Men's Basketball Prospectus

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2005-06 SEASON OUTLOOK

Coming off a disappointing 9-21 season after five straight postseason appearances, BYU looks to return to the ranks of conference contenders and postseason invitees under the direction of new head coach Dave Rose. The 2005-06 Cougar roster features six juniors with starting experience and some talented newcomers with the ability to make an impact in their first seasons on the court.

"We have a good core from last year and we'll see how the new guys push the returning players," Rose said. "I'm very excited about our coaching staff. Our team will play with a lot of passion. I expect us to be very competitive."

Rose enters his first year leading the Cougars after serving the past eight seasons as Steve Cleveland's lead assistant, including five years as associate head coach. After Cleveland announced his resignation to take the Fresno State job, BYU moved quickly to promote Rose to BYU's head position.

"We had known for a long time that Dave would sooner or later take advantage of an opportunity to become a Division I head coach, and we are thrilled that this opportunity has come at BYU," said BYU Athletics Director Tom Holmoe. "He has been a significant part of BYU's success and we are confident he will build on that success."

Recognized as the top assistant in the Mountain West Conference (Street & Smith's 2004-05 College Basketball Preview) and as one of the top-25 college basketball recruiters (2004 Rivals.com), Rose brings 22 years of coaching experience to his position, including 10 seasons as a head coach at the junior college and high school levels. A tireless worker, gifted motivator and strong strategist, Rose compiled a 167-57 record in seven seasons as head coach at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. Rose guided six of his seven teams to national top-20 rankings, including a ranking as high as No. 2, while earning three conference titles.

As BYU's associate head coach under Cleveland, Rose played a vital role in rebuilding BYU's program from an inherited 1-25 team into a regular NCAA Tournament participant and 20-game winner. BYU has qualified for postseason play five of the past six seasons, including three NCAA bids, while claiming two MWC titles. As a player, Rose was a two-sport athlete at Dixie State College before transferring to the University of Houston, where he was a shooting guard and co-captain of the famous "Phi Slamma Jamma" team featuring Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. In 1983 his Houston team was ranked No. 1 nationally and finished second in the NCAA tournament.

"I look forward to building on the strong basketball tradition that has been established at BYU," Rose said. " I'm excited about the opportunity to coach the players that are in the program and those who will join us in the future."

This season Rose has seven returning lettermen, four of whom were at least part-time starters last year. Honorable mention All-MWC guard Austin Ainge was the team's second-leading scorer and top assist man last year, and junior forward Keena Young was BYU's leading rebounder. Other returning starters include junior swingman Jimmy Balderson, who is representing Canada at the World University Games this summer, and junior center Derek Dawes, who made 13 starts in the middle last year.

BYU's three other returning lettermen from 2004-05 each started at least one game during the season. Junior guard Mike Rose made seven starts last year and averaged 19 minutes per outing. The sharpshooter led BYU with 56 treys and averaged 7.7 points, second to Ainge among returners. Junior Sam Burgess joined BYU last season after a two-year LDS Church mission and appeared in 27 games with one start, playing both the point and shooting guard positions. Making two starts in 12 appearances, swingman Brock Reichner earned playing time late in the season and proved to be a strong leader, solid shooter and tough defender. He is the lone senior on the Cougar roster in 2005-06.

Several newcomers, along with the redshirt-freshmen duo of Trent Plaisted and David Burgess, should make a bid for significant playing time this season. Both Plaisted, a 6-foot-11 power forward who can play on the perimeter, and Burgess, a 6-foot-10 center with excellent offensive post skills, had their seasons end because of injury last year after playing in five and two games, respectively. Both players should have an impact this season. Another redshirt freshman on the 2005-06 roster is returned missionary Jermaine Odjegba. The 6-foot-7 forward from West Palm Beach, Fla., was a redshirt on BYU's 2003 NCAA team before leaving to serve a two-year mission in Nashville, Tenn.

Freshman Lee Cummard has the ability to make a difference on the perimeter. The 6-foot-6 guard was one of the top shooting guard prospects in the West before he delayed his BYU career by a year for an LDS Church mission. Cummard, Plaisted, Burgess and Chris Miles made up BYU's 2004 top-20 recruiting class. Miles, who was the only one of the four to play for the Cougars last season, has departed to serve a two-year mission in Portland, Ore.

Other newcomers joining the 2005-06 roster include Utah's 4A MVP Jackson Emery and junior college transfers Rashaun Broadus and Fernando Malaman. Emery, a 6-foot-3 guard from Alpine, Utah, and Lone Peak High School, was the 2005 Mr. Basketball award recipient considered the top high school player in Utah. Broadus, a 6-foot point guard from Mililani, Hawaii, is a junior who was the leading scorer and three-point shooter at Western Nebraska Community College. Malaman (pronounced mah-la-mahn), a native of Limeira, Brazil, is a 6-foot-9 junior power forward who earned all-region honors at Arizona Western College. Vuk Ivanovic, a 6-foot-10 post player from Serbia and Montenegro, will also join the Cougars but will have to sit out the season after transferring from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa.

The Cougars lost guard Mike Hall, center Jared Jensen and guard Terry Nashif to graduation and forward Garner Meads to injuries. Now playing professionally overseas, Hall was the Cougars' top scorer (13.9) and perimeter defender last year, while Jensen was BYU's top post scorer (8.5) and Nashif, now BYU's director of basketball operations, made seven starts at the point. A McDonald's High School All-American, Meads missed 12 games to injuries last year before being forced to hang up his sneakers after only two seasons.

An anticipated strength of the BYU program will be the new coaching staff. Coach Rose will be aided in 2005-06 by assistant coaches Dave Rice, John Wardenburg and Walter Roese.

"When I was in the process of trying to put this staff together the most important thing for me was that the guys that I hired would have the same vision for this program that I have," Rose said. "I'm confident that I found guys that are committed and passionate about this game and are loyal to BYU. My vision for this program is to compete and win at a conference and national level and to create a unique program where players and athletes foster great development and become great leaders."

Rice brings 14 years of coaching experience to BYU, including 12 seasons at the Division I level at UNLV and Utah State. As a player, Rice was a member of UNLV's 1989-90 National Championship and 1990-91 Final Four teams that won a school-record 45 consecutive games. Wardenburg, who also assisted Rose at Dixie, enters his fifth season as an assistant coach at BYU with 15 years of coaching experience at the Division I, junior college and high school levels. Roese (pronounced row-EESE), who still holds the Brazilian professional league record with 23 assists in a game, served the past two seasons as BYU's director of basketball operations and is currently an assistant coach for the 2005 Brazilian National Team.

In all, the Cougar roster includes one senior, nine juniors and five freshmen. A position breakdown follows:

POINT

Austin Ainge took over the starting point guard duties early last season and went on to earn honorable mention All-MWC recognition after averaging 9.5 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds as a sophomore. An excellent transition passer, the 6-foot-2 Ainge should benefit from the more up-tempo offensive philosophy of first-year head coach Dave Rose. BYU's second-leading scorer last year, he is the top returning scorer for Coach Rose in 2005-06. As evidenced by his season-high 25-point effort at Colorado State last year, Ainge has the shooting and scoring abilities to be utilized at the shooting guard position and will likely see action at both guard spots with the addition of junior point guard Rashaun Broadus. The Western Nebraska Community College (Scottsbluff, Neb.) transfer is a 6-foot floor leader who should play a significant role for the Cougars as a tough defender and quick offensive player who can create through penetration as an excellent ballhandler. Broadus led Western Nebraska with 14.6 points per game last season, leading the Cougars to a 28-5 record, including three weeks atop the NJCAA poll and a No. 14 final regular-season ranking. He shot 48 percent from the floor, including 40 percent from behind the three-point line, making a team-high 57 treys on the season. Senior Brock Reichner could also contribute at the point if needed.

WING

The deepest part of the Cougar roster is at the wing positions. Three 6-foot-6 players will likely see plenty of playing time in 2005-06. Junior Jimmy Balderson and highly touted freshman Lee Cummard are both scorers with three-point range while junior forward Keena Young is a slasher who was BYU's top rebounder a year ago. Balderson scored 6.7 points last season, coming out of a planned redshirt year after a two-year mission to the Marshall Islands. Balderson gained valuable experience this summer by leading the Canadian National Development Team in scoring (14.9 ppg, 50 percent shooting) at the World University Games in Turkey. Cummard was the headliner of BYU's 2004 top-20 recruiting class, being rated by some experts as the top shooting-guard prospect in the West. Cummard led Mesa (Ariz.) High School to the 5-A state championship, averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a senior in 2003-04. He shot 56 percent from the floor and made 41 percent of his three-point attempts. Young scored 7.2 points and grabbed a team-leading 5.6 rebounds in his first season in Provo last year before missing the final five games with a hand injury. The Cougars' top outside scoring threat, 6-foot-3 junior guard Mike Rose, also returns along with 6-foot-3 junior Sam Burgess, 6-foot-4 senior Brock Reichner and 6-foot-7 recently returned missionary Jermaine Odjegba. Rose averaged 7.7 points and made a team-high 56 treys last year while Burgess appeared in 27 games with one start after a return from a two-year mission. Reichner made an impact late in the season with his steady play while bringing toughness to the floor with his defense. Odjegba spent the last two years as a missionary in Tennessee after redshirting on BYU's 2003 NCAA team. An athletic forward, Odjegba averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists while earning honorable mention all-state honors when he last saw action as a senior at Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) High School in 2002. True freshman Jackson Emery, a 6-foot-3 guard who was the Utah Mr. Basketball recipient last year, has shown he could earn playing time in his first season with solid all-around skills and explosive athleticism. Ainge could also slide over and see time on the wing.

POST

The Cougar post boasts talented, but mostly unproven players. Trent Plaisted, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward, also has the ability to take his game to the perimeter. He, Cummard and 6-foot-10, 250-pound center David Burgess -- three of the four members of BYU's 2004 top-20 recruiting class -- could all play a big role after missing last season. Burgess may be the Cougars' best offensive low-post scorer but his ankle injuries have not given him the chance to prove what he can do at the Division I level. Returning junior Derek Dawes, a 6-foot-11, 275-pounder, averaged 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds while earning 13 starts in 2004-05. With his size, experience and defensive presence, Dawes will be a key component for BYU in the middle. Plaisted could swing between the power forward and center positions depending on matchups. He will compete for time at power forward with transfer Fernando Malaman out of Arizona Western College (Yuma, Ariz.). The 6-foot-9 Brazilian was an all-region power forward at Arizona Western. Expect the 6-foot-6 Young to also see time at the 4-position when the Cougars go with a smaller lineup. Young can score in the post -- his more natural position -- and is a strong rebounder. After transferring from Seton Hill University (Greensburg, Pa.), 6-foot-10, 250-pound Serbian, Vuk Ivanovic, will aid the Cougar post in practice while sitting out the season due to transfer rules.

BYU Men's Basketball

2005-06 Roster

No.Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp.Hometown/Previous School

1 Rashaun Broadus G 6-0 195 Jr. TR Mililani, Hawaii/Western Nebraska CC

2 Mike Rose G 6-3 185 Jr. 2L Houston, Texas/Spring Woods HS

3 Keena Young F 6-6 205 Jr. 1L Beaumont, Texas/South Plains College

4 Jackson Emery G 6-3 175 Fr. HS Alpine, Utah/Lone Peak HS

10 Vuk Ivanovic C/F 6-10 250 Jr. TR Pancevo, Serbia and Montenegro/Seton Hill Univ.

12 Brock Reichner G 6-4 205 Sr. 1L Provo, Utah/Salt Lake Community College

13 Austin Ainge G 6-2 180 Jr. 2L Gilbert, Ariz./Highland HS

15 Fernando Malaman F 6-9 215 Jr. TR Limeira, Brazil/Arizona Western College

20 Sam Burgess G 6-3 190 Jr. 1L Alpine, Utah/Snow College

23 Jimmy Balderson G 6-6 200 Jr. 2L Magrath, Alberta/Magrath HS

30 Lee Cummard G 6-6 175 Fr. HS Mesa, Ariz./Mesa HS

34 David Burgess C 6-10 265 Fr. RS Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS

41 Jermaine Odjegba F 6-7 190 Fr. RS West Palm Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens HS

43 Derek Dawes C 6-11 275 Jr. 2L Salt Lake City, Utah/Cottonwood HS

44 Trent Plaisted F 6-11 245 Fr. RS San Antonio, Texas/Clark HS

Head Coach: Dave Rose, 1st year (Houston, 1983)

Assistant Coaches: Dave Rice (UNLV 1991)

John Wardenburg (BYU 1986)

Walter Roese (BYU-Hawaii 1994)

Director of Basketball Operations: Terry Nashif (BYU 2005)

Team Trainer: Robert Ramos, 4th year (BYU, 1995)

2005-06 Roster Breakdown

Starters Returning (4)

Name Pos. Yr. 2004-05 Stats

Austin Ainge G Jr. 9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.1 apg

Keena Young F Jr. 7.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg

Jimmy Balderson G Jr. 6.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg

Derek Dawes C Jr. 4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg

Starters Lost (3)

Mike Hall G Sr. 13.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Jared Jensen C Sr. 8.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg

*Garner Meads F So. 4.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Other Letterwinners Returning (3)

Mike Rose G Jr. 7.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg

Brock Reichner G Sr. 2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg

Sam Burgess G Jr. 2.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg

Other Letterwinners Lost (2)

**Chris Miles F Fr. 2.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg

#Joshua Burgess F Jr. 0.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg

Redshirts Returning (3)

David Burgess C 6-10 250 Fr.

Trent Plaisted F 6-11 245 Fr.

'Jermaine Odjegba F 6-7 190 Fr.

Newcomers (5)

Rashaun Broadus G 6-0 195 Jr.

Lee Cummard G 6-6 175 Fr.

Jackson Emery G 6-3 175 Fr.

''Vuk Ivanovic C/F 6-10 250 Jr.

Fernando Malaman F 6-9 215 Jr.

* playing career ended due to injury, staying in school to finish degree

** Leaving school to serve a two-year LDS Church mission

# walk-on player decided to discontinue playing, staying in school to finish degree

' recently returned from two-year mission; redshirted the 2002-03 season

''must sit out the 2005-06 season due to transfer rules

2005-06 QUICK FACTS

UNIVERSITY INFO

Location: Provo, Utah 84602

Elevation: 4,553 feet

Enrollment: 33,278 (Daytime)

Founded: October 15, 1875

Owned: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Nickname: Cougars

Mascot: Cosmo

Colors: Blue, White, and Tan

Arena (capacity): Marriott Center (22,700)

Conference: Mountain West

President: Cecil O. Samuelson (Utah, '66)

Athletic Director: Tom Holmoe

Athletic Website: byucougars.com

Tickets: 422-BYU1 or 1-800-322-BYU1

BYU COACHING STAFF

Head Coach: Dave Rose

Alma Mater (year): Houston (1983)

Record at school (years): First year

Career Div. I record (years): First year

Office phone for head coach: Call SID

Best time/day to reach coach: Call SID

Basketball Office Fax: (801) 422-5965

Assistant coaches (Alma Mater, year)

Dave Rice (UNLV, 1991)

John Wardenburg (BYU, 1986)

Walter Roese (BYU-Hawaii, 1994)

Director of Basketball Operations: Terry Nashif (BYU, 2005)

BYU TEAM INFO

2004-2005 Overall Record: 9-21

Conference record/finish: 3-11 (T-7th/Mountain West)

2005 Postseason: N/A

2005 Final National Ranking: N/A

Starters Returning/Lost: 4/3

Lettermen Returning/Lost: 7/5

Redshirts returning: 3*

*one returning from two-year mission after redshirt in 2002-03

Newcomers: 5

BYU HISTORY

First Year of Basketball: 1903

Overall All-Time Record: 1481-960 (.607)

Winning Seasons: 82 (last 2004)

Conference Championships: 26 (last 2003)

Postseason Appearances (record): 30 (23-31)

Total NCAA Appearances (Record): 21 (11-24)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2004

Result: (0-1) Lost, NCAA First Round in Denver vs. Syracuse, 80-75

Total NIT Appearances (Record): 9 (12-7)

Last NIT Appearance: 2002

Result: (1-1) Def. UC Irvine, 78-53; Lost, at Memphis, 80-69

MEDIA RELATIONS

Basketball Media Relations Director: Brett Pyne

Office Phone: (801) 422-4912

Office Fax: (801) 422-0633

Mailing Address: 30 SFH, Provo, UT 84602-2239