BYU basketball: The TJ Haws Effect

There’s been an offensive explosion for BYU basketball over the last four games, and TJ Haws has fueled that fire.

It’s all about efficiency.

BYU basketball is on a four-game winning streak. It’s their second-longest streak of the year, and they’ve won the four by an average of 21.5 points per game.

Yes, the competition hasn’t been the best. They’ve played the two worst teams in the WCC, and two teams right in the middle of the conference standings.

The competition aside though, the Cougar offense is playing their best basketball of the season. It’s an offense that’s been mediocre all season, even against some pretty bad teams.

But right now they’re playing like world beaters. If you compare BYU basketball’s offense between their first 17 games and the last 4, the numbers are startling.

Over the last four, the Cougars have taken five less shots per game, but scored six more points per contest (80.8). They’ve upped their shooting by nearly ten percent (56.1 percent) and their accuracy from beyond the arc is ten percent better too (46.5 percent).

They’re also sharing the ball better, upping their assists per game by three as well (18.3).

So what’s been the catalyst to the offensive explosion?

After the loss to Pacific, Dave Rose made two major adjustments. Firstly, he inserted Zac Seljaas into the starting lineup in place of Luke Worthington. Secondly he made a concentrated effort to put the ball in the hands of TJ Haws more.

With Seljaas starting, the Cougars have been able to spread the floor better, creating better driving lanes and creating better scoring opportunities.

But more important for BYU going forward is the reemergence of TJ Haws

A Big Three Is Better Than A Big Two

Up to this point in the season, the Cougar offense has been a two-man show. Elijah Bryant and Yoeli Childs have shouldered the majority of the scoring responsibility. They’re second and fourth in the WCC in scoring, respectively.

But there’s a problem with having only one or two consistent scorers. If one or both struggle, the team struggles.

In BYU’s loss to UT Arlington, Bryant shot 3-of-14 from the field. In the loss to Alabama, he went 2-of-12.

It was the supporting cast that let the Cougars down against St. Mary’s, as no one besides Bryant and Childs could muster more than seven points.

And in the upset loss at Pacific, it was Childs’ turn to struggle, going just 4-of-10 from the field with  three turnovers.

On Saturday against San Diego, both of them struggled. Bryant shot 4-of-14 and Childs went 5-of-13. Yet the Cougars won by 16.

What was the difference?

TJ Haws.

Haws had his best offensive game of the season, scoring 14 points on 10-of-14 shooting. That’s the kind of production the Cougars expected from the 2016-17 All-WCC First Team player.

Haws has struggled with his shot, and seemingly with his confidence. The new offense doesn’t exactly play to his strengths, and he took on more of a supporting role early on in the season.

But over the last four, with the ball in his hands more, Haws has broken out of his shell.

He’s shooting like the TJ Haws of last year, making 55 percent of his shots, and 50 percent from three. He’s still dishing out four assists per game, and his ability to penetrate has created defensive breakdowns and good shots.

This is the kind of production the Cougars need from him heading into February and March. He can pick up the slack if either Bryant or Childs has an off night.

If the Big Two can become a Big Three, this will become a very dangerous BYU basketball squad.