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BYU basketball: How the Cougars can be a NCAA Tournament team in 2017-18

By Shaun Gordon

DENVER, CO - MARCH 16: Head coach Dave Rose of the Brigham Young Cougars takes part in practice prior to their second round NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game at the Pepsi Center on March 16, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 16: Head coach Dave Rose of the Brigham Young Cougars takes part in practice prior to their second round NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game at the Pepsi Center on March 16, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

It’s all about the 3’s

Three-point shooting has been a major calling-card of BYU basketball under Rose.

Not last season, though.

The Cougars finished the season at 34.4 percent from behind the arc as a team. That’s the worst since 2012-13, and the third worst since Rose took over as head coach.

Only Haws (40.4 percent) and Emery (37.1 percent) shot better than 34 percent. Colby Leifson (33.3 percent) came in a distant third.

It’s never a good thing when your best playmaker and creator is also your most reliable shooter. That’s what the Cougars faced last year with Haws. He created good perimeter shots for poor perimeter shooters.

Enter Zac Seljaas.

Seljaas lit it up from beyond the arc as a freshman in 2015-16, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range. His return will help with spacing and give Haws, Elijah Bryant and Jahshire Hardnett a pure shooter to create for.

Hardnett, another JC transfer, can also shoot. He shot 44 percent from deep at Chipola College. See more about Hardnett here.

Freshman Rylan Bergersen shot 41 percent from beyond the arc last year at Link Year Prep as well, giving Rose another shooter with a shot to crack the rotation.

Look for much improved perimeter shooting this year from the Cougars.

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