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PROVO — Any hope of adding reinforcements to BYU’s post depth in 2017-18 evaporated Wednesday afternoon.
Cougar forwards Ryan Andrus and Braiden Shaw will miss the remainder of the season with lower-body injuries, head coach Dave Rose announced after practice.
The duo has combined for just one minute of play in the 2017-18 season, but limitations to their playing time leave BYU with just five power forwards or centers on the roster.
"Trying to facilitate practices 97 days into the year with less guys is the biggest thing," said Rose, whose team is also missing Dalton Nixon (foot) and Nick Emery prior to the season (personal reasons). "Our practice squad has done a great job; we have three kids who we just brought in from walk-on tryouts, and we’ve probably used them more than we normally do. That’s four scholarship guys we are down."
The 6-foot-11 Andrus injured his knee during preseason workouts and has missed the 2017-18 season to date, with a redshirt year still available. He recently had a scope procedure done on his knee and has begun physical therapy to return in time for the 2018-19 season.
The former American Fork High prep standout appeared in 19 games as a freshman, when he averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in limited time. He then served a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Philadelphia, returned last spring and went through summer workouts in Provo — but never saw the court in any game.
Shaw injured his ankle in the lead-up to the Cougars’ season-opener Nov. 11 against Mississippi Valley State and did not play until BYU’s West Coast Conference opener Dec. 28.
The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Eagle, Idaho, played just one minute against the Pilots, going 0-for-0 from the field and picking up one foul. He also has a redshirt season available, and the Cougars will pursue a waiver to allow him to use it on the 2017-18 season, Rose said.
As the losses continue to mount — from injuries, returning missionaries and other examples — Rose said he appreciates more and more the five to seven years where midseason personnel changes didn’t throw a curveball at the Cougars.
"We’re in a run right now, and I think it’s going to continue because of rule changes and transfer rules," Rose said. "The days of having five sophomores who become five juniors who become five seniors will be very few."
The good news for BYU is that forward Dalton Nixon is nearly ready to return. Rose wouldn’t put a day on the Orem High product’s return to live game action, but said it will likely come within the next two weeks.
"I don’t know if it will be this week, but I hope it is next week," he said. "Maybe he can get in for a few minutes this week. He’s on a protocol, and today he got up and down, and we’ll see where he is tomorrow."
Lack of depth in the post has forced Rose to recently switch to a four-guard lineup, with sophomore wing Zac Seljaas playing power forward and sophomore forward Yoeli Childs at center.
Childs, a 6-foot-8, 225-pounder from Bingham High, is averaging 17.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 33.6 minutes for the Cougars. He was named WCC player of the week Monday after leading the Cougars to back-to-back wins over Pepperdine and Santa Clara.
Kolby Lee, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Meridian, Idaho, who joined the team in December, will still likely redshirt the remainder of the season. The 2017 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year has not received a number on the Cougars’ roster.
"His status will stay the same for now, but we’ll see what the future holds," Rose said of Lee. "It’s a tough situation, not playing for five-six months and then throwing him into a season that is halfway through. But he is an eligible player, if that’s what we need to do."
The Cougars are coming off a dominant 84-50 win at Santa Clara, arguably their most complete game of the year, and host Loyola Marymount at 9 p.m. MST Thursday on ESPNU.
"The challenge of this team is not being complacent, or being content with results in the past," BYU forward Payton Dastrup said. "We’re 15-4, and I know that we have a lot of skill and talent — when we play together and do what the coaches instruct us to do."
