BYU Hosts #1 Gonzaga
Coming into the season, I for one expected BYU to at least make the NCAA tournament. I was excited and expected great things from this team. It turns out that I was a little ahead of myself. I refuse to refer to Eric Mika, T.J. Haws, and Nick Emery as 'The Lone Peak 3," this team is about much more than those three. I expected these three players along with Elijah Bryant, Yoeli Childs, Kyle Davis, Payton Dastrup, L.J. Rose and the rest of the roster to take BYU to the next level. Davis is out for the season and Dastrup has shown signs of growth, but he hasn't been much of a factor this year.
Mika has been as good as advertised. He is averaging 20.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Mika is also shooting 78% from the free throw line. This team needs to play inside-out and give Mika the ball as often as possible.
The rest of the team has experienced what I would call "growing pains." We have seen glimpses of brilliance but this team still has a lot of room to grow. Bryant has been hurt for most of the season but is starting to come around. He is currently averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Yoeli Childs is having a great season, especially for true freshmen. He is averaging 8.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. I think he has a legitimate shot at averaging a double-double for his career.
Emery is averaging 13.9 points per game to go along with 2.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Haws is averaging 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
While all of these players stats are fine, it is more a matter of decision making that has hurt the team this year. More often than not, the Cougars try to turn a simple plan into a highlight reel, they leave their feet too often on defense and they try to get away with things that may have worked in high school against lesser competition but that just does not work at this level.
I still see a bright future for this team. They have all of the tools necessary to be great. They have size and depth. I truly believe they have all of the tools necessary to be a great team, but they have got to do the little thing's right. I have no doubt that they work hard and love the game. We have to remember that great thing's take time.
Tomorrow night BYU hosts the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. This will be the first time BYU has ever hosted the number one team in the nation. Gonzaga comes to Provo with a perfect record. BYU is the underdog and rightfully so, but a win against Gonzaga could be a sign of thing’s to come for the Cougars. The season is far from over and while I don't have high hopes for tomorrow night, I will be there cheering the Cougars on and hoping for a win! A win tomorrow could give BYU the confidence they need moving forward.