Gonzaga post game thought...

Zylstra played a little better than I thought he would but he looks like a 2 year old the way he dances around on the floor. Cusick still is not good and missed huge shots, and Austin is probably the worst big man in the nation. Overall no athletisim on the team.



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We sure miss Rogers & Collinsworth this year. This post sounds like we totally suck. There are a lot of teams (most of the WCC teams) that would like to suck as bad as we do right now.



We just need more depth. When you have to recruit football players for the basketball team, you have to have had some tough breaks.

We're definitely not athletic, that's for sure. Zylstra and Cusick are two of the most un-athletic guards I've ever seen. Zylstra did hit some big shots, though. I think Cusick has the higher basketball IQ, but he missed some bad ones there at the end. Can't be too upset, though, this game really shouldn't have even been this close.

I liked how Kaufusi was finally throwing some of his weight around. The announcers were trying to make him into some thug. He's not. But what happened last night is happens when somebody who isn't very skilled plays against people who are. Unskilled players buy all the fakes, wildly also at the ball, leave their feet with nowhere to go but barreling into the opponent. And when you are as big and strong as Bronson, guys fly off you when you contact them.



That said. Every foul he commits should end with the opponent getting up of the floor. This was the first time he actually put guys on the deck. It was nice to see BYU playing physical.

SpiffCoug wrote:
I liked how Kaufusi was finally throwing some of his weight around. The announcers were trying to make him into some thug. He's not. But what happened last night is happens when somebody who isn't very skilled plays against people who are. Unskilled players buy all the fakes, wildly also at the ball, leave their feet with nowhere to go but barreling into the opponent. And when you are as big and strong as Bronson, guys fly off you when you contact them.



That said. Every foul he commits should end with the opponent getting up of the floor. This was the first time he actually put guys on the deck. It was nice to see BYU playing physical.

+1. BYU is not quite "there" yet. They need a good, skilled, dominant guy inside. If they had that - it would take pressure off of, and open things up for our perimeter outside shooting. Gonzaga did not respect our inside game, so they hounded and harassed our perimeter shots all night long.



Putting this in perspective - an unranked team (Y) almost beat the #2 team in the nation. And it was not from lucky play. It was from scrappy, aggressive play - and we had our chances. This story is about the "fish that got away." Almost - it's been our story all year when we play a very good team.



P.S. I like the aggressive effort that Kaufusi brings to the team. I like how he makes the other team think before going to the bucket - then helps them remember that thought as they get up of the floor. He just needs to develop some timing and finesse. :D

Here's my silver lining. Had we won last night but not won the tournament we do not go dancing and I doubt we beat Gonzaga 2-3. BUT now to win the tourney both the Zags and SM have to beat us three straight times (counting the regular season) and that is not easy, especially with how close we've been. And if we have to win just once then the tourney is the place for us. So bring on the tourney! We've got to beat them there to go dancing....

BoiseBYU wrote:
Here's my silver lining. Had we won last night but not won the tournament we do not go dancing and I doubt we beat Gonzaga 2-3. BUT now to win the tourney both the Zags and SM have to beat us three straight times (counting the regular season) and that is not easy, especially with how close we've been. And if we have to win just once then the tourney is the place for us. So bring on the tourney! We've got to beat them there to go dancing....

SMC and Gonzaga both own us. We had our only chances to win at home. The WCC tourney will not be at home, thus our advantage is gone. Sorry, but beating us 3 straight times will be no problem since we have so little talent on the floor. This is just not a good year, but next year should be much better and, yes, the close games does offer some hope.

Fun game. Missed several open looks and free throws down the stretch to give the game away. Story of the season. But the talent just really isn't there this year. We were one big man and one three point shooter or true driver away from a great season. Collinsworth and Rogers would have helped very much and produced a good season. Oh well.



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Did Carlino just get benched or did something happen to him in the second half? I don't remember even seeing him in there. Was Rose just rewarding his seniors on senior night and it made it easy when Carlino wasn't playing well any ways?

Rose said, Carlino was getting a breather, the team was making a run, so he was sticking with the lineup that was working.

BYU goes up against a potential #1 and should have come out with a win, but doesn't. Why am I having deja-vu?

I also thought Rose did a great job of managing the game last night.



Davies got in very early foul trouble. Carlino's shot was off. We struggled to rebound. But Rose used his roster and rotation quite well to get us back in the game. Davies didn't stay on the bench the rest of the half. He found ways to manufacture offense.



He did a great job of adjusting to the game. Gonzaga is just a better team than we are.

It was hard not to think about if Carlino had showed up. That would've been the game right there.

Schmoe wrote:
BYU goes up against a potential #1 and should have come out with a win, but doesn't. Why am I having deja-vu?

Reminds me of when BYU was #2 back in 1988 or so with Smith, Chatman, Toolson, Haws, Usevitch. #1 Arizona had lost so we just had to beat UAB (or was it another Alabama school?) to get the #1 ranking, but we lost.

BoiseBYU wrote:
Here's my silver lining. Had we won last night but not won the tournament we do not go dancing and I doubt we beat Gonzaga 2-3. BUT now to win the tourney both the Zags and SM have to beat us three straight times (counting the regular season) and that is not easy, especially with how close we've been. And if we have to win just once then the tourney is the place for us. So bring on the tourney! We've got to beat them there to go dancing....

That was exactly what I was thinking. I think 75% chance we beat SMC and put Gonzaga at %50.



As for the players, Pope need to take Austin aside and teach him when to go for the ball and when not too, and I will say I was very disappointed in Davies' "stupid" fouls. He stops reaching away from the basket and maybe we win.

I was also getting frustrated with the way people were selling out on the 3's. They have done it all year and every ball fake gets them in the air and out of play or into the shooter. Just unacceptable for D-1 players.

SpoCoug wrote:

BYU goes up against a potential #1 and should have come out with a win, but doesn't. Why am I having deja-vu?

Reminds me of when BYU was #2 back in 1988 or so with Smith, Chatman, Toolson, Haws, Usevitch. #1 Arizona had lost so we just had to beat UAB (or was it another Alabama school?) to get the #1 ranking, but we lost.

It was UAB at their place and they beat us by about 30 by playing physical. Other teams saw that and we skidded the rest of the way.



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SpoCoug wrote:

BYU goes up against a potential #1 and should have come out with a win, but doesn't. Why am I having deja-vu?

Reminds me of when BYU was #2 back in 1988 or so with Smith, Chatman, Toolson, Haws, Usevitch. #1 Arizona had lost so we just had to beat UAB (or was it another Alabama school?) to get the #1 ranking, but we lost.

No, you're right, it was UAB, and they were not good that year. Closest we ever came to being ranked #1 in the regular season. I think my deja vu, however, is coming from November-ish of last year...