PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 Sports) - BYU's leading scorer Noah Hartsock will be a game-time decision for Thursday's huge West Coast Conference showdown against Gonzaga. Hartsock sprained his knee in the second half Saturday night at Santa Clara, but was able to return to the game.
"He's got some real soreness in that knee, but there's no structural damage," said head coach Dave Rose. "Hopefully he improves everyday. He didn't practice today, but I think we dodged a bullet as far as the MRI was concerned. Hopefully we can get him back as soon as possible."
Asked if he thought Hartsock would play against Gonzaga, Rose said, "There's a chance."
With or without Hartsock, this will be a monumental game for BYU. A win would all but wrap up a bye to the semifinals of the upcoming West Coast Conference Tournament, and most experts agree a win over the Bulldogs would clinch a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars are 23-6 overall, 11-3 in the WCC, tied for second place with Gonzaga. The top two seeds advance to the semifinals of the WCC Tournament. If BYU wins it's final two games over Gonzaga and Portland, they have an outside chance at the conference title.
"There's a lot riding on the game," said forward Charles Abouo. "But, it's basketball, it's fun. That's why we come here is to play in these games. We've done a pretty good job the last couple of years finishing well."
BYU finished off Gonzaga back on February 2nd in a surprisingly easy victory, 83-73. The Cougars have won seven of their last eight games and feeling they are peeking at the right time.
"That gives us a lot of confidence," said center Brandon Davies about BYU's earlier win over the Bulldogs. "Not just that win, but the wins we've been getting. We've got a couple in a row here, and as we continue our streak, we just keep getting more and more confident."
But despite coming off a loss at San Francisco, Gonzaga has yet to lose a conference home game this season. BYU, which has had plenty of support on the road in WCC games this season, probably won't have many fans cheering for them Thursday night.
"They're a much different team at home," said Rose. "They're a lot more confident. I don't think that we can count on the points that we scored on turnovers here up there. I think it will be a fast-paced game. I know our guys will be ready to play."
"It's hard to play a good team after they've lost," said guard Brock Zylstra. "No good team likes to lose two in a row. It will be a hostile environment and it will be a fun experience. It will be loud and crazy, but we'll be ready for it."
