game and 7.5 assists is crazy.”

This upcoming homestand vs Pepperdine and St. Mary’s is critical for BYU if they want to remain in the hunt for a potential NCAA at-large berth. Two wins this weekend will go a long way in building a strong resume that should see the Cougars back in the tournament. 

TOMORROW ➡️ BYU vs Pepperdine

🆚 Pepperdine
📍 Marriott Center
🕡 6:30pm MST
🎙 BYU Radio
🎙 SiriusXM 143
🎙 KSL 102.7FM / 1160AM
💻 CBS Sports Network#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/A8mcAyLkIR

— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) January 29, 2020

Matchup To Watch

Jake Toolson was fantastic a week ago. He poured in a career-high 28 points vs Pacific and followed that up with 17 points in a loss vs San Francisco. He’s been stellar this season for the Cougars, averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting over 46% from the three-point line. 

He will have his hands full on both ends of the floor versus Pepperdine guard Colbey Ross, who will likely be a first-team All-WCC player at years end.