BYU Basketball: Keys to getting back on track against Illinois State
By Shaun Gordon
Half-Court Ball Movement
So far this season, BYU has been very good at two things offensively: moving the ball and taking care of it.
As a result the Cougars are among the nation’s Top 10 in both turnovers per game (8.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98:1).
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But while BYU still managed to take care of the basketball against Houston (nine turnovers), they only managed 13 assists. Part of that came from the abysmal shooting, but another cause was stagnation.
Because nobody but TJ Haws could hit shots on Saturday, they were more than content to feed Haws and wait for him to make something happen.
That can’t happen in a road game against a good team. While Illinois State isn’t a great defensive team, they’re playing on a familiar court with the backing of their fans.
BYU doesn’t have that luxury, so they’ve got to work the ball around in the half-court game and set themselves up with the best shot possible.
Of course they have to hit those shots, which they haven’t done much of this season, but if the Cougars end up taking ill-advised shots consistently they won’t stand a chance of knocking off the Redbirds on the road.