Freshman guard Matt Carlino made his collegiate debut against No. 6 Baylor last Saturday and he did not disappoint, totaling 18 points, two assists, 1 block and 1 steal off the bench. He also hit four 3s as the Cougars almost pulled off the upset against the Bears.

Looking back through several box scores, Carlino had one of the better debuts by a BYU freshman in recent history. It’s probably fair to say that his debut is the best since Mike Rose dropped 26 points, eight 3s and six assists on Southern Utah on Nov. 21, 2003. To Carlino’s credit, he was playing a top-10 team in a close game. Rose’s performance came in a blowout of a team that finished 10-18 overall and 6-10 in the Mid Continent Conference.

Here is a list of some of the best debuts by BYU freshman in the program’s history. While Carlino was the only Cougar on the list to make his debut against a ranked team, I’d probably pick Shawn Bradley’s performance as the best for a freshman’s first game. If you can think of anyone else who may have had a great first game, let me know by email at kyle_chilton@byu.edu or via Twitter at @kylechilton

As a side note, the best second game goes to Ainge. He posted a triple-double with 27 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and four steals against Long Beach State on Nov. 28, 1977. While his is the only game I checked, I think it’s fair to say he had the best second game by a freshman in BYU history.

Listen to the third episode of 'BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose' on KSL Newsradio.

Rose and Greg Wrubell discussed last week's game against No. 6 Baylor and this week's games against Buffalo and UC Santa Barbara. Junior guard Craig Cusick was this week's guest and Rose also answered questions from the fans.

Click here to listen to the show.

Episdoe 2 of 'BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose' aired on KSL 5 TV on Sunday, Dec. 18. Watch the episode below or click here to watch on KSL.com.

Use the links below to listen to Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant call the Baylor game on KSL.

Pregame Show

• Dave Rose interview begins at 16:10

1st Half

Halftime Show

2nd Half

Postgame

• Brandon Davies nterview begins at 22:05
• Dave Rose interview begins at 35:30

Saturday’s matchup with No. 6/7 Baylor is scheduled for noon, a relatively early tip time for a college basketball game. In fact, under Dave Rose — whose first season was 2005-06 — BYU has played just seven games at noon or earlier.

The Cougars are 8-0 in those games including 6-0 on neutral floors and 2-0 on the road. Last season BYU defeated No. 6/4 San Diego State on the road and last Saturday the Cougars downed Utah at the Huntsman Center. This will be the first noon or earlier game in the Marriott Center under Rose. What does all this mean? Probably nothing. But it’s a fun fact.

The spirit of giving back is in the air in the West Coast Conference and its nine institutions. Community service is a priority during the holiday season and throughout the year for the WCC. See what our schools have been up to!

Check out how BYU's starters matchup with Baylor's starters, both phyiscally and statistically.

On this week's episode, Blaine Fowler delivers the inaugral "Blainey Awards"; Tom Holmoe breaks down the Cougar defense; and the men's basketball team faces their biggest test yet.

Click here to watch.

'BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose' on KSL 5 TV debuted on Sunday, Dec. 11. Watch the episode below or click here to watch on KSL.com.

Listen to the second episode of 'BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose' on KSL Newsradio.

Rose and Greg Wrubell discussed last week's wins over Weber State and Utah and the game against No. 6/7 Baylor, coming up on Saturday in the Marriott Center at noon MST. Director of basketball operations Mike Hall was this week's guest and Rose also answered questions from the fans.

Click here to listen to the show.