The Bench: D
There were no real standouts on the Cougars’ bench this season. If L.J. Rose and Kyle Davis would’ve stayed healthy, having Bryant and Childs off the bench would’ve made for a nasty second unit.
Instead, the Cougars got Guinn, Steven Beo, Braiden Shaw and Corbin Kaufusi, with small doses of Jamal Aytes and Colby Leifson.
Kaufusi had flashes – specifically guarding Przemek Karnowski in BYU’s upset of then No. 1 Gonzaga. Outside of that he’s been up and down, looking more comfortable on the gridiron.
Shaw’s the quintessential hustle guy. He fights for rebounds, gets in sneaky good position, and isn’t afraid to get on the ground. He’s not much of a threat offensively, and isn’t a great post defender – although he’s showed flashes.
Beo and Leifson have combined to average 3.4 point per game on about 35 percent shooting.
Aytes averaged just under six minutes per game, but played well when he was on the floor. He’s a decent defender and shot 56 percent. It was puzzling that he was played so little.
Overall, the bench really wasn’t there for the Cougars. The early injuries hurt them, as it annihilated any depth.