BYU battled but Pep. was the better team tonight. Our bigs could not handle the ball to save their lives. The box score says that BYU had 11 turnovers for the game but that has to be a typo as I counted 5 straight turnovers to start the 2nd half. Just poor basketball.
So I have to ask the question about coaching. Raines from Pepperdine is a Senior, right? Rose left Saljaas, a true Freshman to cover Raines and Raines goes off for 16 of his total 18 points in the second while Saljaas gets absolutely abused.
Seemed we were neck and neck throughout the game until Emery rushed a 3. After that we just kind of hucked up junk, I don’t think we scored again after that. Freshmen have got to grow up and learn how to be road warriors.
BYU can make some noise at home but SMC is running away with the WCC and BYU will have to wait for Vegas.
Davis was ineffective and Rose took him out after bonehead plays. It was one of his worst games in all areas. Austin had a bunch of rebounds taken right out of his hands. His shooting shows a high percentage but all the lost balls that weren’t called as turnovers hurt.
Somehow BYU has to shoot better in the first half because of late we have been in the 20’s (%) at halftime.
I don’t think it’s over. We play most games now at home. But I do agree to get to the NCAAs we have to win the tournament.
Agreed on all points. I think the game came down to this: Emery and Fischer combined for 33 shots and a total of 2 assists. That, my friends, is very, VERY bad basketball from your guards. It is also very disappointing to watch. We looked like a rat ball team.
PS–Best game I’ve ever seen BN call–normally he has it in for us but tonight the calls were fair both ways.
Anybody who thinks BYU has a chance in heck of winning the wcc tournament is crazy. In fact they have no chance. The tournament championship will go to either Gonzaga or St. Mary’s. I would say Gonzaga hands down, but they are not that great this year and even with the help of the officials they aren’t getting it done, so you know they are really that bad.
In fact, I would go so far as to say I’ll give even odds on it. Anybody who wants to take BYU… I will take the rest of the field and win a lot of money.
I know SG’s analysis of “somehow BYU has to shoot better” makes sense and I appreciate the positive attitude about not thinking it’s over, but it’s time for some hard to swallow truth… It’s over. This team just does not have what it takes to put together a full on team effort. They have glimpses of greatness that involve making a lucky run to win a game they might not win but there are no signature wins, no wins that will help them into the ncaa tourney.
and can you elaborate on the 33 shots and 2 assists? I didn’t see the game because I was coaching a 7th and 8th grade rec league team. We had our own issues, losing by 2 to a team who had one kid that shot 18 free throws. The officials were horribly one sided toward this kid, who by the way never passes the ball, and there was nothing we could do about it.
The officials are teaching this kid a bad lesson… he isn’t learning how to make his teammates better and there isn’t anything on the line for winning games in rec. league, so it is painful to watch.
I don’t know? Barnes and Noble?
As many teams this year have been able to play tough defense making it hard to find open shooters. Most 3’s were attempted under pressure. 6 for 22. Hard to have a lot of assists when that happens.
On the other hand, we played tough defense until the last couple of minutes.
Davis had a horrible game. Missing those short shots again. I think he took the first shot, a 3. You could say there was too much one on one but most of the time PU defense made that the only alternative.
Austin shooting percentage was good but he fumbled a ton of potential defensive rebounds that ended up scores for PU.
Tough to win what your shooting percentage is 36% and a third of your shots are 3’s and you are 6-22.
This is one of the most frustrating teams I can remember in the past 10 years.
They have, arguably, the best all around player to ever put on a BYU uniform in Collinsworth and this team is nothing more than average. What place are they in the wcc now? Is it 4th or 5th? There are how many teams? 9 or 10?
I think PU played perfect defense against our guards. They didn’t have a lot of good open shots. Our bigs struggled to hang on to the ball. Austin shot good but was again falling down crawling on the ground way too much. Davis looked like he was sick.
I think maybe some players got psyched out because Reggie Miller was there scouting. There was again some poor shooting technique by the guards. Emery made one 3 that banked in.
Also, when a team is playing “perfect defense”, it might be a good idea to try something different, change things up and take a different approach.
BN=Big Nose.
It was a pretty boring game to watch. As Fish noted, our 11 official TOs were more like 18-20. I too am laughing at the homer job by our official statistician. Neither team looked good at all.
Our D was pretty good all game; after the debacle at LMU, we played almost exclusively man-to-man and did a good job overall, EXCEPT for Seljaas got absolutely destroyed by a very, very average player who went for about 16 in the 2nd half. It was bad. Austin’s D on Stacy Davis was particularly great–Austin played hard and Davis was a complete non factor in the game. Austin and Davis shut down the paint all night.
We had no offense other than, “hey, I have the ball, so I’m gonna shoot it before you shoot it.” Davis was 2-9, including 2-8 from within 3 feet of the basket. Without his inside scoring we resorted to 100% rat ball. We shot 35% from the field and 27% from 3. We took literally dozens of bad, selfish, forced shots, and bad shots are harder to make than good shots. We didn’t even remotely look like a TEAM out there. Pep had two guys take the initiative in the 2nd half, and we had zero.
So we played a below average team that could win 3 or maybe 4 games in the PAC12, eliminated their best player, and still lost. Not a great resume builder.
He was just sitting in the bleachers casually dressed. Scouting some seniors possibly for some team.
We were out coached in the last 3 minutes. He was frustrated with Davis all game long as was everyone. But taking him out and having Sejlass guard their senior and best player turned out a bad move.
But, we missed the rest of our shots and lost. 36% with 1/3 of the shots 3’s. 6-22. Doesn’t give much chances for assists and a high score
Didn’t do much in the 2nd either. KC was looking for assists. He was looking for teammates to be open. They weren’t. PUs defense was good. They were ready for our predictable offense. And when he did pass to anyone it was fumbled.
BN didn’t have to hose us, we did it to ourselves.
To add to what Tom was saying…both Davis and Austin felt compelled to put the ball on the floor after a GREAT pass from KC when they were 3 feet from the basket. I would say, combined, both guys fumbled an easy dunk away 8-10 times. Davis also only got one of h is back down hooks to fall to the point that my brother said, “who is that goof?” I had to explain that he was our Double Double guy…really.
KC was the only bright spot in the game for BYU…He had a beautiful block on Lamont Jr, who by the way, killed BYU with a couple of perfectly timed shots throughout the game.
Rose could have put KC or Davis on Raines, Pepp’s #2 team scorer but he not only chose Saljaas but he stuck with Saljaas even after 3 maulings in a row. This while Saljaas, Fish and Emery all took turns rushing a 3 any time they got the ball within the last 10 minutes of the game.
Very frustrating because, as Tom said, BYU we in the game the entire way and playing good defense…Reggie Miller was at the game because he lives just a few miles from there.
In Terms of who wins the WCC…I have watched SMC for 3 games now. Everyone of the 5 starters can hit the 3 ball and they have the high pick and roll down to perfection, it’s like I’m watching an NBA team with slow white boys. I would give Bennett 75% chance of winning the WCC at this point. GU 20%, BYU 5% cause you gots to keep hope alive.
I think most of your analysis is good. However, you are like all good fans. You see only what our team is doing and only our team decides the fate of the game. PU has a top defensive team in the country. And it made the difference.
You say we took bad and selfish shots. I say for the most part that’s all we had to take were difficult contested shots.
KC would get the ball at the elbow or block and he had no one to pass to. Our guards weren’t screening away or even trying to get open. They were trying to spot up but PUs defense was denying the passing lanes.
We missed some non- contested layups and short shots again. And that lead to the dismal shooting percentage as well the 3 point shooting.
Davis was just off most of the game. He was in lala land. Austin made shots but once again lost rebounds he should be able to secure. Those didn’t show up as turnovers but should. And he spends most of the time falling down because he’s a bean pole.
Kaufusi should play more.
You had another post and must have removed it because it was a good reasonable post with a good question about why we miss the layups and short shots. And what affects the concentration on the shots. Do you still want the reason.
I used to think Kaufusi should play more but I don’t know anymore. He hasn’t progressed that much from last year. His game is still pretty juvenile and he makes a lot of poor decisions.
He is always leaving his feet to defend… jumping on pump fakes, etc.
He has no post up game and loses the ball too easily.
I think he has the capability but he needs to evolve his game and progress.
PS - why are you asking me if I still “want the reason”?
Well, all three post players (Aytes has been a big disappointment) have their weaknesses. Austin falls down too much. Davis can’t do his flip in shot. Kaufusi takes too long to go up for shots and gets stuffed and picked off.
As for the lack of concentration on short shots and layups, we are too worried about contact. Emery made that 2 step layup that is becoming popular and looked at the defender instead of the basket. I have another theory too.
and I appreciate the positive attitude about not thinking it’s over, but it’s time for some hard to swallow truth… It’s over. This team just does not have what it takes to put together a full on team effort. They have glimpses of greatness that involve making a lucky run to win a game they might not win but there are no signature wins, no wins that will help them into the ncaa tourney.
