BYU basketball notes: Ankle injury could sideline guard Brock Zylstra

Provo • This is not what the BYU Cougars wanted to have to deal with as they begin their stretch run in the West Coast Conference men's basketball race: nagging injuries.

The latest Cougar to catch the injury bug is starting two-guard Brock Zylstra, who sprained his ankle in the first half of Saturday's 79-60 win over Portland but returned to play most of the second half.

Zylstra didn't practice Thursday, and probably won't practice on Friday as the Cougars continue preparations for Saturday's 4 p.m. game at the Marriott Center against Pepperdine (8-15, 2-10 WCC), coach Dave Rose said, agreeing with a reporters' supposition that Zylstra is questionable.

"But we are probably all questionable," Rose joked. "I don't really know what that means. "Sometimes [team doctors] tell me it is day-to-day, but they don't think he will practice tomorrow, so that's why I guess why it is probably questionable."

Another MRI on forward Stephen Rogers has shown a bruise on his right knee. The junior won't return for at least two more weeks, probably longer.

As for Chris Collinsworth, the sophomore who had his right knee scoped on Dec. 13, Rose said it "still remains to be seen" whether he will play in another game this season.

"He's making improvement," Rose said.

A mission for Damarcus?

Freshman guard Damarcus Harrison said Thursday that he is thinking about going on a two-year church mission after the season. When he signed with BYU during his last year of high school, Harrison said a mission probably wasn't in his future.

But, "this atmosphere at BYU, when you are going to church and everything" has caused him to consider it strongly.

"It's 50-50," he said. "Possibly, yeah, I might. I am just trying to think things through."

Harrison said his older brother, D.J. Harrison, is currently on a church mission in Chicago and has a year left. D.J. Harrison, who played junior college ball prior to his mission, plans to attend BYU when he is finished and will try out for the team or walk on.

Briefly

Freshman Anson Winder is expected to get his third-straight start at two-guard on Saturday, regardless of whether Zylstra plays or not. ... The Cougars defeated Pepperdine 77-64 on Jan. 21 in Malibu as Brandon Davies scored a career-high 29 points.

drew@sltrib.com

Twitter: @drewjay