Head Coach Kevin Young had his BYU basketball squad well-prepared in their first conference matchup with Arizona State. The Cougars swam out to an early lead and left the Sun Devils with cinder blocks for shoes--it was domination from the jump.
Richie Saunders had himself a career night on his return from a Wyoming-sized concussion, dropping 30 points on insane efficiency. 11-for-18 and 6-for-11 from long range establishes Richie as not only an outstanding scorer, but a highly effective one. He lets the game come to him, and his endless hustle keeps the open looks coming all night.
Egor Demin was happy to supply said open looks, dishing out a game-high 7 dimes. In his return from injury, the lottery prospect was still a little rough around the edges. The jump shot still leaves plenty to be desired, but with excellent form and soft touch, I don't worry about his development.
He needs to clean up his giveaways, however, as coughing up 5 turnovers opened a grotesque bake sale for the visitors.
The Cougars didn't all share Saunders' hot hand, as they only shot 31% from beyond the arc. 48% field goal shooting is solid, but Knell, Baker, and Demin shot a collective 0/11 from range.
The Sun Devils really weren't any better, though. Call it missed shots, poor luck, or anything else, but the BYU defense was strong in this battle. Forcing 13 turnovers to their team-wide 11 assists is a salivating statistic for those hoping the Cougars could patch the leaks on defense.
Is ASU the best of the Big 12? Not by a mile, but the Cougars defended home court, and left fans with a reason for optimism in their conference opener.
BYU faces off with a tough Houston team on the road January 4th.