While all the talk in the off season falls on Te’ Jon Lucas recruitment and the need to fill a true point guard and leave Barcellos to play his nomal position at shooting guard…BYU’s Hunter Erickson is having a HAY DAY at the very competitive Powder league. Think summer league filled with NBA/College athletes keeping their bball skills tuned. While NBA stars are playing in the Olympics, this is the place to be seen and play.
BYU basketball: Why Hunter Erickson is digging Utah’s Powder League - Deseret News
Erickson is getting play time and lighting it up with numbers like 27 points, 10 rebs and 6 assists in a recent game.
Sports Dada on Instagram: “Go check out our new @powderleague Leaderboard to see the season’s stat leaders! Link in bio! Our Week 4 Day 1 Player of the Night:…”
BYU was well represented by Brandon Averette last year (just signed a Euro pro contract) but it is well documented that I thought he was undersized and tall teams would take advantage of him. Both Ericson and Lucas stand 6’3" and both are prolific scorers. Erickson is far and away a better outside shooter from 3 and I think that alone will get him minutes over Lucas when we really need a basket.
Do I think BYU is improved over last year…Yes and no. Haarms was a 7’3 defensive nightmare and we also lost Kolby Lee to Dixie. Will Baxter, George, and Caleb Lohner fill in? I say, “Easy Peasy”. Remember Lohner was just lost the first 20 games or so but raw talent and rebounding kept him in the rotation. Lohner will be a star this year, much like Childs transition from year one to year two.
We also have no idea how the new talent fits in, Traore and Atiki are some big dudes and a upgrade over our past big men not named Haarms.
Our guard play will be much better. Our forwards will be elite and Centers, sight drop off spells a better BYU team this season over the #6 seated last year’s team.