Shortly after BYU was unceremoniously bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, coach Kevin Young was quick to note his team needs to add more shooters. By securing the commitment of transfer stretch four Tyler Betsey from Syracuse, he's doing just that.
Betsey is probably an unfamiliar name to most Cougar fans, so it would be helpful for us to explore the resume of the 6-foot-8, 225-pound long-range bomber. After spending a quiet freshman season at Cincinnati in 2023-24 where he averaged 3.3 points in 11.2 minutes per game, he transferred to Syracuse last year. He blossomed as a quality bench scorer for the Orange, averaging 6.7 points per game. Most importantly, he connected on 40.2% of the four 3-pointers per game he atempted.
As we get to know BYU's new stretch four, here are his five best games last year at Syracuse.
No. 5 - vs Kansas
Stat line: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal; 4-13 FG, 4-10 3PT
As Tyler Betsey moves to the Big 12, he's already familiar with the Kansas Jayhawks. Last season he dropped 12 points in a loss to Kansas, connecting on 4-of-10 3-pointers. He also pulled down five rebounds, which tied for the fourth most he has pulled down in a game.
No. 4 - vs Saint Joseph's
Stat line: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block; 6-of-9 FG, 3-of-5 3PT
Sure, it was a nonconference game against an Atlantic 10 foe, but Betsey did his part helping Syracuse secure a win in this one. This was perhaps his most versatile game where he not only scored from the 3-point line, but made three 2-pointers as well, grabbed a few boards, and even picked up an assist and a block.
No. 3 - vs Houston
Stat line: 16 points, 4 rebounds; 5-13 FG, 4-8 3PT
BYU fans know how relentless and stifling the Houston defense was, and Betsey scored 16 on them. He played a career-high 30 minutes and did his part to force overtime against Houston, but Syracuse fell in the extra stanza. Now, it took him 13 shots to get there, but that's beside the point. What matters is this: Tyler Betsey scored 16 points in an overtime loss to Houston!
No. 2 - vs Florida State
Stat line: 18 points; 6-9 FG, 6-8 3PT
In just 22 minutes against an ACC foe in Florida State, Betsey connected on 6-of-8 3-pointers for a career-high 18 points in a 94-86 victory. This game in particular shows why BYU signed him. Any player that can get that hot off the bench and swing a conference game is worth giving a shot. Now, he didn't have any other stats in this game (zero rebounds, assists, or defensive stats), but when he shoots that well, it doesn't matter.
No. 1 - vs SMU (ACC Conference Tournament)
Stat line: 15 points, 7 rebounds; 5-10 FG, 5-8 3PT
The best game of Betsey's career came in an ACC Conference Tournament loss to SMU. His 15 points ranked fourth in his career while the seven rebounds are his career high. Most notably, he knocked down 5-of-8 3-pointers though his sweet shooting wasn't enough to get a win for the Orange.
Add us as a preferred source on Google