#2 Brigham Young Cougars
2011-12 Record: 26-9 (12-4) 3rd WCC, RPI: 46.
Postseason: NCAA Round of 64, 14 seed.
2011-12 Recap:
Things were a lot different this time last year in Provo. Jimmer Fredette, national player of the year and scoring leader, was gone. Also gone were the Mountain West logos on the floor of the Marriott Center. Despite the massive changes in store for the 2011-12 Cougars expectations were high. National, regional and beat writers, along with fans, bloggers and anybody else who was aware that BYU was moving to the WCC, expected them to compete with Gonzaga for the league crown in their first year. Fans, who seemed more faithful than anyone else (though this is anecdotal and based mostly on article from Bleacher Report and comments on ESPN and the like) figured that the 22,000 seat Marriott Center would intimidate the teams from gyms of a couple thousand and BYU would run through this league so inferior to the MWC or the Big-12 they dreamed of joining.
Instead the Cougars did what any team losing the player of the year and moving to a new environment would, rebuilt and stumbled.
The Cougars stumbled out of the gate with a loss at in state rival Utah State. A four game win streak followed until the Cougars fell, in Chicago, to then #11 Wisconsin in their backyard. The Cougars sat at 4-2 but neither loss was a bad loss. Another four game win streak followed, including two wins over Pac-12 squads (Oregon and Utah) and two wins over in state rivals (Utah and Weber State). For the second time in the season the Cougars four game winning streak would be ended by a ranked opponent, this time it was #6 Baylor in Provo. The three point loss was the first game in which Matt Carlino, a sophomore transfer from UCLA, was able to play.
The now full strength Cougars ended non-conference play with three straight wins. Entering WCC play at 11-3 with no bad losses and two of three losses coming to teams ranked in the top 25, BYU looked pretty good. Then, leaving the gargantuan Marriott Center for the cozy, 3,500 seat McKeon Pavillion in Moraga, BYU fell apart. Saint Mary's thrashed the Cougars 98-82, showing both the team and their legions of faithful that the WCC was no joke and the small arenas can be just as if not more intimidating than the large ones of the Mountain West.
To stay up with the WCC's big boys the Cougars followed the loss with wins over San Diego, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego again. Loyola Marymount was the only team to put up a real fight.
Streaks end though, and BYU's five game win streak fell to that one team that fought them, Loyola Marymount. The Cougars' first home loss in WCC play, 82-68, was decisive enough to prove that the Marriott Center would not be the invincible home court advantage some had expected.
The Cougars traveled to Virginia Tech in a mid-season non-conference battle of the coastal conferences and picked up a much needed win over the Atlantic Coast Conference's Hokies, 70-68. The next game saw, once again the Marriott Center host a loss, and once again it wasn't pretty for the Cougars (or the fans in attendance). Saint Mary's 80-66 loss put the Cougars in a virtual tie with Loyola Marymount for third and essentially out of contention for the regular season title. Fortunately for the Cougars and the Marriott Center they bounced back in the next game with a win over Gonzaga in their first meeting as conference foes, the Cougars won by ten points. That win was followed by four more.
When the Cougars visited Spokane on February 23rd they got their first taste of what used to be the WCC's big arena. Apparently the 6,000 seat McCarthey Athletic Center and the Zags who play there were too much as the Cougars fell 74-63, splitting the season series with the Zags. The Cougars ended WCC play with a win and entered the WCC tournament with the three seed, earning them a bye into the quarterfinals.
In the tournament they faced San Diego and after a rough start managed to dispatch the Toreros by five points to advance to the semifinals. In the semis they faced Gonzaga, the two seed, and were sent to the NCAA Tournament bubble with a 77-54 loss. BYU earned a berth, barely, and played in the "first four" against Iona.
This game against Iona, where both teams were 14 seeds, was probably the most entertaining play in game in the history of the march madness play ins. What wasn't probably was the comeback. BYU was down 49-24 with about six minutes remaining in the first half. However, there was still 26 minutes of basketball left to play. The Cougars, led by senior Noah Hartsock who shot 71% in the game, made the greatest comeback in the history of, outscoring the Iona Gaels by 31 points over the remainder of the game. The comeback from a 25 point deficit bested Duke's 22 point comeback in the 2001 Final Four.
Unfortunately, in the following game against #3 Marquette, the Cougars lost the magic and fell to the Golden Eagles 88-68.
Key Losses:
Tyler Haws returns in game shape. Brandon Davies continues his development and becomes the elite big man in the WCC and one of the best in the game. Matt Carlino has a steadier and smarter sophomore campaign. The Cougars drop only one game, either against Baylor or in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in Brooklyn. They then pick up big wins over a lot of teams that went to last season's NCAA tournament. If those things happen the Cougars enter WCC play with only one loss, coming against team that is ranked, and have wins over at least one ranked opponent. They are already battle tested and will be a much more legitimate challenger than last season for the WCC crown.
Negatives:
Tyler Haws struggles out of the gate which will in turn force Matt Carlino to continue taking bad shots and forcing the issue. Brandon Davies stagnates. The Cougars lose both games in Brooklyn, to Baylor, and also drop a few others against Montana, Virginia Tech or a team like that. If these things happen the Cougars enter WCC play with at least four losses, looking not much improved over last year, and probably competing with the Gaels for second place instead of the Zags for first.
Thoughts on 2012-2013:
I am excited to see how the Cougars second season in the WCC will fare. They've been picked to finish ahead of the defending champions Saint Mary's in the Coaches Poll. They know now what to expect from the opposition. Will the giant be able to take advantage of it's size and dethrone the longtime WCC title contenders Gonzaga and Saint Mary's?
Tyler Haws should be an immediate impact player for the Cougars. He fills a void that has existed since before last season, an offensively skilled wing. With Saint Mary's and Gonzaga both having that in Stephen Holt and Guy Landry Edi/Elias Harris the Cougars would have been at a major offensive disadvantage when facing those two teams without Haws.
Matt Carlino showed flashes of brilliance last season (at San Francisco stands out in my memory) but also played like, well, a freshman quite often. He forced the issue frequently and often made mental mistakes. With a year of experience, another offensive weapon in Haws and the consistently improving Brandon Davies, Carlino should become a much more competent floor general for the Cougars. If he makes big strides, enough to put him up with Kevin Pangos, Anthony Ireland and Matthew Dellavedova as the best point guards in the WCC, the Cougars will be very, very good.
BYU may end up being the WCC team I watch the most this season. They have a schedule that will provide a ton of exciting games and a ton of big games in November and December with March implications. Plus, BYUtv is great for the WCC's national visibility.
Instead the Cougars did what any team losing the player of the year and moving to a new environment would, rebuilt and stumbled.
The Cougars stumbled out of the gate with a loss at in state rival Utah State. A four game win streak followed until the Cougars fell, in Chicago, to then #11 Wisconsin in their backyard. The Cougars sat at 4-2 but neither loss was a bad loss. Another four game win streak followed, including two wins over Pac-12 squads (Oregon and Utah) and two wins over in state rivals (Utah and Weber State). For the second time in the season the Cougars four game winning streak would be ended by a ranked opponent, this time it was #6 Baylor in Provo. The three point loss was the first game in which Matt Carlino, a sophomore transfer from UCLA, was able to play.
The now full strength Cougars ended non-conference play with three straight wins. Entering WCC play at 11-3 with no bad losses and two of three losses coming to teams ranked in the top 25, BYU looked pretty good. Then, leaving the gargantuan Marriott Center for the cozy, 3,500 seat McKeon Pavillion in Moraga, BYU fell apart. Saint Mary's thrashed the Cougars 98-82, showing both the team and their legions of faithful that the WCC was no joke and the small arenas can be just as if not more intimidating than the large ones of the Mountain West.
To stay up with the WCC's big boys the Cougars followed the loss with wins over San Diego, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego again. Loyola Marymount was the only team to put up a real fight.
Streaks end though, and BYU's five game win streak fell to that one team that fought them, Loyola Marymount. The Cougars' first home loss in WCC play, 82-68, was decisive enough to prove that the Marriott Center would not be the invincible home court advantage some had expected.
The Cougars traveled to Virginia Tech in a mid-season non-conference battle of the coastal conferences and picked up a much needed win over the Atlantic Coast Conference's Hokies, 70-68. The next game saw, once again the Marriott Center host a loss, and once again it wasn't pretty for the Cougars (or the fans in attendance). Saint Mary's 80-66 loss put the Cougars in a virtual tie with Loyola Marymount for third and essentially out of contention for the regular season title. Fortunately for the Cougars and the Marriott Center they bounced back in the next game with a win over Gonzaga in their first meeting as conference foes, the Cougars won by ten points. That win was followed by four more.
When the Cougars visited Spokane on February 23rd they got their first taste of what used to be the WCC's big arena. Apparently the 6,000 seat McCarthey Athletic Center and the Zags who play there were too much as the Cougars fell 74-63, splitting the season series with the Zags. The Cougars ended WCC play with a win and entered the WCC tournament with the three seed, earning them a bye into the quarterfinals.
In the tournament they faced San Diego and after a rough start managed to dispatch the Toreros by five points to advance to the semifinals. In the semis they faced Gonzaga, the two seed, and were sent to the NCAA Tournament bubble with a 77-54 loss. BYU earned a berth, barely, and played in the "first four" against Iona.
This game against Iona, where both teams were 14 seeds, was probably the most entertaining play in game in the history of the march madness play ins. What wasn't probably was the comeback. BYU was down 49-24 with about six minutes remaining in the first half. However, there was still 26 minutes of basketball left to play. The Cougars, led by senior Noah Hartsock who shot 71% in the game, made the greatest comeback in the history of, outscoring the Iona Gaels by 31 points over the remainder of the game. The comeback from a 25 point deficit bested Duke's 22 point comeback in the 2001 Final Four.
Unfortunately, in the following game against #3 Marquette, the Cougars lost the magic and fell to the Golden Eagles 88-68.
Key Losses:
- Noah Hartsock, Senior, Forward. The 6'8'', 230lbs, big man led the team in points with 16.8 per game and was third in rebounding with 5 per game. Hartsock was the leader of the team last year.
- Charles Abouo, Senior, Forward. Originally from Ivory Coast, Abouo was third on the team in scoring with 11 points per game. He holds the BYU career record for games played with 141, he never missed a game in his Cougars career.
- Raul Delgado, Junior, Guard. The 6'2'' junior college transfer payed at Western Nebraska where he won Nebraska JUCO MVP honors last season.
- Cory Calvert, Freshman, Guard. The 6'3" product of Chaparral High School in Parker, CO led his team to the state championship last season thanks in part to his 22.3ppg.
- Tyler Haws makes his return.
In his freshman season, two years ago in 2009-10, was solid. Haws started in his first year and averaged 11.3ppg and 4.2rpg. He shot over 90% from the free throw line and 36.8% from behind the three point line. His debut season was enough to earn him runner-up for Mountain West Freshman of the Year, behind Kawhi Leonard who was a lottery pick after his sophomore season. Haws has been on a mission in the Philippines for the past two years. His return will help settle a backcourt led by Matt Carlino that was up and down last season. - Familiarity.
Last season the Cougars entered a new era, it was post-Jimmer and post-Mountain West. They had to adjust to new foes, new venues, new locales. They were the new kids on the block, well over three times larger than the next largest school (34,000+ compared to LMU's nearly 9,000), with a bullseye on their back like no conference team other than Gonzaga has experienced. While that wanting to kill the giant will never be lost for BYU, they aren't the new kids anymore. With a year under their belt the Cougars know the venues, teams, locales, travel and overall feel of the league. Not only are they a year into their new era, but they are a team that is already made up of more players with only WCC experience than players who are used to the MWC. - Good schedule.
You can read my full analysis of the Cougars' non-conference schedule here. So much balance in this year's slate. Enough home games for the fans and enough away to build toughness and experience. Enough paddy-cakes for the fans to see get blown out and enough strong teams to test the Cougars. This schedule will be favorable in terms of experience, exposure, RPI, SOS, and enjoyment.
Tyler Haws returns in game shape. Brandon Davies continues his development and becomes the elite big man in the WCC and one of the best in the game. Matt Carlino has a steadier and smarter sophomore campaign. The Cougars drop only one game, either against Baylor or in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in Brooklyn. They then pick up big wins over a lot of teams that went to last season's NCAA tournament. If those things happen the Cougars enter WCC play with only one loss, coming against team that is ranked, and have wins over at least one ranked opponent. They are already battle tested and will be a much more legitimate challenger than last season for the WCC crown.
Negatives:
- Hartsock and Abouo.
These two hold the record for career wins in BYU history. Abouo played in more games for the Cougars than anyone else. They missed a combined one game last season and were the teams first and fourth leading scorers. Hartsock stretched defenses with his deft interior play and ability to knock down threes (His three with 2:26 left to play against Iona was the Cougars first lead of the game en-route to their NCAA Tournament record setting comeback.) Abouo was a utility man for the Cougars who could do a little bit of everything but really could stop opponents from doing anything. - Lack of Depth.
Losing starters is always hard, as they need to be replaced with less experienced players. BYU wasn't set to lose many players this offseason to graduation or transfers. Other than Abouo and Hartsock, the only major known loss was Damarcus Harrison, who transferred to Clemson after having his mission delayed and scholarship taken (the coaches assumed his mission wouldn't be delayed and he would miss the next two seasons anyway). Harrison received a hardship waiver from the NCAA and will be granted immediate eligibility at Clemson. On top of those losses the frontcourt took two big hits at an unfortunate time. After the start of the school year, at which point it is too late to give new scholarships, Chris Collinsworth and Stephen Rogers had their basketball careers come to a premature end. Both seniors were forced into early retirement due to persistent leg injuries. BYU was noble and allowed both players to keep their scholarships. - Inexperience.
Not just is their lack of depth, but the depth is very young. The Cougars return only two players (Davies and Zylstra) who have three years of experience at BYU under their belts.
Tyler Haws struggles out of the gate which will in turn force Matt Carlino to continue taking bad shots and forcing the issue. Brandon Davies stagnates. The Cougars lose both games in Brooklyn, to Baylor, and also drop a few others against Montana, Virginia Tech or a team like that. If these things happen the Cougars enter WCC play with at least four losses, looking not much improved over last year, and probably competing with the Gaels for second place instead of the Zags for first.
Thoughts on 2012-2013:
I am excited to see how the Cougars second season in the WCC will fare. They've been picked to finish ahead of the defending champions Saint Mary's in the Coaches Poll. They know now what to expect from the opposition. Will the giant be able to take advantage of it's size and dethrone the longtime WCC title contenders Gonzaga and Saint Mary's?
Tyler Haws should be an immediate impact player for the Cougars. He fills a void that has existed since before last season, an offensively skilled wing. With Saint Mary's and Gonzaga both having that in Stephen Holt and Guy Landry Edi/Elias Harris the Cougars would have been at a major offensive disadvantage when facing those two teams without Haws.
Matt Carlino showed flashes of brilliance last season (at San Francisco stands out in my memory) but also played like, well, a freshman quite often. He forced the issue frequently and often made mental mistakes. With a year of experience, another offensive weapon in Haws and the consistently improving Brandon Davies, Carlino should become a much more competent floor general for the Cougars. If he makes big strides, enough to put him up with Kevin Pangos, Anthony Ireland and Matthew Dellavedova as the best point guards in the WCC, the Cougars will be very, very good.
BYU may end up being the WCC team I watch the most this season. They have a schedule that will provide a ton of exciting games and a ton of big games in November and December with March implications. Plus, BYUtv is great for the WCC's national visibility.
(Editors Note: I will revisit each
team's Preseason Prediction at the start of WCC play to recap, revise
and repost them. It's hard to predict a team's season when they haven't
played a game yet. Injuries, breakouts and disappearances
can come out of nowhere. Hopefully my predictions for each team's place
in the standings stay true, but hopefully each team does far better
than I expect them to at this point.)
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