PROVO — In a scheduling oddity, BYU plays a Portland team this week that it hasn’t faced since the West Coast Conference opener for both squads way back on Dec. 28 in Provo.
The Cougars and Pilots square off at the Chiles Center in Portland Thursday (9 p.m., MST, ESPNU).
BYU coach Dave Rose said Portland is not the same team it was back at the start of the WCC season. The Cougars won that meeting 69-45 at the Marriott Center.
The Pilots are led by guards Marcus Shaver, Jr. (11.9 ppg), Josh McSwiggan (10.9 ppg) and 7-foot-2 center Philipp Hartwich (5.