BYU Cougars to face a different kind of nonconference test, a ‘complicated matchup,’ when they host Weber State Wildcats

Weber State’s Jerrick Harding.

Weber State features a four-guard lineup that could give BYU trouble. Leading the way is Jerrick Harding, who averages 20 points per game. 

PROVO — It’s been a busy week for BYU basketball players, who have been wrapped up in taking final exams.

“Guys have been studying hard,” said coach Mark Pope. “Finals are really demanding here.”

As the Cougars (9-4) return to the court for the first time since last Saturday’s 68-64 victory over Utah State, they’ll face a different kind of test when they host Weber State Saturday (7 p.m., MST, BYUtv).

“This is a really hard game for us. It’s a matchup that makes me nervous,” Pope said. “You always get a little nervous when you’re playing a team you haven’t played before. I don’t mean a name. I mean a style.”

The Wildcats (4-6) feature a four-guard lineup that could give BYU trouble. Leading the way is Jerrick Harding, who averages 20 points per game.

“They are really small and they are really fast and really aggressive downhill,” Pope said. “They start four little guards. We’re feeling really keenly tuned in that this is a massive challenge for us. It’s a complicated matchup. We’ve had all kinds of complicated matchups all year long. This is a different flavor.

“It’s the challenge we have in front of us. And it’s a challenge we need to be able to answer,” Pope added. “We’re going to learn some things about ourselves (Saturday) in terms of our commitment to the defensive end, both in transition defense and half-court defense, guarding penetration.”

“We haven’t really played a team like this — four guards that can really score the ball and create their own shots,” said BYU guard TJ Haws. “It’s going to take five guys guarding at all times together as a team. It’s going to be good challenge for us to see where we’re at and see if we can handle this.”

On Weber State’s Harding, guard Jake Toolson said, “We’re going to have to guard him as a team, which we’ve been doing a good job at. It’s going to be a team effort defensively.”

Last year in Ogden, the Wildcats snapped a 15-game losing streak to BYU with a 113-103 victory.

“There was a lot of frustration. Things didn’t go our way. We didn’t play the way we usually play,” Haws recalled. “I’ve tried to push that out as much as I can. But I still remember that feeling. That’s in the forefront of my mind, for sure.”

Meanwhile, BYU is looking to extend its three-game winning streak. The Cougars have just two nonconference games remaining before going into West Coast Conference play on Jan. 4 at home against Loyola Marymount. After playing Weber State, BYU hosts Oral Roberts next Saturday.

This contest against the Wildcats marks just the sixth home game of the season for the Cougars and just the third since Nov. 14.

“It’s been a little weird not being (at the Marriott Center) but I think the experience that you gain from playing on the road in some of these atmospheres and to win on the road or neutral sites is huge for this team,” Haws said. “That’s a huge part of conference, this next step we’re heading into soon. Having guys believe that we can win anywhere as long as we do what we’ve been doing has been a big deal for us.”

So after a week of taking exams, another one awaits BYU.

“It’s going to be a really good test for us,” Pope said. “Weber State is not the best team we’ve played, but they pose a unique matchup problem for us that’s important for us to solve as we get closer to league play. We have to be able to answer this.”

Weber State (4-6) at BYU (9-4)

Saturday, 7 p.m. MST

Marriott Center

TV: BYUtv

Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

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