BYU Cougars
West Coast Conference (26-6, 12-4)
BYU had little trouble moving to the West Coast Conference after spending so much time in the Mountain West. They immediately found a couple new rivals in Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga and did a fine job in the WCC. Generally speaking this is a Cougars team that beat the teams they were supposed to beat and lost to teams they were supposed to lose to. That is what happens to teams like BYU that share the ball well and take smart shots. They do not have the talent to beat Duke and Kansas State, but they rarely lose to an opponent that they should beat.
Big Wins: 12/1 vs Arizona (82-73), 2/4 Saint Mary’s (83-47), 3/5 vs Gonzaga (78-66)
Bad Losses: 12/31 at Saint Mary’s (48-54), 2/2 at Pepperdine (49-61), 2/16 San Francisco (64-71)
Coach: Jeff Judkins (11 seasons at BYU)
Why They Can Surprise:
Just about everybody who sees significant playing time is a threat to score and that makes this BYU team very difficult to guard. Forward Kristen Riley and guards Kim Parker and Lexi Eaton are the most consistent scorers, but Jennifer Hamson, Haley Steed, Dani Peterson and Stephanie Vermunt are all capable of doing some damage on the offensive end. Riley, a 6-1 forward, is a great inside-outside threat and just stopping her is tough enough. With the outside shooting ability of Parker, Eaton slashing to the basket and big 6-7 center Hamson backing down opponents in the paint, the opposition has to pick their poison.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Steed is a great point guard and BYU does have one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the nation thanks to her ability to find her teammates. While the assist numbers are high, the Cougars have had some trouble with turnovers this season. Usually this is a team that plays within their limits, but that is not always the case and the game can get a little sloppy, at least by BYU standards. Part of the problem is the lack of a true backup point guard. Steed is forced to play a lot of minutes and while Parker is a decent ball handler, Steed usually has to go at it alone. If the Cougars hope to pull off some upsets in the tournament, they will have to keep the turnovers down and value every possession.
Probable Starters:
Haley Steed, Senior, Guard, 8.9 ppg, 7.2 apg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 spg
Kim Parker, Sophomore, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 3.3 apg
Lexi Eaton, Freshman, Guard, 10.6 ppg, 1.9 apg
Dani Peterson, Senior, Forward, 6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Kristen Riley, Senior, Forward, 11.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jennifer Hamson, Sophomore, Center, 9.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg
Xojian Harry, Freshman, Guard, 2.3 ppg
Stephanie Rovetti, Freshman, Guard, 2.4 ppg
Stephanie Vermunt, Sophomore, Forward, 6.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.6 (34th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 56.8 (66, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.8 (20, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 34.4 (16, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (29, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.7 (32, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.7 (44, 2)
Rebound Margin: 5.1 (40, 3)
Assists Per Game: 19.3 (2, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 16.0 (86, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
BYU 2011 NIT Round of 64 win over Denver
BYU 2011 NIT Round of 32 win over Utah State
BYU 2011 NIT Regional Semifinal loss to USC
BYU 2010 NIT Round of 64 win over Pepperdine
BYU 2010 NIT Round of 32 win over Arizona State
BYU 2010 NIT Regional Semifinal win over Wyoming
BYU 2010 NIT Regional Final loss to California
BYU 2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Louisville
BYU 2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Iowa
BYU 2006 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Oklahoma
BYU 2002 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Colorado
*all team stats through 3/1
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
