This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Plenty of links to interesting articles for you this morning, but we have to start out with this story on the SportsIllustrated.com web site about the mess at UCLA. Of interest to BYU fans is a section of the story that details many of the reasons why point guard Matt Carlino decided to transfer early in his freshman season from UCLA to BYU. Go to the last page (Page 4) of the article to read about Carlino. Here's a taste: "From the first practice, [Reeves] Nelson's treatment of [Matt] Carlino was a divisive issue. Carlino suffered a concussion during the preseason that caused him to miss the first three games. Nelson ridiculed Carlino for letting the injury sideline him. He told Carlino he didn't belong at UCLA and wasn't any good. He would yell at Carlino to leave the locker room, calling him "concussion boy." When Carlino returned to workouts, Nelson would go out of his way to set a screen on Carlino so he could hit him. Eventually, players say, Carlino dreaded practice. It was of little surprise when he left UCLA midway through the season and transferred to BYU. "After Carlino left, there was a team meeting at which Howland said he couldn't respect a quitter. "But everyone knew why Matt left," says one player. "He didn't want to keep sitting on the bench, but most of all he didn't want to be around Reeves anymore. That wasn't quitting. That was just smart."
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Do the Cougars miss Jimmer Fredette? Absolutely. But they don't miss him more than they missed Danny Ainge back in the day, Tribune columnist Kurt Kragthorpe says in this piece. Tribune TV critic Scott Pierce says BYU is better off outside the MWC, if its television deal is any indication. Fredette scored five points against the Jazz last night in Sacramento's NBA win. Here's more on his situation with the Kings from Jazz beat writer Brian T. Smith. Here's a recap of the WCC postseason honors, if you missed the news yesterday. And here's my notebook on college basketball in the West, which includes a segment about BYU players wanting another shot at St. Mary's.