The 20-6 Dons travel to Provo, Utah for what is shaping up to be the biggest game of the season when they take on BYU at the Marriott Center.  The Cougars are 10-3 and have a one game advantage in the loss column over the Dons for the crucial second seed in the looming WCC Tournament in March.  More importantly, the Cougars are ranked No. 75 in the latest NET rankings, making Thursday night's contest a potential Quad 1 matchup for the Dons.  The game will be televised on BYUtv with Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler and Spencer Linton handling the play-by-play duties.  Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will have the call on the radio on 1550-AM The GAME, the official home of USF Dons Basketball.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Feb. 21, 2019 – 6:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: BYU Cougars (18-10, 10-3 WCC)
Site: Marriott Center (Provo, Utah)
Television:  BYUtv
Talent: Dave McCann (play-by-play); Blaine Fowler (analyst); Spencer Linton (reporter)
Radio:  1550-AM The GAME
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
Game Notes: USF at BYU
 
Dons Practice at Utah


USF AT A GLANCE

• At 20-6, USF is off to their best start through 25 games since the 1981-82.  USF has started the season 20-6 or better 10 times, with the previous nine teams all advancing to the post season.
• After Saturday's win over Portland, USF won their 20th game in 26 tries, the fastest USF has won 20-games since the 1981 season when the Dons did it in their 24th game.
• USF has appeared on TV 12 times this season, either nationally or on regional broadcasts.  In those games the Dons are 8-4 overall and are averaging 74.3 points per game.  Senior guard Frankie Ferrari loves the spotlight, in games played on TV he is averaging 16.4 points per game and shooting 45.3 percent from the field.
• USF is 5-4 on the road this year.  They average 69.5 points per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field.  Charles Minlend leads the team on the road, the redshirt sophomore averages 17.4 ppg game.
• With four games to play in the regular season, the Dons are currently in third in the WCC.  They trail BYU by one game in the loss column and two back in the win column.
• Following Saturday's win, head coach Kyle Smith became the first coach in USF history to win at least 20-games in his first season at the helm of the Dons.  The Dons are 62-36 under Smith.
• With one more made 3-point field goal, Frankie Ferrari will join teammate Jordan Ratinho in the top-5 in made 3-point field goals in USF history.  Ratinho is second with 195 made threes, Ferrari is sixth with 155.
• Seniors Nate Renfro and Matt McCarthy are moving ever closer to the career games played record at USF.  Renfro has played in 126 games, while McCarthy has played in 125.  The record of 128 was set by Angelo Caloiaro (2008-12).
• Charles Minlend loves the road.  The redshirt sophomore is averaging 17.1 ppg which leads the Dons, on the year he is averaging 14.9 ppg. Against Portland on Saturday he finished with 15 points.

 
THE SERIES
Thursday's contest will be the will be the 26th time the Dons and Cougars have squared off.  All-time, BYU owns a 19-7 advantage in the series that dates back to Dec. 20, 1946 when the Dons fell to the Cougars 46-34 at the Nevada Invitational. The Cougars are 14-2 against the Dons since joining the WCC in 2011.  In Provo, the Dons are 1-9 against the Cougars, with their lone win coming on Feb. 9, 2013, 99-87.  BYU has won five-straight at home over the Dons and nine of the last 10 overall. Last time out, the Dons defeated the Cougars 82-63 at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on Jan. 19 to end an 11-game losing streak to BYU. 
 
ABOUT THE COUGARS
The Cougars are sitting in second in the WCC standings sitting at 10-3.  Overall, BYU is 18-10 and is heating up, having won eight of their last 10 contests including five-straight.  At the Marriott Center, BYU is 12-2 this season, with their last home loss coming on Jan. 31 against Gonzaga.  As a team, BYU is averaging 80.1 points per game which is second in the WCC while shooting 47.4 percent from the field.  Their opponents are averaging 75.1 points per game and shooting 43.7 percent from the field. In conference play, the Cougars are averaging 75.1 ppg and shooting 46.8 percent from the field.  Two players averaging double figures for the Cougars - leading the team with 21.1 ppg is forward Yoeli Childs, second is TJ Haws who is averaging 17.5 ppg.
 
LAST GAME AGAINST BYU
On Jan. 19 the Dons led for almost 37 minutes in a 19-point route at home over the visiting Cougars.  The win over BYU snapped an 11-game skid against the Cougars. USF had five players in double figures and was led by Frankie Ferrari's team-high 21 points.  Part of the Dons strong start was the defensive effort containing BYU's Yoeli Childs who was held to six first half points as USF raced out to a 43-29 advantage at the half. Childs got hot in the second half, scoring 19 points to finish with a game-high 25 but it wasn't enough as USF shot 63.6 percent from the field (35-for-55).
 
UP NEXT
The Dons will return to the bay and make the trip down Highway 101 for a Saturday evening showdown against longtime rival Santa Clara.  The Dons and Broncos will tip at 8:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised on NBC Sports Bay Area.