National, conference player of week honors for BYU's Haws

As expected, honors are rolling in Monday for BYU guard Tyler Haws after the sophomore returned missionary scored a career-high 42 points in the Cougars' 97-71 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Haws' 42 is the highest point total by a player in NCAA Division I college basketball this season. The previous high was 41 by Minnesota's Andre Hollins against Memphis in November. Haws was named West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 28.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting .543 from the field and .750 from three-point range in wins over Northern Arizona and Va. Tech. He's the second Cougar to win the WCC weekly honor, joining Brandon Davies, who won it on Dec. 17. Also Monday, Haws was named the national player of the week by NBCSports.com and also by Sports Illustrated. More national honors will likely come in before the day is over.————————- Today's big news for BYU football fans, in case you missed it, was the announcement from linebacker Kyle Van Noy that he is returing to BYU for his senior season. It's a bit of a surprise to many, considering that Van Noy's position coach, Kelly Poppinga, said immediately after the Poinsettia Bowl that he expected the All-American LB to leave for the NFL. Here's my report in The Tribune on Van Noy's big decision, with comments from the junior from Reno, Nev. A couple of BYU seniors who are hoping to make it in professional football — offensive lineman Braden Hansen and linebacker Brandon Ogletree — have committed to playing in the 2013 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Earlier, linebacker Uona Kaveinga committed to play in the same game. The game is Jan. 19 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Along with Ziggy Ansah, the Cougar most likely to be drafted is senior offensive lineman Braden Brown. Brown has been invited to the NFL Combine, his family announced on Twitter last week.