Usually I wait for about 10 games to see just what the team’s character is before I post what I think BYU can achieve. But why wait?
BYU’s strengths are outside shooting, guard play and veteran leadership
What they don’t have is low post presence, We are trying to defend down low with 3 guys. Nixon, Lee and Seljaas. To define just how bad things are. Seljaas, a lifetime 3 point specialist is being asked to defend and rebound in the low post. You can’t put any more lipstick on this pig. Nixon and Lee never were starters and if Coaching had not put all their eggs in one Baxter, they (Lee and Nixon) would be sitting on the far end of the bench all season.
To outline just how bad things are. SUSD outrebounded BYU by just about 20 rebs. SUU, last night dinged us for 7 more…at our house. Now BYU is headed out on the road. To Houston, #12 on Defense. Then @ BSU and then onto Lahaina, Hi. and UCLA. Road games are not kind to shooting teams… I am dreading where BYU will be once we get Childs back. Childs is going to look like some kind of savior and Mr. everything, mark it down.
For a Senior laden team and all the hope for a great year, it boils down to how in the world did Coaching not see that BYU would be completely lacking in middle help.
As for the rec league, Anyone pick up that SMC lost at home to Winthrop?
OVERRATED.
I think the cuppboard was bare to begin with. Next year we will have both Baxter and the kid that transferred from UVU. not to mention, I think Pope will do some heavy recruiting of big men.
Childs suspension by the cartel known as the NCAA was stupid and not worthy of 9 games. But it is what it is…
I do salivate at the thought of Childs one on one against just about anyone. I don’t think coaches dare double Childs when we have so many outside shooters, really good shooters. Bacello, Toolson, Seljaas, and this year a confident Harding, Knell will all kill you with an open 3 look.
Can you imagine how frickin good BYU would be had Baxter been healthy. Dang!!!
Johnson and Saunders are very good players but did you read the real news within the article???
“He is the older brother of former four-star American Fork post Isaac Johnson. The 6-foot-11 Oregon-bound post heard that his big brother would be signing with the Cougars while serving a two-year mission in Columbus, Ohio, and gave his own congratulations in a weekly video chat with the family.
“He was excited,” Johnson recalled. “He knew how hard I worked, the journey I had been through. But he was pumped.””
Coach Hecker has worked a long time with the 6’11 brother, Issac. He has bemoaned the fact that BYU did not lift a finger to recruit Issac and basically let him slip through as the kid has long ties with BYU………Anyone see what I am seeing here? Don’t be surprised to see Issac in BYU blue.
So I went back and read every post on this thread just to see where my/our minds were after the SDSU game. Safe to say that SDSU is better then any of us thought and I over reacted a wee bit.
If I could post a do over, it would be this. Nixon and Lee have blown my mind and are performing well above what I thought was their collective ceiling. Nixon, over the summer worked on his outside shot. He is shooting at around 50% from 3…and Lee retooled his body and footwork.
Completely changes BYU’s outlook.
So the state of BYU today reads something like this: With the addition of Childs to the roster, teams will have to try to double Childs and risk a kickout to:
Nixon 47%
Toolson 43%
Barcello 46%
Harding 50%
Haws 30%
Seljaas 30%
or have Childs work you over one on one. Choose your poison.
We are still weak at rebounding and defending inside and good teams will work to get Childs in foul trouble. We still have to depend on Haws and Childs having good games to win but I would hate to have to play BYU.
Should Haws be coming off the bench with shooting like that and 4 players shooting much better? Against big teams, Nixon could play small forward or the 3.