BYU basketball got blown out on their road trip to Houston, but that shouldn't surprise many. Houston, with the longest home winning streak in the nation and the top-rated defense in the nation, was never going to roll over and let Kevin Young's team walk all over them.
Indeed, the resulting 31-point beatdown could have been easily expected by many following this year's team. A rookie head coach with a roster led by freshmen Egor Demin at the point and Kanon Catchings on the wing didn't exactly have experience to lean on, even with the likes of Knell, Hall, and Saunders at their disposal.
When the Cougars took the floor, Houston's suffocating defense was too much for this team to handle.
But that's okay.
BYU basketball aren't world-beaters at this point, but that's no reason to panic. The Big 12 Conference is home to basketball giants like Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, and yes, even Houston. This year's team still has plenty of flaws--many of which can be chalked up to inexperience.
The Cougars' 1-3-1 zone was torn apart once Houston found a soft spot in the corner. This weakness led to a million open 3-pointers, so it's no wonder how they hit nearly 50% from long range. A defensive adjustment was absolutely necessary, but no matter how many timeouts Coach Young burned, the team never properly adapted to the Houston attack.
Kevin Young, as much experience he owns as an assistant coach, is still new at driving the car. Coaching is a skill, and no matter how much you study, you'll never master something until you have experienced it.
We're in the growing stage for Kevin Young's tenure at BYU.
Don't let a few losses force out the memory of the Cougars' 20-point win over ASU just a week ago, or the dominant performances against lesser opponents.
When BYU hoops were forcefully launched from Houston on Saturday, no one player was to blame. Demin, whose primary skill is distribution, had nowhere to go against the hyper-aggressive Houston side, and still collected 7 assists on the night (and would have had more were it not for some untimely flubs at the rim, courtesy of the BYU frontcourt).
Kanon Catchings still flashed brilliance in this game, sending a shot back and knocking down a few jumpers of his own. Even Trevin Knell, who is often criticized for his performance in big games, was the only Cougar to score in double digits.
This year will be challenging, but one early loss is never the kiss of death for a season, no matter how one-sided it may have been.
This season is still a trial run, and it won't be long before the Cougars find solid ground again. Who knows, they may amaze us against Texas Tech this Tuesday.