MORAGA, Calif.-Thursday, BYU men’s basketball (9-3, 0-1 in West Coast Conference play) visits Saint Mary’s (9-3, 0-1 in WCC play) as the conference season ensues for both squads.
The Cougars score 78.1 points per game, ranking BYU 75th nationally in scoring offense. Defensively, the Cougars rank 152nd nationally in scoring defense (68.9 points per game) tying them for 152nd nationally with Creighton.
Senior guard Alex Barcello is the Cougars’ leading scorer (16.3 points per game). Barcello also leads the squad in assists (58) and is tied for the team lead in steals (10) with senior guard Brandon Averette.
Other Cougars to score in double figures on-average include senior Dutch national forward/center Matt Haarms (11.2 points per game, leads the team in blocked shots with 18) and Averette (10.2 points per game).
Freshman forward Caleb Lohner (6.5 rebounds per game) continues to lead the Cougars on the glass.
In his second season at BYU, head coach Mark Pope is 33-11 (.750). He is 110-67 (.621) as a Division I head coach, including his time at Utah Valley (2015-2019).
Saint Mary’s scores 68.9 points per game, ranking the Gaels 240th nationally in scoring offense.
Defensively, Saint Mary’s surrenders 60.9 points per game. This ranks the Gaels 16th nationally in scoring defense.
The Gaels’ leading scorer is redshirt senior guard Tommy Kuhse (14.8 points per game). Kuhse also leads the squad in assists (68) and steals (21).
Other Gaels to score in double-figures include junior guard Logan Johnson (11 points per game), Australian national sophomore guard/forward Alex Ducas (10.9 points per game, tied for the team lead in rebounds [5.3] with Estonian national Matthias Tass, who scores 10.1 points per game).
Tass also leads Saint Mary’s in blocked shots with 10.
In his 20th season at the helm of the Gaels’ program, head coach Randy Bennett is 449-185 (.708).
Saint Mary’s leads BYU 16-15 all-time.
