I’ve been a big supporter of Coach Pope but he turned in an unmitigated disaster this season.
We have no size, yet we don’t lose because of bugs. We lose because this team cannot guard the perimeter. Every game a different guard or two destroys BYU. And this is the Rec League. We could seriously not win more than one or two league games next year.
Very disappointing season. So bad it’s hard to put it into words. In my wildest dreams I didn’t think we could be this bad against low kid major competition.
I agree that we have issues. However, the WCC through the transfer portal has legitimate top collegiate players. It’s not the same league of 10 years ago. Two teams are in the top 20. SM has a senior and a freshman that can take over a game. I thought maybe Hall was doing it earlier on. But lately, he has lost control while trying to lay the ball up. That’s skill, strength, self control and coaching. I was disappointed that Pope kept a hot shooting Williams out the last 3 minutes.
In a desparate attempt to win a game at the end of the season and salvage things BYU became very one dimensional. Traore is good but when your half court offense is obsessed with getting the ball to one guy and hoping he can take it one on one (or two or three) to win the game is not going to work.
Likewise, the players on this team are afraid to shoot the ball when they need to. Johnson played so well this game and then just disappeared when it mattered. Same with Waterman, who finally looked like a basketball player only to show his true basketball IQ at the end. It has been a frustrating season for a very average team. They forgot who they are and who they could be at some point. Maybe it was the frustrating one point losses to the top two teams at home, I don’t know.
One thing is for sure, there are officials that have a disdain for BYU. I don’t know where it comes from or why it is still there but it is sad. As for how things will go in the Big 12, it is going to be a tough pill to swallow. I think the bench players of our opponents will be looking forward to playing us as it will likely mean lots of minutes for them.
I hope we are doing lots of recruiting to take advantage of the portal. There are a lot of rough diamonds out there who only need an opportunity to showcase thier skills against tough competition. Well, now is your chance, come and play for BYU of the Big 12.
The worst team in the WCC has several highly skilled players that could play at the level we need. Someone tell Pope to go after those guys so they don’t have to keep playing in high school gyms.
You’ve captured my thoughts about this team. Just almost never get everything to click for a complete game. Some talent, just disappears as you said. Is that maturity/experience or just not enough talent?
I lean much more toward the latter.
With that said, I still say they will take down either GU or St.M’s in the tourney (if they get that far)
That’s the key. If they get that far. Someone has to step up and be the go to guy. Right now, that’s Williams. Time to give him the start and be the leader. Hall can become that guy but has to be more confident in his talent. Of late, he’s lost focus on his drives to the bucket. Fousse could be one as well but needs to work on 2 things: dribbling and midrange shot.
I feel like Stewart provided some energy, athleticism and defensive spark on occasion for BYU that they could have used. Just curious why Pope doesn’t utilize his skills more often.
it’s amazing and very unlike BYU to completely lack a team identity. We don’t know who are star is, if we even have one. We don’t even know our best lineup—coach still experimenting after 30 games. We have starters who disappear and score little or none. Coach talks about perimeter defense, then every game a guard goes OFF against us. We were down one point to SMC and left their best shooter literally unguarded for a 3 to put the game away. Just a total lack of focus. And the beat goes on.
Haven’t been watching games because of this blue print. We have no team leadership (who are our seniors?) As you say, fulling around with lineups after 30 games,…desaster. It is either a coach, who does not like players to have a voice or the perfect storm of players, who don’t give a s–t.
Remember when John Beck was crying after a loss? I said, now, that’s my QB right there… I read an article today about how he lost to Utah, spent the entire next day writing down all the things he did poorly in that game and how he was going to change them. Next year, he conquered his demons.
I have never liked being around people who say words like “Can’t or Maybe”. If you roll with me, we “Do it” or Find a way".