An interesting read on home court advantage, Pomeroy

Basketball
1

https://kenpom.com/blog/how-to-measure-site-specific-home-court-advantage-part-two/

Better teams tend to not be affected by HC advantage. BYU is 19% points better on the road then in past years. BYU has a chance to make the dance this year whereas there was no chance last year.

2

I think you would agree that on paper BYU was a huge favorite against WSU. I believe the weakness of BYU’s defense was exposed the last 6 quarters and teams will continue to attack BYU with quick athletic guards going to the basket and either scoring or kicking out for wide open threes. BYU is not deep along the front line and with the exception of Childs, not particularly quick. There have been more open 3s in the last 6 quarters than I’ve seen all year. Guards need to stay in front of their man because if they don’t it forces compensated defense from the front line and voila-wide open threes. SM will kill us if this happens and it will start resembling last year. Even though he is short, Cannon seems to do this better than Haws. Bryant isn’t particularly quick either, but is a good sized guard who can be effective defensively by not letting guards get by him and forcing shots over him. We will observe what Utah does next Saturday and see if Childs can stay out of foul trouble, but I expect Utah to watch film and employ same strategies.

3

I’m glad you see the wisdom in the HC. The Honor Code makes us better :slight_smile:

4

I think they will be working on 2 things:

  1. Help and recover
  2. Not having 5 players converge to the paint. That was happening where players that didn’t need to leave their man were doing so leaving wide open shooters.
5

You read my mind…and it did not help for the NBA coach to sit with their statistician and detail BYU’s weak points (he does clinics for Utah)

Yes, Cannon is excellent at staying in front, Hardnett as well. it has been good for Haws to see what true defense is.

SMC and GU will both go to town on penetration/kick outs but BYU is much better this year than it has been in a decade about staying in front of guards, Agreed?

6

Agreed and have been a lot better. BYU should beat Utah. It’s a home game between, arguably two fairly equal teams. Play tough defense, move the ball, don’t commit silly fouls and BYU wins. The defense again st Weber and last 2 quarters against ISU and they won’t win

7

for a different take from someone less biased…

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/college/college-basketball-conference-power-rankings-acc-leads-the-pack/eExG0EqgcLJBSSfGcKRaOJ/

In the 1940s the Boston Braves had “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” a nod to just how strong that team’s top two pitchers were and also how unremarkable the rest of the rotation was. The West Coast Conference has had to deal with the same thing in recent years in the form of “Gonzaga, St. Mary’s and nothing else of which to be wary.”
Gonzaga made the national title game last year and remains an elite program, and Saint Mary’s is a top mid-major team that no one in the country wants to face. But no one else in the West Coast strikes fear, and it’s not even close.
BYU and San Diego are both 8-2, and the latter has wins over Colorado and San Diego State, but neither of those are tournament teams. BYU’s best victories are against in-state opponents, and it’s yet to face arch rival Utah (that’s on Saturday).