BYU the "next year" team every year.

Seems to me like BYU's basketball team is stuck in the eternal next year they'll be good status.



But lets take a look at things, which player has actually improved over the years? I'm not seeing much improvement out of anyone on the floor.

hawkwing wrote:
Seems to me like BYU's basketball team is stuck in the eternal next year they'll be good status.



But lets take a look at things, which player has actually improved over the years? I'm not seeing much improvement out of anyone on the floor.

C'mon Hawk, you are better than this. The list goes on and on of players who got better over the years. Jimmer, Tyler Haws, Jackson Emery, Noah Hartsock, Charles Abouo, Anson Winder, to name a few. Now if you are referencing this year's squad only, your point is more valid. KC has even gotten better, although he could use a better supporting cast, and so has Kaufusi, though still raw, and Toolson as well, before hitting "sick" leave. This year's team is average at best, lacking leadership, any semblance of a lock down defender, and a consistent scorer. Is what it is.

The writing was on the wall with this team in the preseason games, but back then everyone trusted that Rose would right the ship before regular season. I think, like most Rose squads, this team will improve through conference play, but unfortunately the "bad losses" at this point are such that BYU will have to win the WCC tourney to go to the Big Dance, and Rose has never won a conference tournament.

snoscythe wrote:
The writing was on the wall with this team in the preseason games, but back then everyone trusted that Rose would right the ship before regular season. I think, like most Rose squads, this team will improve through conference play, but unfortunately the "bad losses" at this point are such that BYU will have to win the WCC tourney to go to the Big Dance, and Rose has never won a conference tournament.

I think your assessment is right. I still hold out hope though. With this teams ability to score they have a chance to win the WCC tourney if they can just get their scorers to become consistent at just the right tone. Would be hard to beat a BYU team when fisher, emery, Collinsworth, Davis and Seljas are all playing well. Any of those guys could score 20 in a game, several could score 30. Get them all playing together and they become extremely dangerous.



One key to the New Mexico blowout was BYU's defense from the initial tip was solid. The offense fell right into place. Against Harvard we tried to force our offense first and defense was an after thought. Hopefully the team starts to see how much their fortunes lie in how well they play defense.

hawkwing wrote:
Seems to me like BYU's basketball team is stuck in the eternal next year they'll be good status.



But lets take a look at things, which player has actually improved over the years? I'm not seeing much improvement out of anyone on the floor.

Well Hawk, the bad news is, Bronco is gone. The good news is you can drop the whole faux- retributive Rose bashing, that is, unless you aren't going to be happy until Rose is gone. So, Ya, I guess in theory you could stretch it out some more, until Rose leaves this town of dis-"Honor"able, dis"Spirit"ed ingrates who criticized and ridiculed him until it just wasn't tolerable And he starts looking for a big pay-day where no one will ever possibly criticize him again--isn't that Why Bronco wanted to leave two years ago and then finally did?

You are flat out wrong again about players not improving. The argument smacks of the same criticism of Bronco that a vocal, Minority pitched against Bronco so you thought you would pick it up and chuck it at Rose as well. It's actually discrediting of your usual very credible postings. But I suppose no one can take from you the right to be a fan with fan's right to be both fanatically biased as well as critical. In fact it kind of feels a bit Ute-ish of you to cheer against BYu BBall rather than cheer for your own team. You hardly have cared enough about basketball to be this critical of Rose. So, Ya, I'm calling you out on your historical faux Rose hate and saying its just not necessary. Then again, it took me and most fans two years to get over the Riley-hate so you're good. ;)

Although, major props for calling out early a rough season for hoops. You did accurately forecast that. This team is not likely to go dancing because of selfish and/or sloppy play, displayed again vs Harvard who made an impressive run in Hawaii. Had BYU a done the same, dancing may have seemed a little more likely.

Anyway, just thought I would Give some friendly feedback on your Bronco-colored glasses. Its not like I have Rose-colored glasses--wait, yes I do, since he never criticizes his fan base or donors and quite frankly had reason to seeing that he had a lot less fancy facility than football and never complained about that. But, It's over. It's ok now. Broncos headed into the wind again, gone for the big bucks. Just don't forget, since,as you say, and rightfully so, football is so much bigger than BBall, so also is the praise--so also is the criticism--it is what it is.

#9thwinningestcoachamongactivecoaches

While I do appreciate your concern for my basketball soul, I must correct you on one thing, I will never, ever, root against BYU basketball. I watch and cheer for them to win every game. I just don't think Rose is the kind of coach who can ever get a team without Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery on it passed the round of 32.

Hawk, you missed the point. You cheer more against this team and Rose than you do cheer for them. Are you seriously stuck on Jimmer? How come not Ainge? Bc if that's your standard....if you are an equal opportunity critic of football and basketball, then you must be sorely disappointed that Bronco did not turn out a NPOY. If, however, this is your continued faux criticism, pointing out some weird, vague, Cougar-Corner friendly, cryptic criticism of Bronco-critics, wow. Just wow. How about just letting it fly and getting over it?

I have never once cheered against the Cougars and defy you to show a single instance where I've done so. I never, ever celebrate a Cougar loss in any sport.

The last two games are encouraging. The casual fan won't make much of wins over UNM and N. Iowa, but the casual fan probably also doesn't know N. Iowa has beaten both highly ranked Iowa State and North Carolina this year. They're a good team. I think this BYU team is turning it around. It's hard to replace three-fourths of your roster from the previous year like BYU has had to do. They seemed to find a very good flow over the last two games on offense and seem to have settled into a good rotation that plays well together. Zac Seljaas is emerging as a very good player that as a 6-7 guy who is deadly from three will be a matchup problem for WCC teams. We'll see how it goes Thursday at SMC. That will be a tough one for sure, but it's not unwinnable.

Yes it was a good week. Our rpi moved up over 20 spots and we are getting close to bubble discussion. If we beat SMC we will be firmly on the bubble. We need to finish in the top 2 of league. Right now the league looks like a 2 bid conference.

It does appear to me that it took Rose longer this season to settle on a rotation than in years past, but Emery,Fisher, Collinsworth, Davis and Austin with Seljaas and Aytes first off the bench has been good and solid in last two games.



Kaufusi has been a disappointing development thus far, but Austin is bound to get hurt at some point and I hope Kaufusi can improve. He sucked against Harvard and that surprised me because it had appeared to me that Kaufusi had developed better skills than Austin.



Early in the season my dreams of Kaufusi, Mica and Davis teamed together in 2016-17 seemed as good of a forecourt as we've seen at BYU in some time. I hope that dream develops.

Kaufusi has been a disappointing development thus far, but Austin is bound to get hurt at some point and I hope Kaufusi can improve. He sucked against Harvard and that surprised me because it had appeared to me that Kaufusi had developed better skills than Austin.



Early in the season my dreams of Kaufusi, Mica and Davis teamed together in 2016-17 seemed as good of a forecourt as we've seen at BYU in some time. I hope that dream develops.[/quote]



I don't know what's happened to Kaufusi either but I hope he comes out of it and I believe he will. We also have Shaw and Hartsock who both looked good when they had a chance to play. The forecourt still looks very good for next year.

nuk13 wrote:
Kaufusi has been a disappointing development thus far, but Austin is bound to get hurt at some point and I hope Kaufusi can improve. He sucked against Harvard and that surprised me because it had appeared to me that Kaufusi had developed better skills than Austin.



Early in the season my dreams of Kaufusi, Mica and Davis teamed together in 2016-17 seemed as good of a forecourt as we've seen at BYU in some time. I hope that dream develops.

I don't know what's happened to Kaufusi either but I hope he comes out of it and I believe he will. We also have Shaw and Hartsock who both looked good when they had a chance to play. The forecourt still looks very good for next year.[/quote]



Did Austin have a lot of injuries before last season? I don't remember him getting hurt all that much until the Utah game last year, but it's quite possible my memory on that is failing me.



Kaufusi I think will come around. I think the UNM and UNI matchups were bad for him because he's not good at chasing around shorter, more mobile players and the last two teams we played don't play with a big center. St Mary's has more size, so he will probably play more this week. I hope he learns to stay home a little more on defense so he's not out of position so much. He needs to be more disciplined on D and I'm sure the coaches are working with him on that. Both our offense and defense were more efficient in the last two games without him, but I hope he improves enough to be able to play because he does have the potential to be really good and make us better.

All great comments on Kaufusi. And since this thread is sort of about next year--albeit a sideways slap at Rose As it is about next year, I think Kaufusi developed nicely, but is still learning the game both in terms of physical skills as well as X's and O's. It is quite a bit to expect for a kid who wasn't recruited as a bballer. Maybe what needs to happen is, like with a quarterback, he has to get to a place where the game slows down and he knows what to do and when?

At any rate, a backcourt of Mika, Davis, and Kaufusi is still very intriguing. But who will chase around a smaller, quicker three in that set up? My guess, it will turn out to be Hartsock Bc he can also shoot the 3 and very much understands the game. Then Kaufusi and Shaw would come off the bench. Maybe Daystrup? There will be solid options.



As for this years team, the rotation has taken a while to set in, maybe longer than usual, but I'm glad that Rose is flexible enough to keep searching. Seems like a few years back there were some concerns about Rose waiting too long to make a change. I'm not sure I agreed completely, but it was on the table.

Mars wrote:


Did Kaufusi Jr. make a mistake when he decided to pass up his football opportunities?

I was just talking to someone about the idea of moving him back to TE next year. Basketball doesn't seem to be his thing.

hawkwing wrote:

Did Kaufusi Jr. make a mistake when he decided to pass up his football opportunities?

I was just talking to someone about the idea of moving him back to TE next year. Basketball doesn't seem to be his thing.

It's probably a little early to write him off at BBall just yet

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scott715 wrote:
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This would make WCC a 1 bid conference. I hope it will be 2, but the conference is way down this year.

I'm still holding out hope that we'll get things figured out this year. Like I said before, we've got plenty of talent on this team, we just need to learn to play AS a team and utilize all the skills we've got.