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PROVO — The boys are back, but not for long.
It seems like the BYU Cougars have lived on the road and only came home for an occasional visit. After this next weekend, only eight of 21 games will have been played in the Marriott Center so far this season.
The Cougars returned home from a two-game road trip this past weekend during which they defeated Gonzaga in a last-minute victory 69-68, then were upset by Portland 84-81 just two days later.
During his weekly show at Malawi's Pizza, BYU head basketball coach Dave Rose admitted the Portland game made the road trip feel "like kind of a disappointment."
The team's mindset was right, they were prepared, Rose said, but he feels the team's biggest obstacle was it started to rely too much on individual abilities instead of the abilities of its teammates.
The issue was not unique to the Portland game and has been particularly prevalent on the road this season.
With so many first-year players who are expected to consistently contribute, it's a natural problem to have, and it's also one that needs to be resolved quickly.
"Each guy, when it comes down to really tough times and really big plays, (needs to) have as much confidence in their teammates as they do in themselves," Rose said.
He pointed out that the amount his team shares the ball is statistically a determining factor in its success. When guys try too hard to create their own shot, the Cougs are doomed. It's no wonder then that BYU struggled to put away the Pilots on a night where the Cougars dished out just 10 assists for the game.
Although Rose acknowledged the Cougars didn't play their best game against Gonzaga, he was much more satisfied with that performance.
"We played with a lot of grit, a lot of heart, we rebounded the ball well and we defended well." The team started the game 0-12 from the 3-point line, but guys started hitting it when it mattered most. With the help of a few key defensive stops, the effort was just enough.
After just a few days back in Provo, BYU will head west to face LMU and Pepperdine this weekend. Corbin Kaufusi, who was the player guest on the show, sees the bright side of all the traveling.
"The more you're on the road, you really get to figure out who you are and how to work with your teammates," he said. "We're still going through that, but it's nice to have that experience," he said.
The Cougars will face a significant test in L.A. against LMU and Pepperdine, which has historically been a tough outing for BYU. Both teams are playing good basketball at this point in the season, and both are potentially dangerous.
Rose understands his team won't grab two wins this week without an effort to play as a team: "We need all our guys to help, it's not going to be done by a couple guys," he said.
Corbin knows the Cougars need to be better at trusting each other on the floor, and he's already encouraged by the progress he sees. "Every guy (on the team) is willing to work. We want to win. We want to beat everyone. It's like everyone is having a self-evaluation, they're trying to come together more."
Freddy is a KSL sports radio intern covering BYU basketball. Follow him on twitter @freddycougar21.
