Moral victories BYU vs Gonzaga.

I'll not bore ya'll with what I think is wrong with BYU.



Here's the positives...

1. Kaufusi is improving

2. FTs look good.



That's about it.

there are no moral victories. Gonzaga's superstar "pangos" makes huge plays and his team wins. Our superstar "Ty Haws" doesn't and we lose.

We got beat by a really good team, so what? We are not at their caliber this year and yet we gave them a game. No moral victory, but our guys played well, played hard and seemed to step up their game. We get two more tries at these guys, hopefully we continue to improve and beat them at their place and/or in the tournament.

BYULV wrote:
We got beat by a really good team, so what? We are not at their caliber this year and yet we gave them a game. No moral victory, but our guys played well, played hard and seemed to step up their game. We get two more tries at these guys, hopefully we continue to improve and beat them at their place and/or in the tournament.

Perhpas but I think you're being very optimistic. I think BYU's ceiling is much lower than Gonzaga's after a full year of playing together.



So what you ask? We definitely aren't at their caliber, but why the apathetic feeling for BYU basketball? We knew we weren't at their caliber going into the game, so why even play them, I suppose? I still expect BYU to compete and win some games against top flight teams. I don't expect BYU to win every game, but getting down 16 points in the first half to a conference rival at home doesn't sit well with me. Especially considering that BYU lost the game by two or three possessions. They did just enough to lose the game, again. Frustrating is all, but maybe that's just me.

As I watched the first half and we got down by so much, I mentioned to my wife that we would very likely come back and make a game of it because we were getting off good shots, they just weren't falling. We did come back, but still shot worse than zags. We should not have tried so many stupid plays. We need to make the smart plays, not the 'drive into the timbers and get blocked' plays.

Learn and get better. Stop the stupid ones and we win more.

I have never seen such awful inbounding in my life. Each one of those plays was just pathetic and cumulative likely cost BYU the game.

Those inbounds were just a matter of the zags "making plays". ;) TIC

A View from the Outside



Cougar fans should be encouraged with last night's game against Gonzaga. True, you lost; but it was a close game ... closer than I expected. Here are several things to be happy about:



1. That was the best FT shooting I've seen from BYU since you joined the WCC.

2. That was the best defense I've seen from BYU since you joined the WCC.



Both these areas have been real problem areas for you guys, and are what have kept you from winning the conference and doing some damage in March. I haven't seen your other games this year but the announcer did comment on your high FT percentage this year. These are major improvements.



3. It's no secret that the Cougars are weak inside this year. Yet, that weakness didn't really hurt you against Gonzaga. Coach Rose's aggressive game plan and some excellent execution (especially on defense) pretty much negated that weakness.



Gonzaga is really, really good this year. In my opinion (and I'm not alone) believe they have their best team ever. They are absolutely loaded, and didn't really play to their potential last night. It's no disgrace to lose to them. You're loaded with shooters and as long as your guys remember to play defense as hard they play offense, you'll win a bunch of games and be in the tournament. You've got some excellent recruits waiting in the wings. No one wants to hear "Wait til Next Year" but that's kinda where you are. You'll have some success this year, and then build upon that experience next year.

sage wrote:
As I watched the first half and we got down by so much, I mentioned to my wife that we would very likely come back and make a game of it because we were getting off good shots, they just weren't falling. We did come back, but still shot worse than zags. We should not have tried so many stupid plays. We need to make the smart plays, not the 'drive into the timbers and get blocked' plays.

Learn and get better. Stop the stupid ones and we win more.

Um, It was taking it to the hole that got BYU back in the game until their shooting got on track. Zags went from 3 fouls (to BYUs 6) up to 8 fouls for zags in about a three minute span. It's the way most ballets get themselves back into the game when shots aren't falling (BYU started 1-15).

yes, a few too many times toward the end, but Winder was amazing and in control most of the time.

SpiffCoug wrote:
I have never seen such awful inbounding in my life. Each one of those plays was just pathetic and cumulative likely cost BYU the game.

THIS. And it's not the first time this has happened. Vs SDSU had multiple. I just don't know why Rose cant fix this.

lioninwinter wrote:
A View from the Outside



Cougar fans should be encouraged with last night's game against Gonzaga. True, you lost; but it was a close game ... closer than I expected. Here are several things to be happy about:



1. That was the best FT shooting I've seen from BYU since you joined the WCC.

2. That was the best defense I've seen from BYU since you joined the WCC.



Both these areas have been real problem areas for you guys, and are what have kept you from winning the conference and doing some damage in March. I haven't seen your other games this year but the announcer did comment on your high FT percentage this year. These are major improvements.



3. It's no secret that the Cougars are weak inside this year. Yet, that weakness didn't really hurt you against Gonzaga. Coach Rose's aggressive game plan and some excellent execution (especially on defense) pretty much negated that weakness.



Gonzaga is really, really good this year. In my opinion (and I'm not alone) believe they have their best team ever. They are absolutely loaded, and didn't really play to their potential last night. It's no disgrace to lose to them. You're loaded with shooters and as long as your guys remember to play defense as hard they play offense, you'll win a bunch of games and be in the tournament. You've got some excellent recruits waiting in the wings. No one wants to hear "Wait til Next Year" but that's kinda where you are. You'll have some success this year, and then build upon that experience next year.

Great insights, thank you for sharing them.

Sloppy passing all around and we completely forgot about Pangos. We didn't give Pangos an inch in the first half and then decided to leave him wide open in the 2nd half as if it was just a flook Pangos hardly scored in the first half.



Inbound passing has been atrocious all season.



Positives:



Free throw shooting and overall defense.



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