Tweet
Because so much of 2022-2023 became about 2023-2024 so lets start talking about it and bury 22-23.
I will kick it off with the roster....
Currently BYU has the following scholarship players in the program or signed:
Noah Waterman - SR
Spencer Johnson - SR
Atiki- JR
Fouss-JR
Trey Stewart - JR
Trevin Knell- JR
Jaxson Robinson- JR
Richie Saunders- SO
Dallin Hall- SO
Braeden Moore-FR
Tanner Toolsen-FR
Jake Wahlen- FR
That is 12 scholarships spoken for which leaves 1 open scholarship.
I think the needs of the team are:
1.) Talent upgrade in the post and I think the 4. BYU brought in Waterman in the hopes he could be a stretch 4 and give BYU a decent offensive option at that position. That didn't materialize the way we all wanted. I think BYU's most desperate recruiting need is to find a post player, I prefer a 4 who can play alongside Fouss, who can score double digit points and hopefully replace Gideon George's rebounding.
2.) PG help.
I am convinced BYU has to find post help in the transfer portal. As far as the PG position goes, perhaps Trey Stewart can be Dallin Hall's back up PG for 10-20 mpg but I doubt that is Pope's plan as Trey Stewart has never played PG up to this point in his career. Hence, I think finding a PG out of the portal is likely the direction Pope will go. If BYU brings in two portal transfers then at least one of the 12 currently allocated scholarship players has to either transfer out or move to walk on status. In my world the two most likely candidates for that are Waterman and Stewart.
I like the core 6 players who will return in 23-24 that played significant minutes in 22-23- Fouss, Atiki, Saunders, Hall, Johnson and Robinson. I hope all 6 return and are key parts of BYU's rotation in 23-24. Losing parts of that core to transfers will cause to wonder if Pope is in fact BYU's Krystoviak.
I still believe/hope Tanner Toolsen has a bright future at BYU so I expect/hope he returns.
I have no idea what to think about Moore. My instinct is Pope wants to turn him into a center who can shoot the 3- a stretch center if you will. Our own loveable Pitsnogle of WVU fame. He looks like to me he has added weight this year. I think he may be Pope's plan's for post depth after Fous and Atiki should there be foul trouble or injuries. But this is entirely conjecture and hope on my part. I just don't think Pope would have redshirted him unless he thought the kid could one day help BYU with the added physical development a redshirt afforded him. Or perhaps Pope realized early he had made a recruiting mistake and redshirting Moore's allows Moore to play 4 years elsewhere. I don't know but time will tell.
I have read from what I believe are credible sources that Jake Wahlen is up to 220 lbs. I doubt that is all good weight for basketball, but I think it indicates that once Jake returns from his mission and gets his body back into shape he is likely to be a 6'8" 210-220 lb player. I think his future at BYU is likely at the 4 and I think he plays some minutes next year at that position. I think Wahlen can develop into a good player for BYU and I think he can probably give BYU minutes off the bench as a true freshman similar to Richie Saunders.
After the above 9 that leaves Knell, Waterman and Stewart. I know Knell and Waterman are different players with different positions but I don't think BYU "needs" both next year. I think the skill that both can provide is as a spot up shooter and only Knell has ever done that very well at BYU. I see them as duplicative and if BYU needs space I think this is part of what Pope's calculus might be. Further, I think Moore can take on that role of post emergency help that Waterman played a bit this past year. The last player is Stewart who has some ability that few on BYU's roster possess but I honestly don't see a role for him on next year or future BYU teams. But who knows how it will all shake out?
I will kick it off with the roster....
Currently BYU has the following scholarship players in the program or signed:
Noah Waterman - SR
Spencer Johnson - SR
Atiki- JR
Fouss-JR
Trey Stewart - JR
Trevin Knell- JR
Jaxson Robinson- JR
Richie Saunders- SO
Dallin Hall- SO
Braeden Moore-FR
Tanner Toolsen-FR
Jake Wahlen- FR
That is 12 scholarships spoken for which leaves 1 open scholarship.
I think the needs of the team are:
1.) Talent upgrade in the post and I think the 4. BYU brought in Waterman in the hopes he could be a stretch 4 and give BYU a decent offensive option at that position. That didn't materialize the way we all wanted. I think BYU's most desperate recruiting need is to find a post player, I prefer a 4 who can play alongside Fouss, who can score double digit points and hopefully replace Gideon George's rebounding.
2.) PG help.
I am convinced BYU has to find post help in the transfer portal. As far as the PG position goes, perhaps Trey Stewart can be Dallin Hall's back up PG for 10-20 mpg but I doubt that is Pope's plan as Trey Stewart has never played PG up to this point in his career. Hence, I think finding a PG out of the portal is likely the direction Pope will go. If BYU brings in two portal transfers then at least one of the 12 currently allocated scholarship players has to either transfer out or move to walk on status. In my world the two most likely candidates for that are Waterman and Stewart.
I like the core 6 players who will return in 23-24 that played significant minutes in 22-23- Fouss, Atiki, Saunders, Hall, Johnson and Robinson. I hope all 6 return and are key parts of BYU's rotation in 23-24. Losing parts of that core to transfers will cause to wonder if Pope is in fact BYU's Krystoviak.
I still believe/hope Tanner Toolsen has a bright future at BYU so I expect/hope he returns.
I have no idea what to think about Moore. My instinct is Pope wants to turn him into a center who can shoot the 3- a stretch center if you will. Our own loveable Pitsnogle of WVU fame. He looks like to me he has added weight this year. I think he may be Pope's plan's for post depth after Fous and Atiki should there be foul trouble or injuries. But this is entirely conjecture and hope on my part. I just don't think Pope would have redshirted him unless he thought the kid could one day help BYU with the added physical development a redshirt afforded him. Or perhaps Pope realized early he had made a recruiting mistake and redshirting Moore's allows Moore to play 4 years elsewhere. I don't know but time will tell.
I have read from what I believe are credible sources that Jake Wahlen is up to 220 lbs. I doubt that is all good weight for basketball, but I think it indicates that once Jake returns from his mission and gets his body back into shape he is likely to be a 6'8" 210-220 lb player. I think his future at BYU is likely at the 4 and I think he plays some minutes next year at that position. I think Wahlen can develop into a good player for BYU and I think he can probably give BYU minutes off the bench as a true freshman similar to Richie Saunders.
After the above 9 that leaves Knell, Waterman and Stewart. I know Knell and Waterman are different players with different positions but I don't think BYU "needs" both next year. I think the skill that both can provide is as a spot up shooter and only Knell has ever done that very well at BYU. I see them as duplicative and if BYU needs space I think this is part of what Pope's calculus might be. Further, I think Moore can take on that role of post emergency help that Waterman played a bit this past year. The last player is Stewart who has some ability that few on BYU's roster possess but I honestly don't see a role for him on next year or future BYU teams. But who knows how it will all shake out?
Comment