Patrick Kinahan: Crazy season helps Young develop as BYU basketball coach

SALT LAKE CITY — Now that the regular season has ended in college basketball here are some thoughts about the in-state teams.

BYU Cougars

All the struggles brought upon BYU by injuries and erratic play will benefit Kevin Young in the long run. Only in his second season as a college head coach, the former long-time NBA assistant has been forced to reinvent his team over the course of the last four months.

The BYU team that plays Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament barely resembles what Young anticipated having when the season began in November. Multiple injuries, most notably to all-conference performer Richie Saunders, derailed any chance for a top-four seed in next week's NCAA Tournament.

"Basically, coaching three different iterations of the team," Young said after BYU beat Texas Tech on Saturday. "The team we thought to have; a couple of guys get done for the year. Then Richie, and that group, then he gets hurt, and now you're on your third iteration. You never stop learning as a coach, particularly when your team is consistently changing."

Coming off three consecutive embarrassing losses, Young may have turned in his best coaching job of the season against the Red Raiders. Down early, as usual this season, the Cougars cranked up the defensive intensity and finally valued the basketball (they committed a season-low three turnovers) to gain a glimmer of momentum going into the conference tournament.

Short on a quality depth, BYU likely won't stay long in Kansas City. But there's enough talent still left to win two games this week and maybe a game or two the following week.

Utah Utes

The only mission is to get this miserable season over and prepare for next year. Alex Jensen's first season as the coach ended with a 2-16 Big 12 record, the fewest wins in conference play since 1942-43.

Much like last season, another roster overhaul is in order. All the beatings took its toll on the players and Jensen, who often voiced his frustration during postgame interviews.

With a full offseason together, the Utah staff can hit the transfer portal to stock a roster capable of competing in the highly competitive Big 12. Hard to believe this tradition-rich program has not made the NCAA Tournament in 10 years.

Utah State Aggies

Four coaches in the last six seasons has not prevented the Aggies from consistently competing for Mountain West championships.

The best of the bunch might be Jerrod Calhoun, who has guided Utah State to a combined 51-14 record over the past two seasons. Calhoun has done a marvelous job of blending transfers and holdovers this season to the level of potentially winning an NCAA Tournament game for the third time in 15 years.

An outright MWC regular-season championship in the last season before Utah State joins the revamped Pac-12 is enough to already secure at least the program's fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A conference championship this week in Las Vegas could lead to a favorable seed in next week's tournament.

But as it did with Calhoun's predecessors Danny Sprinkle and Ryan Odum, Utah State's success comes with a price. Calhoun already has been linked to several coaching jobs, with others surely to follow in the coming weeks.

For all the success Sprinkle and Odum had, and as fun as it is to play before packed home crowds, both still left. Better funded programs capable of paying Calhoun more money force him to consider leaving.

According to Calhoun, Utah State was in the middle of Mountain West with its NIL. Next season, for the first time, the program will tap into university funds.

Utah Valley Wolverines

In the transfer portal world, stability is almost impossible for Utah Valley to sustain. But no big deal, the Wolverines continue to win basketball games.

After Utah Valley finished 25-9 last season, several players transferred out for more money and opportunity at bigger programs. All coach Todd Phillips did was reload and win another WAC championship in Utah Valley's last season before moving to the Big West.

A trip to the NCAA Tournament awaits by winning the conference tournament this week.

Related topics