BYU basketball: Getting to know WCC foe San Francisco
The BYU basketball team hosts the University of San Francisco on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know about the Dons.
BYU basketball has been a frustrating squad to watch this season. Great win against Princeton, but a horrible loss to Utah Valley. Dismantle Saint Louis, but then lay an egg against Valparaiso.
Last week, the Cougars fell to No. 19 Saint Mary’s 81-68, but it never really felt that close. However, the team rebounded nicely with a huge 91-62 win over Pacific. BYU sits at 12-5 on the season.
Here’s what you need to know about the Dons.
The Dons love a deep shot
BYU basketball typically struggles against teams that shoot the 3-ball well (see: UVU). San Francisco loves the 3-point shot.
The Dons are shooting 38 percent from 3-point line this season and have five players that are averaging double-digit minutes while shooting 39 percent or better from 3-point land.
Jordan Ratinho might be the guy to watch on Thursday night. He’s averaging just under nine points per game, but he’s shooting 45 percent from 3-point range in 24 minutes. Ratinho is second on the team with 62 3-point attempts.
Ronnie Boyce will also be worth watching. Boyce leads the Dons in 3-point attempts with 88 and isn’t afraid to jack up shots. He also scores in bunches, punching in 15 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half in his last game.
Balanced scoring attack
San Francisco has two players averaging double-digit scoring, technically three if you count Chase Foster’s 9.9 points per game. Boyce averages 16, Charles Mineland sits at 10.6 and Ratinho, Matt McCarthy and Nate Renfro combine to score 22.7 points per game.
With such a balanced attack, you’d think the Dons drop a ton of assists, but that’s not true. In fact, San Francisco is pretty bad when it comes to dishing and protecting the rock. The Dons are 166th in the nation in assists per game (13.4) and have an assist-to-turnover ration of just 1.1.
No player on the roster averages more than 2.4 assists per game.
Not used to a big crowd
Now, I don’t know how big of a deal this is in collegiate athletics. I feel like most college athletes can play in front of a crowd. If BYU basketball goes on a run and the Provo faithful get into it, there’s no denying the atmosphere is electric. But, I don’t think any West Coast Conference team is scared of coming into the Marriott Center.
Still, it’s worth pointing out that San Francisco has played – on average – in front of 1,600 people this season. Considering the Marriott Center will have somewhere between 15,000-19,000 people in it, that can certainly play a role. Especially if we see one of those TJ Haws to Eric Mika alley-oops.
Rebounding? No thanks
L.J. Rose would nearly be the Dons’ leading rebounder. Let that sink in.
Rose averages 5.2 rebounds per game.
Excited yet? Imagine how Mika and Yoeli Childs must feel.
San Francisco averages 35 rebounds per game, but their leading rebounder (McCarthy) averages just 5.6 per game. Renfroe and Boyce each average 4.9 per game.
To put that in perspective, Mika averages 9.1 and Childs averages 8.1. To say BYU basketball has an advantage on the glass would be a severe understatement.
BYU basketball hosts USF on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7pm MST.