BYU’s next season starts in just 158 days. (but who’s counting?) The hype and energy building up to this year’s basketball season is already beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.
Need I remind you that we’ve secured the signing of AJ Dybantsa (the number one overall recruit), Robert Wright from the transfer portal, and Xavier Staton among returning veterans like Richie Saunders? It’s shaping up to be an exciting and talented roster.
I think it’s safe to say that with their return to the Sweet Sixteen, the Cougs exceeded all expectations for their first season under Kevin Young. That was without the highly decorated recruiting corps that will join them this year. I am fully confident that Kevin Young’s crew will again meet and exceed expectations for the coming campaign as well.
That being said, BYU will need to improve these 3 stats to truly take the team to the next level:
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
Over the course of the season, the Cougars averaged 12 turnovers a game. This may not seem like a lot, but turnovers result in points lost on the offensive end, as well as easy points scored in transition against you. Winning the turnover margin often results in winning the game.
When BYU played Iowa State in Ames, they had 29 turnovers to Iowa State’s 11. Brigham Young still managed to win in 2nd overtime by 3 points. Although this says a lot about their mentality and skill, if they would’ve held on to the ball better (or at all) they would’ve been able to close out the game much sooner.
Interior offense
Kevin Young’s crew is among the best in the nation from 3-point range, there’s no doubt about that. And while there is no specific stat to measure how effective a team is from the interior, it did feel at times that they weren’t aggressive enough, or physical enough when taking the ball to the rim.
You can’t shoot lights out from 3-point land every game you play, so it’s also important to be able to take the ball to the rim and finish strongly. Although I am woefully incompetent in suggesting tactical changes to Kevin Young’s side, I would like to see more of this type of play in the upcoming season. In some ways this feels like the piece that BYU was missing during their tournament stretch.
Free Throw Shooting
Although the Cougars improved from the charity stripe as the season went on, poor shooting from the line was a thorn in their flesh that at times plagued their season. They shot 70% from the free throw line, which at a glance doesn’t seem terrible, but during individual games, that percentage at times dipped considerably.
Early in the season, BYU played an exceptional Texas Tech team and lost by a mere 5 points. They shot poorly from the 3-point line and only converted a meager 57% of their free throws. Had they shot at a good clip from the line, they would’ve won against an eventual Elite 8 team (Texas Tech lost to Florida, the eventual NCAA champion, after blowing a lead of 10 points).
This is just one example among many of games where free throw shooting made a big difference for the Cougs.
The moral of this story is that the pieces are there for BYU to contend for a national championship this next year. As crazy as it sounds, it's true. Solidifying the fundamentals by cleaning up turnovers, and shooting better from the line, as well as being more aggressive in the paint will lead BYU to fame and glory this next year.