Following Kevin Young's excellent first season, BYU basketball has a big question to answer. Did they do better or worse than Mark Pope with his new squad? The Cougars this year went all the way to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, with Mark Pope doing the same.
Both BYU and Kentucky finished with winning records. BYU finished 26-10 (14-6 Big 12), and Kentucky finished 24-12(10-8 SEC). BYU has the better record, but had an easier non-conference schedule. BYU did finish at its best mark in a while, and Kentucky seemed to have only slightly improved.
Both coaches seem to be heading in the right direction with their respective program, building momentum right away to lift their respective sides. BYU will aim to win a National Championship next year, and Kentucky likely has the same goal. Kevin Young has experience coaching in the NBA, which he has brought to BYU. The Cougars run a high-speed, high-scoring offense that many college teams struggle to defend. BYU has an advantage in that sense that Mark Pope could learn a thing or two from.
Given their original circumstances, my verdict is that Kevin Young had a better first season than Mark Pope. The offense, defense, and results speak for themselves. BYU had the better record, and while they had an easier non-conference schedule, they got the wins when they were expected to. Year two looks to be exciting, and I can't wait to watch it all play out.