BYU Cougars
2014-2015 Overall Rank: #38
Conference Rank: #2 West Coast
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It is rare that a BYU team lacks leaders, but that was the case last season when there was not a single senior on the roster. But the Cougars still finished second to Gonzaga in the WCC and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Dave Rose’s team lost their opener to seventh seeded Oregon 87-68 when their high scoring offense ran into an even higher scoring offense. There are some players who will not be around this year, but Coach Rose has plenty of experienced seniors who can carry this team back to the tournament.
2013-14 Record: 23-12, 13-5
2013-14 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Dave Rose
Coach Record: 232-78 at BYU, 232-78 overall
Who’s Out:
Matt Carlino, who transferred to Marquette, is a significant loss. The point guard was third on the team with 13.7 points per game and dished out 4.3 assists per game. His shooting was often erratic, but Carlino was always a threat to drop 30 points on any given night. Eric Mika, a regular starter in the frontcourt as a freshman, is off to his mission after averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Who’s In:
The Cougars have a bevy of newcomers who will give Coach Rose plenty of depth. Transfers Chase Fischer, Jordan Ellis and Jamal Aytes have experience. Fischer, a 6-3 junior, spent a couple years at Wake Forest and is a superb shooter. He never really found a role with the Demon Deacons, but now he should be able to get more open looks. Aytes spent part of a season at UNLV and the 6-6 forward is an intriguing prospect once he is eligible after the first semester. Freshmen Jake Toolson and Jordan Chatman will add depth on the wings. Toolson, a 6-5 wing, is a big time scorer. Finding minutes will be the hard part. The frontcourt adds Ryan Andrus, Corbin Kaufusi, Isaac Neilson and Dalton Nixon. Neilson, a 6-11 center, has been on his mission for the last two years and has the strength to contribute immediately.
Who to Watch:
BYU has a couple superstars in Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth. Haws is one of the best scorers in the nation. The 6-5 guard averaged 23.2 points per game, ranking sixth in the nation during the 2013-2014 campaign. Haws is certainly capable of knocking down three-pointers, but there are not many players who can get to the basket better than Haws. He spends a lot of time at the charity stripe and has a career free-throw percentage of 88.7 percent. Collinsworth is one of the most versatile players in the country. The 6-6 junior averaged 14.0 points per game last season, but he also led the team with 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Collinsworth is obviously a good passer and he is capable of running the point. Skyler Halford is another option at point. The senior started 13 games last season. Anson Winder, another senior, could step into a full-time starting role on the wing. He has not looked to shoot too often during his collegiate career, but he is good all-around scorer. Frank Bartley IV showed some of his scoring potential as a freshman and should develop into a quality scoring option off of the bench.
Final Projection:
On paper, the frontcourt is not quite as impressive as the backcourt in terms of pure talent or depth. The newcomers will add some depth, but BYU will need Nate Austin, Josh Sharpe and Luke Worthington to step up and help replace Mika. Austin has struggled offensively, but he is a superb rebounder and the team’s top shot blocking threat. Sharp is not much of a scorer either, but the lanky 6-7 senior does have plenty of experience and will do the dirty work. The backcourt can do just about all of the scoring, but it would be helpful if the frontcourt had somebody who was a threat to score. That would give Haws and Collinsworth more room to operate…not that they need too much room. Winning the West Coast Conference may not happen with Gonzaga sporting a great team, but this team will get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA Tournament
Projected Starting Five:
Kyle Collinsworth, Junior, Guard, 14.0 points per game
Anson Winder, Senior, Guard, 6.5 points per game
Tyler Haws, Senior, Guard, 23.2 points per game
Josh Sharp, Senior, Forward, 1.4 points per game
Nate Austin, Senior, Forward, 3.8 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.1 (145th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense:
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Madness 2014 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#55 T.J. Haws
#120 Payton Dastrup
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