Previewing the 2017-18 BYU basketball backcourt

BYU basketball is almost back. And considering how poorly the football season has been, it can’t get here soon enough.

If you missed our preview of BYU basketball’s frontcourt, you can check that out right here.

At the end of the month, the Cougars will be back on the hardwood. There are a lot of questions surrounding the team, not the least of which revolve around the new additions (both to the roster and the staff) and the loss of Eric Mika.

Luckily for BYU basketball, there appears to be plenty of talent on the roster.

That’s not to say the Cougars will be knocking off Gonzaga, but things are looking like BYU basketball will be a lot of fun – a fast, high-powered offense fueled by 3-point shots and Yoeli Childs dunks.

So let’s take a look at the guards on the roster.

Nick Emery, Junior

2016-17 statistics: 34 games played (33 starts), 30.1 MPG, 13.1 PPG, 2.4 APG

Many were expecting Nick Emery to take a massive leap forward in his sophomore season, but it just didn’t happen.

Emery was a streaky shooter for BYU basketball. He had 20 games when he scored in double-figures (meaning there were 14 where he scored in single digits).

With TJ Haws proving he’s more than capable of playing point guard, I expect Emery to adjust to playing off the ball. If he can become a little more consistent from the 3-point line (a career 37 percent 3-point shooter), then the Cougar offense will really be rolling.

Granted, with Zac Seljaas back to join Haws and Emery in the lineup, Emery might not get the opposing team’s best defender (or second best) every night.