BYU basketball needs foundational change


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

PROVO — Some philosophical changes need to happen for the BYU basketball team over the course of the next five games preceding the start of conference play.

Through eight games, it is obvious to see the foundation of the program is flawed. To finally achieve the desired success in the West Coast Conference, the Cougars must become an inside-out team.

To that end, Eric Mika needs to emerge as the first option on offense. Nearly every offensive possession, unless it is in transition, should go through the team’s best player, who is the burly 6-foot-10 sophomore center.

In blunt terms, the guards have to stop shooting so much. The numbers make it impossible to argue.

In his first season since returning from a church mission to Italy, Mika has developed into a dominant force down low. There is a reason he is attracting growing attention from NBA scouts.

Mika is averaging 20.9 points a game, shooting 60 percent from the field and nearly 80 percent from the free-throw line. The only dent in his game is the ability to stay out of foul trouble.

BYU’s flaw on offense is not featuring Mika, who doesn’t lead the team in shots. Mika has taken 92 shots, 27 behind team leader Nick Emery and only 10 more than TJ Haws. Neither Emery or Haws is shooting above 40 percent from the field, which means BYU ends up with an excessive amount of empty possessions.

To further illustrate the point, 6-9 Kyle Davis is shooting 61 percent from the field. The senior, who missed the Utah State game with an injury, has taken only 47 shots.

At 5-3, BYU is off to a disappointing start relative to expectations, which might be the highest of any team that Dave Rose has coached during his 12 years at BYU. This version of the Cougars finally has the players capable of breaking through and for the first time win the WCC regular-season or conference championship.

Related:

Since joining the WCC before the 2011-12 season, BYU has played second fiddle to either Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s. But surpassing Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, who are ranked No. 8 and No. 12, respectively, this season might be too difficult is starting two sophomores and a freshman.

Still, many in Cougar land are expecting deep runs in NCAA tournaments, even though the program has made only two Sweet 16 appearances in the last 35 years. The national player of the year (Danny Ainge in 1981 and Jimmer Fredette in 2011) spearheaded BYU’s run to each Sweet 16.

The hype for this year’s team has been several years in the making, dating back to when Mika, Haws and Emery were regularly winning state championships at Lone Peak High and beating the nation’s best high school and AAU competition. After serving staggered LDS missions, the trio is now together for the first time in college.

Three weeks in, they have learned this isn’t high school or summer ball. Already, the Lone Peak alumni have endured more frustration than probably at any time they did in high school.

Keep in mind, all three are young players are just getting started. Emery and Mika are both sophomores, although neither have played together in college until this season due to serving missions at different times. Haws is a freshman, having left on his mission directly out of high school.

At times this season, with the pressure that expectations bring, the Cougars have struggled to keep their composure.

“That’s a real challenge for young teams, especially young teams that have a lot of expectations,” Rose said after BYU lost to Utah Valley 114-101 at home last month.

Speaking of which, BYU also needs to make a stronger commitment to defense. In all three of their losses this season the Cougars have given up more than 90 points.

If the Cougars can improve shot selection and defense, they can join Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in making the NCAA Tournament. If not, another disappointing trip to the NIT will culminate the season.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsBYU Cougars

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast