Tyler Haws is the best freshman

[Goatnapper'96]

basketball player at BYU in a very long time.

Haws has the best blend of offense and defense I have seen in a BYU freshman, and he is complete player on a good BYU team. The other good BYU freshman the past 10 or so years were either role players or go to guys on teams not nearly as good as this one. Haws' on the ball defense is not yet spectacular but it doesn't suck. I think he isn't the most athletic kid but he isn't a stiff either. What I love most about this kid is that IMO he scores most of his points in a mid-range game and how he rebounds. If he ever develops a consistent 40% 3 pt jumpshot he is going to be nails and IMO the parts of his offensive game that are the easiest to develop, open jump shooting, are where he lacks. He already has the athletic ability and strength to get to the basket and the mid-range game to complement that.

Defensively he can improve his one on one defense and he will with more experience and exposure to the athletes at this level. However, he has a very high hoops iq and is so fundamentally sound that he is already a great team defender. The kid is one great basketball player. I can see now why Boylen wisely spent so much time and effort and resources to recruit him!

I do think that he has a ceiling because of his athleticism, but if the kid chose not to go on a mission I think he would be a 3 year all conference player. Missions are a wildcard but I think he is going to be a notch better than Cummard. I think Cummard was a bit quicker but Haws has a better offensive game. Cummard struggled taking the ball to the basket and Haws is already better at Lee than that. That shortcoming really hurt Lee and prevented Cummard from being a real go to type of player. Haws can do that well right now. With him planning to serve a mission I think he will be a bit rusty as a sophmore but I think he will still make a run to be CPOY both his junior and senior years, even as an RM.

[Mormon Red Death]

basketball player at BYU in a very long time.

Haws has the best blend of offense and defense I have seen in a BYU freshman, and he is complete player on a good BYU team. The other good BYU freshman the past 10 or so years were either role players or go to guys on teams not nearly as good as this one. Haws' on the ball defense is not yet spectacular but it doesn't suck. I think he isn't the most athletic kid but he isn't a stiff either. What I love most about this kid is that IMO he scores most of his points in a mid-range game and how he rebounds. If he ever develops a consistent 40% 3 pt jumpshot he is going to be nails and IMO the parts of his offensive game that are the easiest to develop, open jump shooting, are where he lacks. He already has the athletic ability and strength to get to the basket and the mid-range game to complement that.

Defensively he can improve his one on one defense and he will with more experience and exposure to the athletes at this level. However, he has a very high hoops iq and is so fundamentally sound that he is already a great team defender. The kid is one great basketball player. I can see now why Boylen wisely spent so much time and effort and resources to recruit him!

I do think that he has a ceiling because of his athleticism, but if the kid chose not to go on a mission I think he would be a 3 year all conference player. Missions are a wildcard but I think he is going to be a notch better than Cummard. I think Cummard was a bit quicker but Haws has a better offensive game. Cummard struggled taking the ball to the basket and Haws is already better at Lee than that. That shortcoming really hurt Lee and prevented Cummard from being a real go to type of player. Haws can do that well right now. With him planning to serve a mission I think he will be a bit rusty as a sophmore but I think he will still make a run to be CPOY both his junior and senior years, even as an RM.

Admittedly I havent seen Haws play that much but Bigelow as a freshmen was spectactular. If Haws is as good as Ally Mcbigelow was as a freshmen then that is saying something.

[Indy Coug]

Admittedly I havent seen Haws play that much but Bigelow as a freshmen was spectactular. If Haws is as good as Ally Mcbigelow was as a freshmen then that is saying something.

Bigelow gets bonus points for being on an atrocious team and being forced to carry the team as a true freshman --- and sometimes he successfully did just that.

[jay santos]

basketball player at BYU in a very long time.

Haws has the best blend of offense and defense I have seen in a BYU freshman, and he is complete player on a good BYU team. The other good BYU freshman the past 10 or so years were either role players or go to guys on teams not nearly as good as this one. Haws' on the ball defense is not yet spectacular but it doesn't suck. I think he isn't the most athletic kid but he isn't a stiff either. What I love most about this kid is that IMO he scores most of his points in a mid-range game and how he rebounds. If he ever develops a consistent 40% 3 pt jumpshot he is going to be nails and IMO the parts of his offensive game that are the easiest to develop, open jump shooting, are where he lacks. He already has the athletic ability and strength to get to the basket and the mid-range game to complement that.

Defensively he can improve his one on one defense and he will with more experience and exposure to the athletes at this level. However, he has a very high hoops iq and is so fundamentally sound that he is already a great team defender. The kid is one great basketball player. I can see now why Boylen wisely spent so much time and effort and resources to recruit him!

I do think that he has a ceiling because of his athleticism, but if the kid chose not to go on a mission I think he would be a 3 year all conference player. Missions are a wildcard but I think he is going to be a notch better than Cummard. I think Cummard was a bit quicker but Haws has a better offensive game. Cummard struggled taking the ball to the basket and Haws is already better at Lee than that. That shortcoming really hurt Lee and prevented Cummard from being a real go to type of player. Haws can do that well right now. With him planning to serve a mission I think he will be a bit rusty as a sophmore but I think he will still make a run to be CPOY both his junior and senior years, even as an RM.

I pretty much agree.

After hearing all the reports on him during his high school career and seeing video here and there, I've been slightly disappointed in his athleticism. He will have a cap on his progression due to that.

He is a very complete freshman. With the experience he's had in his life in high school and AAU ball, he plays like an upper classman already.

I don't doubt his shooting will come. His shot looks nice and he has been known as a shooter. I think he's getting adjusted to the speed of the game and getting his confidence up. The last couple weeks he's been at that 40% 3 point level I think.

As for best freshman, I guess it's just between him and Lee. Lee might not have been as complete as a frosh but showed a higher ceiling. Haws has a more aggressive mentality, so that might balance out some of the physical gifts Lee had that Tyler doesn't as far as long term prognosis.

[Goatnapper'96]

I pretty much agree.

After hearing all the reports on him during his high school career and seeing video here and there, I've been slightly disappointed in his athleticism. He will have a cap on his progression due to that.

He is a very complete freshman. With the experience he's had in his life in high school and AAU ball, he plays like an upper classman already.

I don't doubt his shooting will come. His shot looks nice and he has been known as a shooter. I think he's getting adjusted to the speed of the game and getting his confidence up. The last couple weeks he's been at that 40% 3 point level I think.

As for best freshman, I guess it's just between him and Lee. Lee might not have been as complete as a frosh but showed a higher ceiling. Haws has a more aggressive mentality, so that might balance out some of the physical gifts Lee had that Tyler doesn't as far as long term prognosis.

He and Cummard would have really played well together. Lee was quicker and more athletic than Haws, but Haws handles the ball better, is physically stronger and has a better mid range game. Lee could guard really athletic players better than Haws could, and probably ever will, but Haws will do better against stronger players and should be able to keep power type of wings out of the paint better than Cummard could.

I really like Haws. He is my favorite freshman I have watched at BYU.

[smokymountainrain]

It's a good thing Haws has looked so good early on and especially last night - after watching BYU's starting backcourt last night, I had visions of Burgess and Murdock dancing in my head.

[U-Ute]

I obviously didn't watch the game, but how did BYU beat Wagner by only 10 when Wagner shot only 31% from the field? How did they hold BYU to 71?

[LiveCoug]

I obviously didn't watch the game, but how did BYU beat Wagner by only 10 when Wagner shot only 31% from the field? How did they hold BYU to 71?

BYU was up 18 at half and then just stunk up the joint in the 2nd half. They won by 16, not 10, but yeah, it was bad.

[Indy Coug]

I obviously didn't watch the game, but how did BYU beat Wagner by only 10 when Wagner shot only 31% from the field? How did they hold BYU to 71?

Your math is bad.

1. BYU score 77
2. BYU won by 16

Wagner got a bunch of offensive boards and BYU was cold from the free throw line and BYU played their bench significantly more than usual.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I'm not much of a hoops analyst, but Haws seems to have a well-developed sense of positioning and where to be, extraordinarily so for a newb to the college game. And speaking of where to be, it wouldn't bother me a bit if he were to come to a recognition of the excellent missionary work he could do in Provo for the next four years.

[U-Ute]

Your math is bad.

1. BYU score 77
2. BYU won by 16

Wagner got a bunch of offensive boards and BYU was cold from the free throw line and BYU played their bench significantly more than usual.

I misheard the guys on the radio. I thought it was 71-61 which was rather shocking.

A bit better, but I'm still surprised at only 77 points.

U-Ute

[cougjunkie]

I misheard the guys on the radio. I thought it was 71-61 which was rather shocking.

A bit better, but I'm still surprised at only 77 points.

U-Ute

You need to look at the minutes BYUs starters played:

Haws only played 22
Miles 13
Emery 16
Tavernari 19
Jimmer 28 (5 below his average)

Compared to bench guys
Morgan 18
Abouo 19
Loyd 12
Davies 15

All extended minutes for the guys off the bench. BYU has 4 games in 6 days they were on cruise control the whole game.

[Keyzer Soze]

The thing I've noticed about Haws is that as far as I can tell, he is almost never out of position on the floor. He seems to have a good understanding of spacing and is a better than expected rebounder.

I also believe that his three point shot is much better than many realize, as he hasn't taken too many yet. He is on a team full of three point shooters, and so he doesn't seem to feel the need to compete for those shots. However, I believe that before he is done (barring significant negative impact for serving a mission) that he will be one of the better long range shooters we've had.

[Mr. Crimson]

Missions are a wildcard but I think he is going to be a notch better than Cummard. I think Cummard was a bit quicker but Haws has a better offensive game. Cummard struggled taking the ball to the basket and Haws is already better at Lee than that. .

Isn't the real question will Haws future wife be as tough and angry as Sarah Cummard?

[John McClain]

I misheard the guys on the radio. I thought it was 71-61 which was rather shocking.

A bit better, but I'm still surprised at only 77 points.

U-Ute

The Cougars really phoned it in after the first 10 minutes. Nobody, but nobody was putting it on the line, but they knew they didn't have to.