BYU Basketball: Cougars look to bounce back during in-state stretch

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Jahshire Hardnett #0 of the Brigham Young Cougars drives against Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Attack the Basket

BYU plays their best basketball when they’re moving the ball well on offense and moving toward the hoop. Jashire Hardnett and TJ Haws can penetrate and create a defensive scramble, or dump it in low to Yoeli Childs and let him go to work.

And Childs has become a very good passer, which can lead to easy baskets when he’s being double-teamed.

But the Cougars have a bad habit of panicking when things are going wrong, and the first thing that disappears on offense is that attack mentality.

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In both of BYU’s last two games (both losses), the Cougars have played tight in the second half, too often opting to pass the ball around the perimeter for most of the shot clock instead of attacking the basket.

The guards are a big part of that problem, but so is Yoeli Childs. In both losses he started the game strong by going at the rim, then settled for more and more jumpers as the game progressed.

Without decent three-point shooting, BYU has to get as many baskets at the rim as they can. With their ball movement they have the capability to do just that, but they’ve failed at it in key situations recently.

But the lack of Cougar threat from deep creates a Catch 22. Opponents can pack the paint and take away those easy shots at the rim, daring BYU to beat them from three.

Even then, though, the Cougars will get better looks from deep if the ball makes its way inside first.

Then you just have to hope that they can hit at least a few more than they have been.

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