BYU basketball: Yoeli Childs is key for the Cougars

No one quite knows how BYU basketball is going to look this season. However, if the Cougars want to win games, one thing is certain. Feed Yoeli Childs.

BYU basketball returns later this month (thankfully). On November 11, the Cougars’ season officially begins with a home contest against Missouri Valley State.

Barring some sort of football-level collapse, that should get the Cougars off to a 1-0 start.

Four days later, on November 15, BYU basketball travels east to Princeton to clash with the Tigers. Just like last season, it will be the first real test for the Cougars. To get a win, the team will have to play sharp, hit shots and feed their potentially-dominant big man.

Just 365 days ago we were saying the same thing (except the game was in the Marriott Center). But at that point, we were referring to Eric Mika.

Oh what a difference a year can make.

Now, Mika is off to Italy and BYU basketball has a new big fella patrolling the paint.

Yoeli Childs.

Childs is a rebound grabbing, high flying, posterizing 6-foot-9 forward who was by far the most athletic player on last season’s roster.

Now, entering his sophomore season, there’s no reason to expect Childs won’t improve. Last year, Childs nearly averaged a double-double, posting 9.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He added nearly 1.5 blocks per contest as well.

While those numbers are impressive, Childs is more of a dark horse candidate for “BYU basketball’s best player.” Most opt for talented sophomore TJ Haws or junior Nick Emery. Both of those players are very good in their own right, but neither of them are the Cougars’ most important piece.

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That distinction belongs to Childs.

All one has to do is scan the roster to see why. On any given night Haws, Emery, Zac Seljaas or Elijah Bryant could be off their night and the Cougars would still have a chance to win the game. Why? Because there are a number of talented scoring guards on the roster.

But I believe BYU basketball will go as Childs goes. Partly because I think he’s got the potential to be a very, very good player. But also because the Cougars’ roster shows a pretty glaring drop off in post talent after Childs.

Payton Dastrup will likely improve, but we have a small sample size. Luke Worthington never set the world on fire, and now has to deal with mission legs. The same can be said for Ryan Andrus.

The Cougars will need Childs. They’ll need his 10 points. They’ll need his 10 rebounds and two blocks.

So, it’s easy. Want to win games? Feed him.

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