BYU basketball: the absence of Brandon Davies is huge inside - Deseret News

Published: Thursday, March 3, 2011, 12:01 MST

PROVO - On Wednesday evening the game with New Mexico, the hope was that BYU for Brandon Davies is not much of that in the absence of reserves and the Cougars would be able to fill

It did not happen.

The Cougars did not have Davis and his replacement could not find his place.

With the continued presence of the Lobos Davies attacked the basket with a vengeance and outrebounded the Cougars, who was outrebounding opponents by four a game by a huge 45 to 29

New Mexico coach Steve Alford said his team wanted to go more than usual so that the benefits of the absence of Davies in the middle.

"The guys did a good job of understanding what we want to do to beat them - on the back wall and get paint points," said Alfonso. "With (Davies), we had to walk much more emphasis on it. It is an important key for them all year. He is very clever and talented, so a huge loss. We went as far as possible and not shooting the foregoing, we went in a threesome. "

New Mexico center Drew Gordon, who finished with 15 rebounds and 16 points, tried to minimize the absence of Davies, some say the Cougars have been "the security of all was inside help. " However, he noticed a difference playing BYU.

"It was really noticeable, but try to block all external factors during the game with what they had," Gordon said. "It hurts, is that Davies certainly was not there, but you have to play what you have. You have very talented players on the inside."

The Cougars started 6-foot-10 junior James Anderson in the middle, but it proved ineffective, as it was replaced a few rebounds slip from his hand and was quick. He ended up with only five minutes in the first half with a dunk on a pass from holder.

In the second half, Cougars were 6-6 small programming Logan Magnusson replace Anderson in the starting position. The Cougars took a few races but could never more than 11 points.

Anderson ended up with four points and one rebound in 11 minutes while Mangusson had two points and two rebounds in 21 minutes.

But the size of a factor than the absence Cougars presence inside was a bad move.

These recordings, which were in San Diego four days were not previously on Wednesday night. The Cougars won their second lowest percentage of the year, only 33.9 per cent in the field, including just 26.7 percent in first half decisive.

3-point range, the Cougars even worse, a 5 of 26 disaster, the worst of the season at 19.2 percent.

When I was 6-for-7 against the Aztecs, Noah Hartsock does not have a shot, going 0-for-4 on the field and finishing with zero points.

Charles Abouo Diego was 6 of 11 in San, was only 1 of 6 on the ground.