Hey, with the BSU loss, I’m feelin BBALLish and just how good BYU will be.
BYU is loaded with athletic forwards and veteran guards. Thoughts on how this season will play out.
Pre season
14 games,
possible losses to
SDSU
Oregon in Portland
@ Utah
USU (loaded with talent but play at the Marriott)
Creighton (normally tough but they lost their starting 4)
A Diamond head classic team.
I will circle Oregon as a loss. USU and SDSU are preseason ranked 1 and 2 in the MWC.
13-2
WCC play
BYU losses to @ GU, @ SMC and @ SF or someone else.
13-3
you just predicted that BYU will have better seasons than all but one of Jimmer’s seasons.
I have my doubts.
WCC tournament 2-1 probably not. This means BYU not second because if they were second then like this year only 2 games. It also means not likely 3rd or 4th. If fourth, one and done against the zags, if third same as second so 1-1, meaning beat whoever and then lose to the zags.
So BYU 5 in the league…probably not.
I would guess 0-1 or 1-1. meaning lose to the Zags in the tournament whether first or second game.
WCC play 2 losses to the Zags, and one or two more losses @SMC, @LMU, @ SF or maybe @ Pepperdine 12-4
SMC probably down to 4th or 5th in the league. LMU or SF surpasses BYU for second maybe both for a BYU 4th place.
preconference losses at Oregon, Creighton, Utah, USU or SDSU, and another loss maybe two in Hawaii 10-5
My math on the WCC tourny might be off but I have us playing in the final with Gonzaga, so how many wins is that?
SMC is going to be ranked 2nd or 3rd in the WCC. Lunordi has them in the NCAA’s in his pre-season poll
.preconference losses at Oregon, Creighton, Utah, USU or SDSU, and another loss maybe two in Hawaii 10-5
Nope on Utah, SDSU and Creighton. I have these three as wins. BYU is loaded with veteran talent at the point and forward. You have to ask yourself, Is BYU better this year then the previous?
if byu is first or second going into the tournament then loses to the Zags in the final. Then BYU is 1-1 in the WCC tournament.
If BYU is 3rd would expect byu to by 2-1 because the zags will probably be first and BYU wins to get to the semi and wins in the semi to get to the Zags and lose in the final.
If BYU is 4th then BYU probably goes 1-1 because beats whoever to get to the semi and then loses in the semi to the Zags.
I don’t expect BYU to place lower than 4th.
hope you are right on the pre-conference schedule. With the talent Pope has in place, you could easily have a better prediction than mine.
Conference will be tougher this year than any year in the last 10. That part I believe Pope and KenPom are correct about. 13-3 vs 12-4 probably 2nd seed in the WCC tournament.
I think we are going to love Te’jon Lucas. Only an average shooter (about 40/29/75 the last two years), but he’s the guy who wants the ball when the chips are down. He was a P5 prospect and a legitimate rotation guy his first two years at Illinois, then transferred to Wisc-Mil and was a STAR. He is listed at 6’2" but looks bigger on the court. GREAT handle. GREAT rebounder. GREAT passer. He looks like a big improvement over BA, who was a pretty good player for us.
In past years, all of these D news pieces would be called pre-season hype. This year just feels different.
Over the past decade or so, I have always looked at the pre-season team and asked one very simple question: Is BYU better this year then last year’s team?
Departures:
1-The big on is 7’3 Haarms, you don’t replace 7’3.
2-Averatte, another starter, who won some games for us but I always thought was undersized and tall teams like USC and BSU would go right at him, but still, a very big part of BYU’s success.
3-Coby Lee, a lot of you did not like him much, I digress. He was consistent and effective
4- Conner Harding, on and off starter, Never hit is full potential but a very integral part of our success, will be missed and I still have no idea why he transferred over to UVCC.
Arrivals
1-Sr. Te’Jon Lucas, point. Assist machine. When he is the floor general, Barcello Will Be over in the corner knocking down 3’s. end of story.
2- Seneca Knight, a 6’7 scoring machine, who will that that last shot. Something that BYU lacked when Barcello couldn’t get free. big add.
3- 6’11 Atiki Ally Atiki, RAW Fr. that exudes power and athleticism. Could he get playing time behind Harward or Baxter?
4- I’m listing Baxter here because he never has stayed healthy and he has a very high ceiling. He has been in the Pope system for 3 years, knows it well and if healthy, could be our replacement for Haarms. 7’2 wing span, boom.
5- Fousseyni Traore, Fr, Mali by way of Wasatch Academy. This dude is thick, at 6’7, a big small for power forward, but makes up for it with power. Could get some time.
Bottom line, missing Haarms but better and bigger at the point…BYU will still be a Red Rider BB gun, “shoot your eyes out”
My daughter worked one on one with Harding in the athlete academic center and I’ve only heard great things about him. I just texted her to ask if he told her why he left–her response is “IDK but one of the nicest guys I’ve worked with fo sho.” I’m sad to see him go because he seemed like a glue guy and JUST THIS CLOSE to breaking out athletically. I told him one time that if he got another 3" on his vert and 10 pounds of muscle he would be a star!!
Agree on Lucas. BIG TIME.
Agree on Seneca. He is what I hoped Harding would be: a 6’6" wind who plays above the rim, can finish off the dribble, and a good rebounder and defender.
Lohner: Oh baby baby…Pope says NBA size and athleticism…do we believe? I think he will be REALLY REALLY good.
Baxter: Gavin, oh Gavin. Flashes of brilliance. HUGE dunk in traffic, big 3 from the corner, weak side help D swat into the third row…get a board and be the first guy down and finish on a huge alley-oop…he can do it all, but can he do it for 32 games? We will know this year.
Any team with AB and Lucas and a few decent bigs will win 20 in the Rec League, but it will be fun to see if we step it up to become a legitimate top 25 threat.
Got my first good look at Lucas last night. High motor, relentless to the basket, made some NBA assists out there. Will be the floor general we all hoped he would be.
Interesting that Baxter lead the cheer to begin the game, he has to be a team captain? He had great minutes when he was in, there are only allowing him 3 minutes at a time to build up as was announced. Treore, OH MY Goodness!!!
BYU better work hard on a couple of things: 3 point shooting and free throws. Oh my goodness! Horrible!
George looks like a starter. Any news on what happened to Harwood?