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PROVO — In Wednesday's edition of "Cougar Clicks," former BYU basketball player Tyler Haws signed his first professional contract, and anonymous coaches speak out on BYU football's real chances of success in the 2015 season.
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Haws signs in Spain
Haws, BYU's all-time leading scorer, formally signed a contract offer from Spain's Liga Endesa club Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro on Monday, according to the club's release.
Obradoiro, which is based in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, offered Haws a contract in July, but the former Cougar standout held out in hopes of securing an NBA offer or training camp contract through the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. After playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Haws did not receive an offer and opted to play overseas.
Haws' contract is through the 2015-16 season, according to the release.
"Tyler is an incredibly great scorer with a vast offensive repertoire and a great ability for making shots off the block," Obradoiro CEO Jose Luis Mateo said in Spanish in a statement from the club. "We see him as a special player who will also connect very well with our fans. We're happy with the signing, which the club has been working toward for a long time."
Haws averaged 22.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a senior at BYU where he also earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors. Some European basketball reporters project him as Obradoiro's starting point guard next season.
Cut the cliche and coach-speak
Athlon Sports tried to get an honest assessment of BYU football by asking opponents and rival coaches, who were all given anonymity, what they thought of the Cougars' 2015 squad.
Some of the results were hard-hitting. Others were a lot less so.
Of course, many of them brought up senior quarterback Taysom Hill.
"Without Taysom, they were very average," one coach said of last year's team. "I think he gives them a chance (in 2015) to be an elite team because he's a difference-maker."
Others remarked about BYU's consistently strong class of linebackers and senior running back Jamaal Williams. One coach put a lot of the onus of BYU's season a member of the offensive line.
"I love their center (Tejan Koroma)," this person said. "He was a freshman last year, and he was just dang good already."
Linebacker ready to step up in sophomore season
Fred Warner took his lumps last year as a freshman, coming into a crowded BYU linebacker corps and trying to fit into the lineup.
He's confident it should help him this year.
"The biggest thing I took away from last year is confidence," Warner told the Deseret News. "I think last year I learned about everything it takes to be a starter and a true playmaker. It takes a lot more than just athletic ability, and so I really feel I'm ready to take up my play to the next level. Now I need to put everything I learned into action."
