BYU basketball has a great coach and plenty of talent. Multiple games against some of the best teams in the country have been incredibly close. Yet, there is something not quite clicking for this team. If the Cougars can start playing to their potential, a deep tournament run is not out of the question. With a few mentality changes, BYU could finish the regular season with force and do some damage in March.
1. Play with confidence
The Cougar basketball team doesn’t have a lot to hang its head about. All losses have come against Quad One opponents, including Oklahoma State. BYU is in a conference with arguably the toughest competition in the country, and they are competing. In their losses, the Cougars did not play well but kept most games close. They should trust themselves to turn this thing around. It isn’t that they lack ability; it’s that they are playing with a lack of confidence. When mentality and ability align, they will be incredibly tough to beat.
You can see a slight hesitation in most of what they do. It feels like they are questioning every decision: is this a good shot, a good pass, a good choice…? Players are at their best when relying on instincts, not overthinking each movement. That might explain why in the first half, they often struggle: they are playing tight, and it hinders their abilities. Once they get down big, they start playing with less pressure, relax, and their performance improves.
2. Play with nothing to lose
Players and coaches are often burdened by expectations. The team knows what is expected of them this year, and it shows. When athletes play freely, they play better. Anyone who’s ever played golf knows it’s easy to hit long and straight at the driving range, but almost impossible over a pond. On the range, you’re relaxed and swing easily.
When staring down a hazard, you’re cautious and tight. College basketball is primed for upsets because big teams have so much at stake while the underdog is making the most of an opportunity. BYU needs the underdog mentality. We have a talented team that has yet to prove anything and a program that’s never made a Final Four. We are still the underdog, and embracing that freedom could get the team back on track.
3. Fans, give your team some room to breathe
Does anyone remember the feeling in the weeks leading up to the BYU-Utah football game in 2021? BYU had lost nine straight games. Every year, it felt like we were powerless against the Utes. But that year, Coach Sitake shifted the mindset, essentially saying, let’s go have fun, play loose, and bring good vibes. There was a coolness about him that gave everyone permission to relax and have fun, and it worked. That was a fix that had nothing to do with the scheme; it was all about mindset. Rain started falling in the fourth quarter, and no one was fazed.
That night, the building was relaxed, having fun, and the pressure of the losing streak was lifted. Basketball is a different sport, but the psychology is the same. Players can feel fan anxiety, pressure, and frustration, and emotions overpower strategy and ability every time.
Coach Sitake showed us how we can help our team by taking each game as an opportunity to be in the moment, have fun, and enjoy time with people we love. When we do, success often follows.