Horror show incites Tavernari

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PROVO, Utah — Whenever he gets a pat on the back, Brigham Young sophomore Jonathan Tavernari humbles himself by going back to watch the tape.

He watches it more frequently than one of his favorite movies, but he hates what he sees. It was one of his most embarrassing moments as a basketball player.

“I honestly watch it all the time. I go and watch the entire game, and I see how pathetic I played, and it motivates me,” he said. “That pisses me off so bad. I get really frustrated with myself.

“I was out of it. I was in a daze the whole game.”

The source of Tavernari’s anger is his visit to Las Vegas on Jan. 15, when he played poorly and the Cougars were punished in a 70-41 loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.

It is Brigham Young’s only misstep in Mountain West Conference play this season, and Tavernari is psyched for the sequel at 6 p.m. today.

The first-place Cougars (19-5, 8-1 MWC) have a half-game lead over the Rebels (19-5, 8-2), and the teams’ meeting at the Marriott Center could go a long way in determining the regular-season conference championship.

“It’s a huge game, baby,” said Tavernari, as soft-spoken and understated as a boxing promoter.

Forget that BYU and UNLV might play a third game this season, with even more on the line, in next month’s Mountain West tournament in Las Vegas.

“I don’t know anything about the Mountain West tournament,” Tavernari said. “When is it, and where is it?

“All I know is we play UNLV (today).”

Tavernari, a 6-foot-6-inch forward who spent his senior year at Bishop Gorman High School, calls himself “a Vegas guy” and talks respectfully of several Rebels players and coach Lon Kruger.

But he has waited a month for another shot at UNLV. In the first game, after he shot 1-for-9 and finished with three points and three turnovers, Tavernari said Cougars coach Dave Rose “called me out personally.”

Tavernari has had a breakout season for BYU. He is the team’s No. 3 scorer at 13.5 points per game and is shooting 36.5 percent (62-for-170) from 3-point range. But he repeatedly watches the tape of the Rebels’ rout as a reminder that he needs to be tougher.

“We got slapped around and pushed around, and they really kicked our butts,” Tavernari said. “We weren’t mentally tough enough. That was a huge wake-up call for us. UNLV is a great team, and I love Coach Kruger.

“Everything went right for them, and everything went wrong for us. We couldn’t make a shot. Completely, 100 percent, from water to wine, this will be a different game.”

Last summer, Tavernari, a high school teammate of Rebels sophomore guard Marcus Lawrence, played pickup games at UNLV and got to know some of his rivals.

Lawrence was arrested for driving under the influence Friday morning in Las Vegas and was suspended from the team. He was playing sparingly as a backup, so his absence should not be a major hindrance to the Rebels.

Tavernari is expected to have a big impact today.

“Jonathan is a competitor,” UNLV senior point guard Curtis Terry said. “He came in with Marcus and played with us a couple times, and he likes to win, even in the summer.

“We know he’s upset that he didn’t have his best game against us. They’re at their best when he’s being aggressive and knocking down shots.”

The Cougars own a 43-game winning streak at the Marriott Center, where they pounded the Rebels 90-63 last February.

“Our home streak is something we take very seriously, but we don’t talk about it,” Tavernari said. “We just have to take care of business. We’re not going to be as lackadaisical. I highly doubt I will have an off game.”

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.