Here is a very well written piece by Robby McCombs on BYU’s playoff chances
[Analyzing BYU’s Non-Conference Resume and Results (msn.com)](MSN
I like Robby’s style, He cuts to the point
BYU has one clear Quad 1 win, SDSU. SDSU just went into the Kennel and beat Gonzaga 84-74
College basketball rankings, grades: Purdue gets an A+; disappointing USC earns D- (msn.com)
Have that talk with your children
I hope we all have enjoyed the preseason as BYU is ranked #12, well ahead of Gonzaga and St. Marie. Now comes the truth on how good we are. Can the 3 players who disappear in big games show they are mentally tough this season? Johnson, Knell and Waterman?
That is a good question…
Why would you say Johnson and Knell in the same category as Waterman?
Johnson and Knell both had 10 points each in the Utah game, Waterman, a big fat zero.
Knell brings it every game. Both Tom and I have said in the past that he is a 3 pt specialist and does not play as tall, as say Richie Saunders but no one can say Knell does not bring it every single game.
Johnson also had 6 rebounds and was the 2nd highest rated player @ +9.4
behind team leader, Richie Saunders at a whopping +20.1 for the Utah game.
Waterman came in @-12.5. he had 21 minutes in the Utah game and pretty much did nothing.
Hopper, try to keep facts straight. Johnson is Pope’s undisputed most trusted player on the team.
Don’t get me wrong, I love what Waterman has done this season, I hope he has that killer mentality, do I trust him yet in big moments? Maybe, we’ll see.
Winning in the Big 12 is much more than scoring. BYU comes into 2024 ranked #10 in defense, BYU has NEVER been this good in my lifetime, the Ainge years maybe, and who are BYU’s best defenders??
Johnson
Robinson
Saunders
Hall
Khalifa or Foos
(in that order)
Robby does a solid job whenever he writes…
Ran across this which has an interesting take
What do you do with BYU? - by Will Warren - Stats By Will (substack.com)
All the talking is over. The games begin tomorrow night. I think the starters will be:
Off the bench:
That is a great read, Harold.
The one glaring stat I see is BYU is not played road games, and the one, Utah, was a loss. Every game in the Big 12 will be as tough to extreme (@Kansas or @Baylor. so we will see what we have in a week or two.
After watching BYU clank 46 threes against Cinn. I’m going to have to temper my excitement about BYU in the big 12. Cinn came in ranked somewhere like 8th in the big 12. i did not see Pope stop the game once to adjust or change tactics. Let’s just hope this is a wake up call and not who BYU basketball is
This is BYU in the big 12. Anyone who had a notion that they would be treated any different than they were in the WCC is kidding themselves. BYU will NEVER be on the benefitting side of officiiating, certainly not in the WCC were they EVER and it is apparent it will not change in the Big 12. They like us for the money we bring in but it’s time to accept the fact in the Big 12. Funny, I thought it might take half a league schedule to see it but it’s only been 2 games and I can see it already.
Someone please explain to my why this is the case. BYU took the ball to the basket more often than Baylor did and simply did not get calls. In the Cincy game there was NO home court advantage whatsoever. It was clear the refs didn’t want to appear to favor BYU on their home floor.
Both games were heavily one sided in free throws awarded… end of story.
Anyone who thinks this FACT is going to change, regardless of whether BYU “adjusts” or not is not being realistic. We saw it in the WCC and we will see it in the Big 12. Fans and officials have to have something they dislike, BYU is an easy target.
There’s no debating you because your mind is made up about referees. When you’re trying not to be contacted you won’t get a call. Our fouls are easy to see. We hack away and easy to see.
The 1st game vs. Cinn, BYU clanked away from outside, we lost because of Pope’s lack of coaching in game. The Baylor game you have a ligit. argument We got Hammered in a close game. But I also watched TCU @ Kansas, they also got screwed but did not get Td up for much more then what Pope got a T for. And almost won. .
BYU is a “dance team”. I am convinced of that.
Actually you are correct. The BYU dance team usually performs really well in national competitions. In fact I think they have won a few national championships. As for BYU basketball, the only dance they are getting invited to is that consolation thingy.
BYU had a win probability of 95.5% vs Cincy up 29-19 with 1:30 left in the 1st half.
They had a 75.2% win probability vs Baylor up 45-36 with 16:00 left in the 2nd half.
per Greg Wrubell
I read an article about the BIG12 basketball and according the article they are the hardest to officiate because the league is know for physicality and intensity.
And Hopper has the nerve to call my article about free throws per game flawed…
Those win probability statistical things have to be the worst analytical tools ever. They are obviously flawed and fail to take into account more factors than I can list. In game analytics are a wasted effort.
The real problem is that BYU does not know how to finish games. Even Jay Drew has called this out:
BYU basketball: Cougars finding Big 12 guards are hard to handle - Deseret News
“Turnovers have also been a problem, Cincy scored 17 points off 18 Cougar giveaways in Provo and Baylor netted 18 from 14 turnovers on Tuesday in improving to 2-0 in league play,”
What I see is that in the WCC, game is more a finesse game, where in the BIG12 it is the “battle of the titans”. BYU needs to adjust to physicality and respond the same way.
No Floyd. While I agree that there are a multiple reasons for losing, we have to bow to the oh great ones. For they know (misconstrue the facts) all. Karnack the Magnificents for sure! It’s only fouls that can be the reason!.
What I see is BYU getting no love from officials in the WCC in spite of the fact that they played the way they needed to and still never won a WCC title in 10+ years. What I see BYU doing in the Big 12 is having the same result, even if they adjust to the physicality because that is not their style and the officials know it. Does anyone think they were physical with San Diego State in winning that game? SDSU is a pretty physical team. In that game BYU had more fouls, more turnovers, fewer blocks and steals, shot less than 38 percent from 3, etc. all those things Hopper says they need to do to win. No, the reason BYU won is because they SHOT more free throws, more evidence that this is the key factor in winning games.
Gonzaga got beat by Santa Clara. We’d take the crown if still in the WCC. We did Al the physical stuff to get the calls. Something we aren’t doing now.
is about all I can do to respond to this post.