The battle for minutes is on.

With a team as deep in talent as at any time in his tenure at BYU, Cougar coach Dave Rose begins to disperse the precious 200 minutes per game (five players on the court, 40 minutes per spot) Saturday in the first exhibition game of the season.

There are 17 players — not including Utah State transfer Kyle Davis, who must sit out this season — vying for a spot in Rose’s rotation, which will tighten up considerably as the season progresses.

“It’s felt really good,” Rose said. “The guys in the rotation in the positions have functioned really well as far as how we practice, how we want to put new things in and progress. I think the numbers have been really good.”

No matter how the minutes are doled out it will be impossible to satisfy everyone. That’s the nature of the game.

“There are going to be guys that are unhappy,” senior guard Tyler Haws said. “There will be guys that feel like they should be playing more. We need to keep everyone’s focus on the team and helping the team be successful.”

When asked how often the best five players on the team don’t necessarily make the most effective five, Rose responded with, “It happens almost every year. You need to get that five to about eight to make it really work, or get it to 10. Hopefully, what happens with this team is we’ve got 11 or 12 guys who can be really important parts of this the whole season.

“The real issue is that eight or nine of them will be consistent guys every night. Then there will be another group that you’ll call on a certain night that you really need them. That’s when you have a real special team, when you have that group of guys that will really give you so much production even though it’s not exactly the role they want to have going into the year.”

Junior guard Kyle Collinsworth will sit out this first exhibition game but is expected to play next week in the second against Seattle Pacific. The minutes, he said, will work out the way the coaches want.

“I don’t know how they’ll play it,” Collinsworth said. “I’ll let Coach Rose and the coaches handle that. The players will play and take whatever minutes we get.”

Saturday’s opponent, Colorado School of Mines, is a good Division II program. The Orediggers posted a 25-5 record last season and advanced to the South Central Region semifinals, where they lost to MSU-Denver 86-82. Coach Pryor Orser, now in his 14th season, lost his three top scorers to graduation but returns a solid guard line with 6-0 senior Brian Muller (12.8 points per game), 6-5 sophomore Gokul Natesan (9.3) and 6-5 senior Travor Ritchie (9.1).

The BYU women also open the exhibition season on Saturday, facing NAIA opponent Westminster at the Marriott Center at 3 p.m. The Salt Lake City school was 26-3 last season and was ranked No. 1 going into the NAIA tournament. The Griffins roster includes former American Fork standout Amy Krommenhoek, who made 59 three-pointers last season.

BYU men v. Colorado School of Mines (exhibition)

7 p.m., Marriott Center

Watch: BYUtv

Listen: KSL radio 1160 AM

The Word: The Orediggers won 25 games last season and advanced to the South Central Region Semifinals. … BYU junior guard Kyle Collinsworth will not play as he continues to recover from off-season knee surgery. … Senior Tyler Haws scored 35 points in the Cougar Tipoff on Wednesday.

BYU women v. Westminster College (exhibition)

3 p.m., Marriott Center

Watch: Thew.tv

The Word: BYU is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance. … Westminster is ranked No. 4 in the first NAIA poll of the season. … The Cougars return three starters – junior guard Lexi Eaton, senior post Morgan Bailey and junior guard Kyle Maeda.