You might be missing out

On some great games if you aren't watching these Cougars.



Let me just start out by saying that I know that this post won't fit the dark cloud theme of BYU Sports these days, and the message boards that we post on, but even so it's worth posting. This team is really fun to watch! I have played and seen (and reffed) a lot of basketball in my life, and this team has the makings of something special. They aren't there yet, by any means, but if you ask Phil Collins there is something in the air down in the Marriot for those of us watching.



Here are a few reasons for optimism for the future, but most importantly, reasons why you can enjoy these Cougs right now...



1. This team plays hard. I havent seen them get beat to a loose ball all year



2. This team plays stubborn, rugged defense that will keep them in any game they play this year (including Gonzaga.



3. This team is deep. We have a bench for maybe the first time in 5 years.



4. This team is a TEAM. Many of the faithful know that a lot of BYU Basketball of the last decade has just been everyone standing around watching a couple players try to do it all (Jimmer, Noah, Mika et al) but this team is deep.



5. Our young recruits can BALL. Harding, Baxter, Lee etc are going to seriously contribute this year. I won't be surprised if the first two mentioned start by the end of the year.





Yes, we have height issues. Yes, we are still finding out minutes. But this team will play hard, give a good show, and is going to win a pretty good amount of games.



This year we break the NCAA drought.

My one complaint thus far might be a function of so many team members getting playing time. Often, when a player makes a great pass, often the other team member acts as though there was no thought on his part that a pass could be coming. It would be a function of them not yet coming together and having had enough time to know what each other will do, but we've lost some points because of that issue. I hope it comes with time, but there have been some sweet passes missed and in a key game those have to happen.

They won by 31 points, 91 to 60. Alabama A & m hasn't won a game but still the cougars are doing quite well. Haws seems to have found his shot and led the team with 19 points and had 6 assists. Childs had his 5th straight double double. He was tied for the NCAA lead with 4 before this game.

Brayden Green wrote:

On some great games if you aren't watching these Cougars.







5. Our young recruits can BALL. Harding, Baxter, Lee etc are going to seriously contribute this year. I won't be surprised if the first two mentioned start by the end of the year.





Yes, we have height issues. Yes, we are still finding out minutes. But this team will play hard, give a good show, and is going to win a pretty good amount of games.



This year we break the NCAA drought.

Harding had 9 points and 6 rebounds. He isn't going to get worse.

Fun game today. Haws was looking real sharp. I was on him earlier. Was good to see him have a good game.

I am definitely enjoying watching these Cougs in-person. I am really excited for Baxter. Apparently he suffered a head injury in the Oral Robers game so that's why he missed the Alabama A&M game.



It is hard to gauge how good they are when they've played one really tough opponnent and three really bad teams plus UVU which is an OK team that probably won't make the tournament. The next real test is the home game against Houston. To me this will tell us a lot about this team this year. This is the type of game we must win if we are a tournament team.



I know I have been critical of Rose and the team, but it is only because I see them as good when I want them to be great. One of the best business books that I've ever read Good to Great talks about how being good is the enemy to being great. Also, while I enjoy watching football, the current system only allows a few teams a real chance at winning it all so to me the end of each season is the same whether we win 6 or 10 games. However, in basketball, there is a system designed in which we can win it all. In football you really do (at leaset in the current system) have to be a power school with lots of money to compete. In basketball, you can be a mid-major team and have tournament success. If Gonzaga, Butler, and George Mason can do it, then why can't we?



Thanks for reminding us to be positive and to enjoy what we have now! I know I forget to do that sometimes!

nuk13 wrote:

On some great games if you aren't watching these Cougars.







5. Our young recruits can BALL. Harding, Baxter, Lee etc are going to seriously contribute this year. I won't be surprised if the first two mentioned start by the end of the year.





Yes, we have height issues. Yes, we are still finding out minutes. But this team will play hard, give a good show, and is going to win a pretty good amount of games.



This year we break the NCAA drought.

Harding had 9 points and 6 rebounds. He isn't going to get worse.

Yeah, this team will be scary good when they get minutes figured out and rotations more or less set.

byufan4ever wrote:



Thanks for reminding us to be positive and to enjoy what we have now! I know I forget to do that sometimes!

Happy to do it. There is a lot to be happy about on the basketball court. I get the frustration on the field, and a lot of times it spills over when it really shouldn't.

I thank you too. By the way Harding is listed at 6'6" 185 lbs. He looks heavier than that. Whatever he looks like he is playing very well.



I checked the NCAA sight. Childs is leading the nation with 5 double doubles.

This team isn't that good. Today's game against Houston showed that. Just two guys on our team can score. Nixon, love his hustle, can't score. Seljaas, doesn't belong in the court. Baxter, can't score. Lee, can't score. Worthington, can't score. Hardnett can't hit a shot from the outside if his life depended on it.



I like the rebounding. I like the defense. We can't score.

Yeah this is not a special team. Still gonna go to the games and enjoy my time rooting for them, but I have zero expectation that they'll make the tournament.

The team is good enough to almost make the Big Dance, but still not.

This is every other BYU WCC team. Good enough to suck.

Gunk wrote:

This team isn't that good. Today's game against Houston showed that. Just two guys on our team can score. Nixon, love his hustle, can't score. Seljaas, doesn't belong in the court. Baxter, can't score. Lee, can't score. Worthington, can't score. Hardnett can't hit a shot from the outside if his life depended on it.



I like the rebounding. I like the defense. We can't score.

To be completely fair, the computer and data-driven rankings (pomeroy, BPI and sagarin) all rank Nevada and Houston into NCAA tournament lock range right now. Those were very good opponents. Also, according to those systems BYU should be favored to win its next six games (Illinois St., Weber St., Utah St., Utah, Portland St., UNLV) A mediocre to bad team wouldn't win all six of those. We'll see how it goes.



Against a very tough Nevada team BYU hung with them until about 5 minutes to go, on the road. The Houston game would have been winnable had a decent number of wide open looks from three gone in. The offense is getting some good ball movement. They need to make the shots, but I think it's too early to give up on their shooters. Haws is starting to play very well and his 3-pt percentage is now above 40%. Seljaas is close to that.

Announcers in the Houston game:



"Houston hasn't been challenged until tonight's game."



"Houston hasn't been challenged tonight either!"



"Right you are! Hahahhahahah."

BlueK wrote:

This team isn't that good. Today's game against Houston showed that. Just two guys on our team can score. Nixon, love his hustle, can't score. Seljaas, doesn't belong in the court. Baxter, can't score. Lee, can't score. Worthington, can't score. Hardnett can't hit a shot from the outside if his life depended on it.



I like the rebounding. I like the defense. We can't score.

To be completely fair, the computer and data-driven rankings (pomeroy, BPI and sagarin) all rank Nevada and Houston into NCAA tournament lock range right now. Those were very good opponents. Also, according to those systems BYU should be favored to win its next six games (Illinois St., Weber St., Utah St., Utah, Portland St., UNLV) A mediocre to bad team wouldn't win all six of those. We'll see how it goes.



Against a very tough Nevada team BYU hung with them until about 5 minutes to go, on the road. The Houston game would have been winnable had a decent number of wide open looks from three gone in. The offense is getting some good ball movement. They need to make the shots, but I think it's too early to give up on their shooters. Haws is starting to play very well and his 3-pt percentage is now above 40%. Seljaas is close to that.

The WCC is not a 3 bid conference. This team isn't beating Gonzaga and we aren't beating SMC. I will be happy to eat crow. The shooting is way too inconsistent for it to be reliable. Childs and Haws are the only consistent scorers. I don't see that changing.



Seljaas had one good shooting game and that's it. Even the announcers noticed he was gun shy after two bricks. For a 3 point specialist, he needs to be shooting around 45% every game. We can't start him, feed him the ball and wait for half the game to see if he's "on" for the evening. He needs to be "on" every game.



Hardnett has shot an air ball in just about every game. I love the guy. He's amazing. He needs to either abandon 3s and take it to the rack every time or become a lot more consistent real quick.



We need one more player that will chip in 10 - 15 points a night. As much as I hate myself for saying it, hopefully Emery is that guy. I just hope he doesn't force it.

To be fair, we've beaten great Gonzaga teams with worse squads, more than once.

Mars wrote:

To be fair, we've beaten great Gonzaga teams with worse squads, more than once.

Yeah, and Kalani beat Wiscy this year. Empty victories at season's end.

snoscythe wrote:

To be fair, we've beaten great Gonzaga teams with worse squads, more than once.

Yeah, and Kalani beat Wiscy this year. Empty victories at season's end.

Though that win 1- Got us bowl eligible, and 2- Possibly saved his job.



No win is without value. I certainly don't think our win over 30-0 Gonzaga was.

Gunk wrote:

Gunk wrote:

This team isn't that good. Today's game against Houston showed that. Just two guys on our team can score. Nixon, love his hustle, can't score. Seljaas, doesn't belong in the court. Baxter, can't score. Lee, can't score. Worthington, can't score. Hardnett can't hit a shot from the outside if his life depended on it.



I like the rebounding. I like the defense. We can't score.

To be completely fair, the computer and data-driven rankings (pomeroy, BPI and sagarin) all rank Nevada and Houston into NCAA tournament lock range right now. Those were very good opponents. Also, according to those systems BYU should be favored to win its next six games (Illinois St., Weber St., Utah St., Utah, Portland St., UNLV) A mediocre to bad team wouldn't win all six of those. We'll see how it goes.



Against a very tough Nevada team BYU hung with them until about 5 minutes to go, on the road. The Houston game would have been winnable had a decent number of wide open looks from three gone in. The offense is getting some good ball movement. They need to make the shots, but I think it's too early to give up on their shooters. Haws is starting to play very well and his 3-pt percentage is now above 40%. Seljaas is close to that.

The WCC is not a 3 bid conference. This team isn't beating Gonzaga and we aren't beating SMC. I will be happy to eat crow. The shooting is way too inconsistent for it to be reliable. Childs and Haws are the only consistent scorers. I don't see that changing.



Seljaas had one good shooting game and that's it. Even the announcers noticed he was gun shy after two bricks. For a 3 point specialist, he needs to be shooting around 45% every game. We can't start him, feed him the ball and wait for half the game to see if he's "on" for the evening. He needs to be "on" every game.



Hardnett has shot an air ball in just about every game. I love the guy. He's amazing. He needs to either abandon 3s and take it to the rack every time or become a lot more consistent real quick.



We need one more player that will chip in 10 - 15 points a night. As much as I hate myself for saying it, hopefully Emery is that guy. I just hope he doesn't force it.

To be technically correct, if we don't make the tournament it will be for not having enough good wins and not because of how many WCC teams get in. Historically the committee skips over teams in league standings quite often. But so far SMC is 3-3 and just lost to Harvard who lost to USF in the same week. I don't think the Gaels are setting as high of a bar this year.