We had our first look at the post-Barcello era BYU Hoops team last night at the Blue and White scrimmage and now that I kinda, sorta watched a preseason scrimmage between the same team, I’m ready to make season-long assumptions. So, here are three takeaways!
1. Shooting may be an area of concern once again
Last season the BYU Hoops team - aside from Barcello - was, let’s say, poo poo when it came to shooting. Not only just three-point shooting either, which they did at a 35% clip, good for 91st in the country. No, last year’s BYU team was bad from two-point field goal range (52%, 106th) and even free throws (72%, 169th) as well.
And if last night was any indication, we could be in for another rough shooting season once again. The Blue Team, led by transfer Jaxson Robinson and returning players Atiki Ally Atiki and Spencer Johnson, looked like the LA Lakers from three, finishing an abysmal 6-30 (20%) and two-point range wasn’t much better (38.6%). The White Team, and winners of the scrimmage led by Rudi Williams, Gideon George and Fous, were definitely better but still not great. They finished 8-23 from three (34.8%) and shot 47.5% from the field as a whole.
Combined, the Cougars combined to go 14-53 from beyond the arc, good for 26% and shot only 42.7% from the field. Now again, this was just a scrimmage, but this is assumption season.
2. What the team lacks in shooting, they make up for in pace
The good news is that despite continued poor shooting, the two teams combined to score 143 points after essentially just 30 minutes after Mark Pope called for a running clock and even took time off the clock in the second half. Based off my 8th grade math skills, that equates to the Blue Team scoring 2.2 points per minute and the White Team scoring 2.6 points per minute. Last season, the team averaged 1.8 points per minute, and that’s with better shooting percentages.
So, even if this team struggles to shoot the ball, BYU Hoops fans can still expect this team to score. It was obvious to anyone who watched last night, this team is fast and athletic. They run up and down the court and play with a lot of energy. It’s not as slow and methodical as we saw last season, with the offense running through Barcello.
3. This team should be fun
That leads me to my final takeaway. This team is FUN! Barcello was obviously a fan favorite last season and I loved watching him during his time at BYU. But let’s face it, last season BYU was just not that fun of a team to watch. Sure, there were fun games and even a couple of good wins in there. But I never thought to myself, ‘win or lose, this team is a joy to watch,’ last season.
This year though? This year could be a ton of fun. That isn’t to say that BYU will surprise everyone and compete for a WCC Championship or make an NCAA Tournament run, but this is a team that should be worth tuning in to watch.
Rudi Williams should be a fan favorite by the second game of the season, if he isn’t already. Gideon George is a dawg on both ends of the floor. Noah Waterman at one point last night brought the ball down the floor and dribbled between his legs at 6-11, plus he can shoot threes. Dallin Hall looked every part the former Gatorade Player of the Year when he made a block at one end and took it down the court for a pull up three on the other. The kid is electric for a freshman coming off a mission. And then there’s Tanner Toolson, Atiki, Fous, Trey Stewart - who Rudi called the best athlete on the team and Spencer Johnson.
BYU Football may not be very fun right now, but this BYU Hoops team could be electric - and maybe even surprisingly good? - this season. ALL ABOARD!
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