The state of BYU basketball

Relax…Remember when Aaron Rogers said that after Green Bay had lost like 3 straight games…Relax.

Jim asked me how in the world BYU could hope for a 2nd place finish as I had said as much after the SMC loss.

My thinking so something like this…SMC is going to lose its share of games in the WCC as will Pepperdine and everyone else. SMC will lose 2 to GU, lose @ BYU and a couple of others as will everyone else. BYU has got 2 tough games that they could lose on the road (GU and Pepperdine) so I think we will end up with 4-5 losses. Last year we had 6 losses and still got second place in the league.

This all depends on Winder and Austin being healthy by Feb 5 and the Pepperdine road game. A lot can happen by the end of the WCC play and if any of our main guys gets hurt all bets are off but BYU at full strength can compete with anyone in the WCC not named GU.

So call it blue tinted dreaming but if I was anyone in the WCC I would not want to play a BYU even if they don’t have a inside game.

I’ve tried to help some fans understand this and I will try again, they are a nice team that will win more than they lose. Every 10-15 years they will put it all together for a sweet 16 type run, but most of the time we will be a mid level team battling to stay with the WCC teams and should a tournament invite come, the season is a sucess. Everything else is gravy from there. Most fans simply need to step back and lower their expectations for our program.

come see me in two years and we will talk about the Lone Peak boys and how the team is fairing.

Now it’s 2 more years, like I have said, our program is always 2 years from something. How bout we just enjoy what they are today, a good team that if things go their way they can compete with some of the big boys.

Looking at SMU’s remaining schedule I see them possibly losing 3 or 4 league games. BYU has already lost 3 and they won’t beat GU away and will struggle with Pepperdine away as well. They still have to play at Portland. We already know that Gonzaga will go undefeated because the wcc needs to keep their showcase team in the spotlight in order to be recognized.

I still don’t see it but maybe that is because I took off the blue goggles after the Pepperdine debacle in which they were completely outplayed on their home floor.

I’ll consider putting them back on when I see the team win a game they aren’t supposed to win. I don’t see that happening the rest of the way.

I think “come see me in two years” is a fair comment because in 2 years we will be starting 4 ESPN Top 100 guys plus Jamal Aytes, who mark my word will be a beast. Yes we are just slightly above average this year, but our pipeline has some truly unique players who could very well make a deep NCAA run in '17. Mika and TJ Haws have NBA size and athleticism, maybe Dastrup does, and Nick Emery has the potential to at the very least be an outstanding college player.

The Gold Standard is the Ainge team that fielded 3 outstanding NBA players and one (Trumbo) who was dominant in Europe. Mika, TJ Haws, Dastrup, Emery, and Aytes have size, athleticism, and talent that could rival those guys’.

How many times will it take for our fans to learn? We need to stop talking 2 years ahead about guys who have never laced em up at this level as if they are going to be all time greats. Haven’t fans learned from the past? How about we let guys actually play games in the program before we anoint them a dream team. So much can change between Utah high school basketball, take two years off, and playing college basketball. The WCC is not the Pac12, but it does present it’s challenges to BYU type players. Some patience and perspective is all I am asking if fans, lower the expectations and a possible sweet 16 run again in the next 2-6 years is well within our programs potential.

You said it yourself, KC, “We need to get away from recruiting these LP boys”. We will all be laughing once they lace them up together. While we are dreaming about what will happen in a couple of years… I’m dreaming that we will have the Rec League in our rear view mirror…I’m dreaming that if we are still stuck in this hole, that we at least win the WCC title…I’m dreaming that a sweet 16 is a warm up.

I have never said stop recruiting LP, just stop putting all our eggs in the LP basket with recruiting. And sorry, but the WCC will never be too small for our program, it’s actually a nice sand box for our program. I prefer the MWC for us, but this is a nice alternative while we wait for a P5 opportunity.

yep and we keep reminding you that LP is to Utah what Bishop Gormon is to Nevada. Those schools are attracting the best talent in all the land.

The eggs are about to hatch, my friend.

I’ll keep holdin my breath. 2 years ago we were 3 years away, now we are another 2 years away. I’ll keep waiting and check back with you guys 2 years from now to see what excuse you have then

I do believe if BYU had Mika this year we would see a significant up-tick in the results so far. Those early season close losses would have been wins and I think they would have beaten Pepperdine and SMC and given GU a tough time. If these guys that have been mentioned are as good as the guys that are here now then I think that there is some potential for greatness.

I too must wait and see…

I don’t think this is a run of the mill “wait till next year” excuse for poor play THIS year. I love watching our games this year, just like always, and consider myself fortunate to watch Haws and KC–two very different but maybe even once in a generation talents at BYU. But I find myself rooting for them individually, in part because I understand our limitations and know the chance of this team making noise in March is slim to none. My “wait for 2 years” war cry id because we have never had 4 ESPN top 100 guys all on our team at the same time, but when they come home we will have the talent, size and athleticism (that we simply don’t have now) to make a deep run in March. And I say it pretty confidently.

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“If” and “when” or “wait till” seem to be common words for BYU basketball fans.

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Just “wait and see” what happens. It’s hard to predict injuries. Everyone thought we would have Aytes and Austin and that could have made a difference. Fans probably put too great of expectations on Kaufusi and Neilson-like KC said it’s probably a two year adjustment from Utah high school basketball to college in the WCC for most players. I am enjoying watching Haws, Kyle, Fischer and Winder this year along with some of the freshman. Every game BYU has played, they have had opportunities to win. It is what it is-so give your blood pressure a rest and enjoy the rest of the season. Heck-even Halford is fun to watch when he isn’t clanging long range jumpers or throwing the ball away:)

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Not too may Big Boys KC.