BYU Basketball: Some Cougars have come up clutch, others haven’t

BYU basketball couldn’t come through in the clutch against St. Mary’s and Pacific. Who should have had the ball in those situations? The stats paint a surprising story.

It’s been a rocky start in WCC play for BYU Basketball.

The Cougars currently sit at 2-2 in conference after two heartbreaking losses.

One was to a good team that would have been a very good win. The other was to a bad team that will be a bad loss come tournament resume time.

In both losses, BYU had a chance to win the game at the buzzer. Both times, they couldn’t convert.

Against St. Mary’s, Zac Seljaas missed a 3-pointer as time expired, and the Cougars went on to lose in overtime.

Then down one against Pacific, Jashire Hardnett’s running layup was too strong, and Seljaas’ follow-up basket didn’t leave his hand before the buzzer.

Which begs the question: who should the Cougars want with the ball in their hands when the game is on the line?

Let’s take a look based on this year’s stats. Looking at all games that were within two possessions (6 points or less) in the last three minutes of the game, there are some pretty surprising results.

The Unknowns

There are four Cougars that have seen playing time this year but haven’t had a meaningful possession in a clutch situation. They are:

• Luke Worthington
• Dalton Nixon
• Evan Troy
• Braiden Shaw

Shaw has just returned from injury and seen limited time, and Troy only sees mop-up minutes in blowouts. Neither will likely see clutch minutes this season.

Worthington and Nixon might, though. But both serve as role-players for BYU basketball, counted on more for defense and rebounding than making a basket down the stretch.

They still might have a moment or two, so it will be interesting to see if they capitalize if that moment comes.

The Small Sample Sizers

Five BYU basketball players have had one or two clutch moments, getting a shot or free throw in a tight game down the stretch. These Cougars are:

• Jashire Hardnett – 0/1 FG (.000), 2/2 FT (1.000)
• Zac Seljaas – 0/1 FG (.000), 0/1 3PT (.000)
• McKay Cannon – 0/1 FG (.000), 0/1 3PT (.000)
• Payton Dastrup – 1/1 FG (1.000)
• Rylen Bergersen – 0/1 FG (.000), 0/1 3PT (.000)

Hardnett and Seljaas both missed their only clutch opportunity of the season. It just so happens that they were the two key misses of the season so far. Hardnett did hit two clutch free throws late in the Princeton game to help the Cougars pull away.

Cannon and Bergersen both had a 3-point opportunity late in a tight game. Bergersen’s came against UMass, Cannon’s against his old team, Weber State. Both missed.

Dastrup came up big against UMass, though. His key offensive rebound and put-back gave the Cougars the lead with less than a minute left to play.

But one shot doesn’t prove that Dastrup is clutch, nor does it prove that the other four aren’t. Overall, though, none of them have proven that they should be a focus of the offense down the stretch.

The Key Three

Only three Cougars have had enough touches in clutch situations to make a good judgement of their play in tight spots. They are:

• Yoeli Childs – 4/11 FG (.364), 3/5 FT (.600), 3 TO
• Elijah Bryant – 4/10 FG (.400), 2/4 3PT (.500), 4/4 FT (1.000), 2 TO
• TJ Haws – 4/6 FG (.667), 1/1 3PT (1.000), 9/9 FT (1.000), 2 TO

Although he’s put up big numbers, Childs has a poor offensive efficiency overall, and it isn’t any better in the clutch. His free throw shooting is especially concerning, since late-game free throws are a major factor in close games.

Next: BYU Hoops: Despite Scheme Changes, Cougs Need Work

Just look at his missed foul shot on a one-and-one against Pacific. The Cougars’ deficit remained at two, and he Tigers extended it to four on the next possession.

Bryant is shooting less than .500 in the clutch, but nearly all his misses came during the St. Mary’s game. If you remove that game from the equation, he’s been remarkably solid in tough moments.

The surprise here is Haws. Overall, he’s having a tough sophomore year. His shooting is down, his usage is down, and he’s settled into a role as the third option on offense.

But in the clutch he’s been stellar. Most importantly, he gets to the line often down the stretch, and makes those key free throws.

Who Gets the Ball?

Looking at the stats, two players should have the ball in their hands in clutch situations: TJ Haws and Elijah Bryant.

BYU basketball ought to let these two handle the ball in tight situations. They can create and make shots for themselves, and also have the ability to create good shots for others.

Haws and Bryant don’t have to take all the big shots, but they should be the ones making them happen.