How to fix the team

1 - Bench Zylstra. He does nothing on the court. He plays horrible defense and can't even do the one thing he was semi decent at before: hit open 3 pointers.



2 - Start Winder. He actually plays defense and gets stops, which creates points in transition or at least should. Aside from no outside shooting, getting stops on D is what this team needs.



3 - Re-establish uptempo transition basketball. We're not a half court set team. I like our post presence, but even our post starts to struggle when defenses get a chance to get set. Push the tempo.



4 - Establish mid-range jumpers. Right now 40% of our shots are in the paint, 40% are 3 pointers and 10% are mid range jumpers (mostly Noah, but Davies had some nice ones too). When we aren't hitting the long-ball, defenses just have to stack the middle and we're done. Some dribble penetration ala Carlino and some mid-range jumpers would be nice. Mix things up a bit.



Any others?

Yes. Play for the future--as some of you have suggested.

Carlino needs to start by pushing the tempo, balls to the walls, feed the post first, attacking the rim and get his layups going second, ala jammer, which will give him confidence for his outside shooting, then push push push.



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Gunk wrote:
1 - Bench Zylstra. He does nothing on the court. He plays horrible defense and can't even do the one thing he was semi decent at before: hit open 3 pointers.



2 - Start Winder. He actually plays defense and gets stops, which creates points in transition or at least should. Aside from no outside shooting, getting stops on D is what this team needs.



3 - Re-establish uptempo transition basketball. We're not a half court set team. I like our post presence, but even our post starts to struggle when defenses get a chance to get set. Push the tempo.



4 - Establish mid-range jumpers. Right now 40% of our shots our in the paint, 40% are 3 pointers and 10% are mid range jumpers (mostly Noah, but Davies had some nice ones too). When we aren't hitting the long-ball, defenses just have to stack the middle and we're done. Some dribble penetration ala Carlino and some mid-range jumers would be nice. Mix things up a bit.



Any others?

What are the other 10% -Just askin?



Wink Icon would be here, of course, if my iPad could find it.



Winder was a bright spit. Harrison was not. Zylstra disappointed. Cusick was ordinary. Carlino was streaky but seemed to find himself near the end. Abouo was literally sick. Rodgers was in pain. Davies forced too many things. Noah was Noah. I fell asleep at half time - Jet Lag. Missed about the first 7 minutes of the 2nd half. Austin seemed to do OZk off the bench.



Those streaky guards are killing us and Davies needs to realize he is not a guard.



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Push the tempo more and hit our 3's. Without a perimeter offense our team goes flat. Our offense has seriously stagnated lately and we're trying to rely too much on our half court offense. Once again, push the tempo and hit those open 3's in transition



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From my point of view, the following is happening and we need to improve.



1. "We need to shoot the ball better from the perimeter," acknowledged Coach Rose. BYU’s guards/wings struggled again to make shots from the perimeter. They shot 2 of 13 from 3-point range. The Cougars have now missed 62 of their last 73 3-point attempts, covering four games. This percentage had better improve or we lose to the Zags.



2. BYU shot 41 percent for the game while Saint Mary’s shot 55.8 percent from the field, including 7 of 18 from 3-point range.



3. The Gaels turned the ball over 24 times as the desperate Cougars upped the pressure in the second half. We needed to play with this type of intensity not just the last 1.5 quarters but throughout the game.



4. We also need to rebound much stronger as SMU won the rebounding battle 35-30.

Good points by all. Maybe Brock does need to sit for a game or two. Rose may need to change his lineup and roster and try something else. He has to find ways to get the shots to fall again. He's given guys multiple games to fight through this slump. Now it's time for changes.

1. Definitely need to get uptempo again, and run people out of the gym. I have been saying that all season long. Running is BYU basketball. We recruit runners that can get out into the open floor and drive or spot up for a shot. This team has NO identity now. And that is usually a cliche phrase for people to try and say something smart, but it is absolutely true here. We are the Pheonix Suns of 3 years ago, except we don't get out and run. lol. We are a running team, that has satisfied itself with average half-court play, and absolutely ZERO defense and/or rebounding on the defensive side of the court.



With Jackson and Jimmer gone (whose defense is grossly underestimated, in my opinion. Jimmer always knew where to be in the zone), we have now decided to be a team that lets people score when and where they want to. Which is fine if you want to play that way, but we aren't outscoring them, either. We are a team in midstream, looking abck and forth and wondering which bank we should head for. It's basic math... You can't let teams score a bunch by playing no defense (high % shots) and rebounding (2nd chance opportunities), and then also not score on the other end, in a half court offense which is just above average. Other than taking charges, we have almost no inside presence. Opposing bigs and 3 pt specialists are having career games against us, and it is because we aren't playing defense as a team.



The last 10-12 mins of the second half of the SMU game (barring ridiculous calls from the officials) is the team that we need to be. Get the steal, or long rebound, and run down and score. THAT is who we were last year. Do you remember the good old days (last year, even) when BYU's number one goal was to be #1 in the nation in transition points? And it seemed like every game they had 2 or 3 times the points that actually showed up on the stat sheet? The team that got down the court SO FAST, that we had scored by the time the dumb tv people even got in and out of a replay or live shot closeup of a guy jogging back down the court?



Where did that team go? Wherever it went, there are a couple more W's hanging around in it's pockets like lose change.



2. Our bigs can't handle a double team. It doesn't help that they don't have anyone to kick out for an open shot - so teams can dig in more - but they still need to recognize the double is coming, and pass out of it or avoid it, or at least something. Neither are very effective when being doubled. Which makes sense, they haven't been doubled their entire career at BYU... Jimmer was being double and sometimes - literally - triple teamed, so it was an easy thing to find the open shot.



We went through the post the entire game last night, and got nowhere. Either Noah or Davies touched the ball nearly every single half court posession, and it was all in a losing cause. Before Carlino went on that scoring tear, we had no offense going for us.



3. As I have said, Carlino is far and away our best point guard and needs a starters share of the minutes. None of this "play him for 2 minutes and then sit him for 5" garbage that is happening now. Carlino hadn't done anything wrong in my view when he got pulled out with 2 minutes gone in the first half. Then you put in Cusick and (teamed up with the other gaping defensive hole, Zylstra) they gave up 5 uncontested 3's in a row, 4 of them makes. That was game over, right there. You simply can't give up 12 free points to ranked teams. That, combined with #2 is a death blow.



4. We need to Play Carlino, Winder at the 2, Abuou at the 3 (only until Rogers can get his legs back, if he can), Noah and Davies. And we need to get back to #1. IT SHOULD BE MADE EXPLICITLY CLEAR TO BOTH CHARLES AND DAVIES THAT YOU ARE NOT TO DRIBBLE THE BALL PAST HALFCOURT. IF YOU HAVE THE BALL, YOU ARE TO FIND CARLINO AND/OR WINDER and get your butts up court so they can find you in a mismatch down low, in transition.

Quick fix. Sometimes there isn't one. Inexperience is at work here. Other than the three big guys, who isn't slumping? They all look good in spurts and then not so good. Harrison looked good vs Va Tech - not so good vs Saint Mary's. Winder looked good last night. Earned more PT IMHO. But will it last or was it just a flash? Deserves a shot to find out.



Hopefully Abouo is well by next game. Hopefully Rodgers is in less pain. Rose has no choice but to use them all and hope more than one heats up. Carlino stunk it up, but then redeemed himself at the end. He deserves another shot.



Maybe it is time to try three bigs at once with Carlino and Winder then rotate Charles and Nate Austin. Then use the others to rest these guys and adjust that plan depending on who gets a hot hand.



I still don't get why BYU was favored in that game.



Bottom line is there is no quick fix and Rose needs to get this team to scrap for 40 minutes instead of just 15 and hope for the best.



We haven't won the NIT since about 1966 - maybe this is our year to do that. But we are not even that good right now.



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I have to say that was the first game I've watched in a while that I didn't enjoy at all. Even when the Cougs have played poorly and lost I still had a glimmer of hope but this was just sad. Where is the heart in this team. Abouo tried to show some heart in the second half but, too little to late, Noah shows heart at times but is not able to carry the team, especially when they don't get it to him. Davis tries but doesn't adjust his game to the opposition and play to his strengths enough. I'm just really sad about it all. I guess I'm with the, work to develop the young ones and give them as much playing time as possible and hope for better days and players in the future group!



Go Cougs!



L Hatton

Louisville, KY



PS At least my Wildcats are doing pretty good!

Figure out a defensive scheme that doesn't repeatedly leave known sharp-shooters wide open at their sweet spots on the arc. This has been a flaw in BYU's philosophy for a few years now. I used to think it was just something they were willing to live with to take pressure off Jimmer on the defensive side of the ball, but now I don't know.

Austin and Sharp aren't even close to better options for extended periods of time over the players in front of them.

I agree with Spiffcoug...somehow. Sharp seemed to have no idea what he was doing. First time I've seen him play though. Austin reminds me of Chris. Totally out of control, but tries hard.



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Mars wrote:

Austin and Sharp aren't even close to better options for extended periods of time over the players in front of them.

Austin brings a spark that Davies and Noah do not. He puts more effort into rebounding. He also shot 67% against SMC, while Brandon shot 33%.

You can't really be arguing for Austin to play more than Davies or Noah. I do like seeing Austin on with both of them. I think Rose could play Austin more. He's only averaging 13 minutes in conference play. Noah and Brandon are averaging 63 between them. I think Austin could be getting an extra 5 minutes or so without disrupting their rhythm and, like you said, bring more energy off the bench.



But Rose also said that they're trying to bring Austin along slowly. They don't want him injured. He's been off his mission for almost six months now. He's got a long and bright future ahead of him. No need to rush him now.



And he's frankly not ready for more responsibilities in the offense. He doesn't have ANY post moves.

I think Rose needs to take control of the team. He's letting immature kids play selfishly and hoping they will grow out of it.



If someone other than a guard brings the ball up the court, sit them for the next 5 minutes. A guard takes a crappy, off-balance shot early in the shot clock? Sit them for 5 minutes. A big man gets out rebounded because he's out of position? Sit him for 5 minutes.



I don't care if we end up playing Nick Martin-NO! for 5 minutes at a time because we have no else. These kids need to learn that they need to play BYU basketball, not schoolyard ball.

Mars wrote:

I don't care if we end up playing Nick Martin-NO! for 5 minutes at a time because we have no else.

Until next season. Good ol' Nick needs to "retire", and free up a schollie.

Agreed.

The problem that I see with this team - when we play top caliber opponents, is the ability to adjust to the intensity and to match their scoring. The four 3-pointers by the SM wing player took the air out of us and we didn't responde. Poor, poor perimeter defense. We need aggressive, athletic players - we don't have that with the current line-up. Need a replacement for Zylstra and consistent play by Abouo and Carlino.



As I mentioned before, we need 3 players to step up and score together in good numbers. SM had it with their center Woldrow, forward Jones and wing Schlinder (sp?). Note the inside-outside play of SM that made them difficult to defend. We had that when Carlino, Abouo or Zylstra were contributing points but they haven't in a long time against our quality opponents.



IMO - we need energy, intensity and flat out desire to score/intimidate. Good lineup - Austin (center), forwards (Harstock, Davies), SG (Abouo or Winder). PG - Carlino.