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Provo • When BYU played in an NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game last March at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, players such as Tyler Haws, Anson Winder, Josh Sharp and Nate Austin weren't in awe of the place.
After all, they had played in arenas like that particular one, home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, several times before not only that season, but the preceding years as well.
BYU's annual tradition of playing a game at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City continues Saturday when the 6-2 Cougars host 7-2 Hawaii at 4 p.m. The game will be televised by BYUtv.
The Cougars have turned the home of the NBA's Utah Jazz into their home away from home for quite a while now, and are 13-4 in the building since 1993, when the venue hosted the Western Athletic Conference tournament. They have won eight straight games there.
"I think with the young guys, it really helps us," coach Dave Rose said. "The older guys, the more experienced guys, have been through it quite a bit. There is a different feel in there."
BYU is forced out of the Marriott Center the first week of December every year because of the annual Christmas Around the World show, and Rose said the people at ESA have been "really good to us" in allowing the Cougars to play some 35 miles away from their Provo campus.
"It allows us to stay close to home and still play really good competition," Rose said. "We've had great games there over the years."
Haws, who scored 35 points in BYU's 91-81 win over Utah State on Tuesday, said there's something a "little bit different" about playing in an NBA arena as opposed to a college venue. And they are really different than most venues in the West Coast Conference, which are generally small and lack full seating on all four sides of the court.
"I mean, the courts even feel a little bit different," Haws said. "But we love it. We look forward to playing in those types of environments. … We get really excited to play up there. It is a fun place to play, and I think we play well up there."
Beginning with a 68-63 win over USU in December of 2008, the Cougars have won eight games there by an average of 18.7 points. That run included an 87-65 win over Arizona in 2010 and a 97-71 win over Virginia Tech in 2012.
"I think it is fun, because it seems like it is a bigger floor, more spread out, and with our offense, I think that can really help us, because we like to get out and run and spread the floor," Winder said. "To play in the Jazz's arena, it is fun, and it is exciting to be able to say you have played there."
Hawaii likes to run a little, too, although the Warriors are averaging 73.2 points per game — not quite the 95.1 that BYU has been putting on the board.
"Tough, aggressive team," Winder said of the Warriors, who staged some memorable games against BYU when both schools were a part of the WAC.
Hawaii fired head coach Gib Arnold, son of former BYU coach Frank Arnold, in late October and made Benjy Taylor the interim head coach. They have lost to San Francisco 88-73 and to High Point 62-54, but still haven't played on an opponent's home court.
"They have put a pretty good team together," Rose said. "It should be a good game. Hopefully it will be a great crowd."
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Hawaii
P At EnergySolutions Arena
Tipoff • 4 p.m.
TV • BYUtv
Radio • 1160 AM/102.7 FM
Records • BYU 6-2; Hawaii 7-2
Series history • BYU leads 33-14
Last meeting • BYU 78, Hawaii 57 (Dec. 4, 2010)
About the Rainbow Warriors • They are coming off a 75-60 win over Delaware State last Tuesday in which Aaron Valdes scored a team-high 19 points and Garrett Nevels added 15. … They are 11th in the nation in 3-point attempts, 178, an average of 20 per game. … Juco transfer Roderick Bobbitt leads the Big West Conference in assists per game, 5.6, and steals per game, 2.56, and is averaging 9.1 points per game.
About the Cougars • They are averaging 95.1 points per game, which leads the nation. … They are allowing 77.6 ppg. … Tyler Haws has scored in double figures in 56 straight games, the third-longest streak in school history. Haws' career free-throw percentage of 88.9 is the best in school history. … They are 13-4 in games played at the NBA home of the Utah Jazz.