BYU Basketball 2016-2017

[myboynoah]

I think the family is LDS. My understanding is Casey was raised relatively active to some extent but probably not uber active. However, my folks were at the Oakland Temple VC on a mission while Casey was at Stanford and they said he was a pretty regular visitor and the young adult ward there was frequently participating in baptisms for the dead and my dad recognized Casey there at least 4-5 times while my dad was there as a missionary. Do remember that Mark Madsen was an upperclassman on that team the two years Casey was in Palo Alto so my guess is MM was one hell of a senior companion - if you know what I mean.

I have read that Casey married an LDS girl, I think they met at Stanford, in the Temple and has been very active since he got to Palo Alto and is serving as a YM President somewhere now - although that might have been on Cougarboard so who knows how truthful it is.

He was in our ward in Collierville, Tennessee when he played for the Grizzlies. We didn't see him that much, but he obviously had a heavy travel schedule. His wife seemed pretty devout. He did host a father-son night at the a Grizzlies game and took pictures with our boys after the game. Sadly, he wasn't getting much playing time and that may have been his last year in the NBA.

[BlueK]

In Provo.

St. Mary's might be a really good matchup for Mika. That 7-foot Swede for LMU matched up but I don't think St. Mary's has anybody who can even remotely guard Mika alone. Hope he handles the double teams well.

I just think this one sets up nicely as an upset special. It doesn't mean it will happen, but I think with the way we've been improving and coming together recently that this might be one we can steal. SMC is good and efficient offensively. Their D is rated close to the same as ours on Pomeroy. We've also been able to get inside their heads the last few times we've played. If we can make them pay for doubling Mika I really like our chances to win.

[imanihonjin]

I just think this one sets up nicely as an upset special. It doesn't mean it will happen, but I think with the way we've been improving and coming together recently that this might be one we can steal. SMC is good and efficient offensively. Their D is rated close to the same as ours on Pomeroy. We've also been able to get inside their heads the last few times we've played. If we can make them pay for doubling Mika I really like our chances to win.

I am concerned because, we have been so inconsistent this year. I will be happy with even a close loss, if we can really battle well with SMC.

[Green Monstah]

I think the family is LDS. My understanding is Casey was raised relatively active to some extent but probably not uber active. However, my folks were at the Oakland Temple VC on a mission while Casey was at Stanford and they said he was a pretty regular visitor and the young adult ward there was frequently participating in baptisms for the dead and my dad recognized Casey there at least 4-5 times while my dad was there as a missionary. Do remember that Mark Madsen was an upperclassman on that team the two years Casey was in Palo Alto so my guess is MM was one hell of a senior companion - if you know what I mean.

I have read that Casey married an LDS girl, I think they met at Stanford, in the Temple and has been very active since he got to Palo Alto and is serving as a YM President somewhere now - although that might have been on Cougarboard so who knows how truthful it is.

When he was drafted by the Suns, the local media gave him some ribbing about his draft-day apparel. IIRC, it was a brown pinstripe suit, with gangster style wing tips (the wings were white, the rest of the shoes were dark). He mentioned that his girlfriend picked out the shoes, and I immediately thought "He's dating a Mormon chick."

[BlueK]

I am concerned because, we have been so inconsistent this year. I will be happy with even a close loss, if we can really battle well with SMC.

I think earlier we were consistently not very good. After the low point against UVU we started playing better and are hitting much higher levels of play more often. We digressed in the first half against LMU in our first true road game, but the second half we played very well. Injuries have also been a factor, but the last several games I think we're hitting that higher level of play more often. The progress hasn't been a straight line upward, but they're definitely getting better.

[BlueK]

BYU 3-pt FG% last four games:

LMU 41%
Santa Clara - 64%
CS-Bakersfield - 47%
Idaho State - 41%

[Goatnapper'96]

I think earlier we were consistently not very good. After the low point against UVU we started playing better and are hitting much higher levels of play more often. We digressed in the first half against LMU in our first true road game, but the second half we played very well. Injuries have also been a factor, but the last several games I think we're hitting that higher level of play more often. The progress hasn't been a straight line upward, but they're definitely getting better.

I am with you. But I don't think we will win at St Mary's. Eric still doesn't shoot well enough for a big man and he also struggles handling the double team real well. But I think we are clearly improving and starting to find our groove and play to our potential.

I am getting very optimistic for the next two years for a few reasons:

1.) I don't think Eric Mika will leave school until his eligibility is exhausted. Perhaps he might jump after next year but if he makes that jump it will be because his shooting percentages increased significantly as does his ability to handle double teams - i.e. his passing.

2.) TJ Haws is developing into the really good player I imagined he could be. His posture sucks and he looks like a bald "Butthead" but holy crap the kid can play basketball really well.

3.) Nick Emery's leadership and acceptance of a role as a defensive stopper and a lesser role on the offensive side. I had my doubts that this could be done but it appears to me it is happening.

4.) Yoeli's minutes and improvement. Kyle Davis' injury hurts for this year but if Kyle were healthy all year I doubt it would make an impact on our W/L record but undoubtedly Yoeli getting more minutes will pay dividends next year and beyond.

There are still some questions about depth that must work out in BYU's favor for a chance for BYU to make some special national level runs the next couple of years. It would be nice of Popoola ends up in Provo, Dastrup moves beyond being a big ball of "potential energy" into "kinetic energy," Jamal Aytes develops some consistency and Elijah Bryant gets healthy and meets the hype.

However, while I think we compete admirably in Moraga we will come up short similar to Valp or Illinois. But there is no question that this club can beat St Mary's and if our season series with St Mary's was set up like it is with the Zags (first game in Provo and 2nd game on road) I would honestly believe that BYU would sweep St Mary's. In another month I think we will be the better overall team. Unfortunate because I am not sure we are good enough this year to beat the Zags at home. But I do think we can beat St Mary's at home and then beat them on a neutral court in Vegas at the tourney. If BYU can only lose one other WCC game and finish conference @ 14-4 and then lose to the Zags in the tourney championship we can finish the year at 25-9 winning 2 out of 3 versus St Mary's. That might get BYU in. Only lose conference games to the Zags and @ St Mary's and beat St Mary's in Semis and BYU finishes 26-8 with two wins over St Mary's and I think BYU is definitely in.

[New Mexican Disaster]

I am with you. But I don't think we will win at St Mary's. Eric still doesn't shoot well enough for a big man and he also struggles handling the double team real well. But I think we are clearly improving and starting to find our groove and play to our potential.

I am getting very optimistic for the next two years for a few reasons:

1.) I don't think Eric Mika will leave school until his eligibility is exhausted. Perhaps he might jump after next year but if he makes that jump it will be because his shooting percentages increased significantly as does his ability to handle double teams - i.e. his passing.

2.) TJ Haws is developing into the really good player I imagined he could be. His posture sucks and he looks like a bald "Butthead" but holy crap the kid can play basketball really well.

3.) Nick Emery's leadership and acceptance of a role as a defensive stopper and a lesser role on the offensive side. I had my doubts that this could be done but it appears to me it is happening.

4.) Yoeli's minutes and improvement. Kyle Davis' injury hurts for this year but if Kyle were healthy all year I doubt it would make an impact on our W/L record but undoubtedly Yoeli getting more minutes will pay dividends next year and beyond.

There are still some questions about depth that must work out in BYU's favor for a chance for BYU to make some special national level runs the next couple of years. It would be nice of Popoola ends up in Provo, Dastrup moves beyond being a big ball of "potential energy" into "kinetic energy," Jamal Aytes develops some consistency and Elijah Bryant gets healthy and meets the hype.

However, while I think we compete admirably in Moraga we will come up short similar to Valp or Illinois. But there is no question that this club can beat St Mary's and if our season series with St Mary's was set up like it is with the Zags (first game in Provo and 2nd game on road) I would honestly believe that BYU would sweep St Mary's. In another month I think we will be the better overall team. Unfortunate because I am not sure we are good enough this year to beat the Zags at home. But I do think we can beat St Mary's at home and then beat them on a neutral court in Vegas at the tourney. If BYU can only lose one other WCC game and finish conference @ 14-4 and then lose to the Zags in the tourney championship we can finish the year at 25-9 winning 2 out of 3 versus St Mary's. That might get BYU in. Only lose conference games to the Zags and @ St Mary's and beat St Mary's in Semis and BYU finishes 26-8 with two wins over St Mary's and I think BYU is definitely in.

Those are some very optimistic scenarios. I don't think we are consistent enough to go 14-4 in league play. 12-6 or 13-5 seem more realistic to me.

[BlueK]

I am with you. But I don't think we will win at St Mary's. Eric still doesn't shoot well enough for a big man and he also struggles handling the double team real well. But I think we are clearly improving and starting to find our groove and play to our potential.

I am getting very optimistic for the next two years for a few reasons:

1.) I don't think Eric Mika will leave school until his eligibility is exhausted. Perhaps he might jump after next year but if he makes that jump it will be because his shooting percentages increased significantly as does his ability to handle double teams - i.e. his passing.

2.) TJ Haws is developing into the really good player I imagined he could be. His posture sucks and he looks like a bald "Butthead" but holy crap the kid can play basketball really well.

3.) Nick Emery's leadership and acceptance of a role as a defensive stopper and a lesser role on the offensive side. I had my doubts that this could be done but it appears to me it is happening.

4.) Yoeli's minutes and improvement. Kyle Davis' injury hurts for this year but if Kyle were healthy all year I doubt it would make an impact on our W/L record but undoubtedly Yoeli getting more minutes will pay dividends next year and beyond.

There are still some questions about depth that must work out in BYU's favor for a chance for BYU to make some special national level runs the next couple of years. It would be nice of Popoola ends up in Provo, Dastrup moves beyond being a big ball of "potential energy" into "kinetic energy," Jamal Aytes develops some consistency and Elijah Bryant gets healthy and meets the hype.

However, while I think we compete admirably in Moraga we will come up short similar to Valp or Illinois. But there is no question that this club can beat St Mary's and if our season series with St Mary's was set up like it is with the Zags (first game in Provo and 2nd game on road) I would honestly believe that BYU would sweep St Mary's. In another month I think we will be the better overall team. Unfortunate because I am not sure we are good enough this year to beat the Zags at home. But I do think we can beat St Mary's at home and then beat them on a neutral court in Vegas at the tourney. If BYU can only lose one other WCC game and finish conference @ 14-4 and then lose to the Zags in the tourney championship we can finish the year at 25-9 winning 2 out of 3 versus St Mary's. That might get BYU in. Only lose conference games to the Zags and @ St Mary's and beat St Mary's in Semis and BYU finishes 26-8 with two wins over St Mary's and I think BYU is definitely in.

Good points. I wouldn't be surprised if we come up short tomorrow. On the other hand, I do think we have a chance to pull off the upset. SMC is good but they're also a little untested and I think overrated.

[Goatnapper'96]

Those are some very optimistic scenarios. I don't think we are consistent enough to go 14-4 in league play. 12-6 or 13-5 seem more realistic to me.

But you are also a Liberal who has spent the past 9 weeks in the fetal position alternating between a Tourrette's outbreak about James Comey and sucking your thumb moaning that all your countrymen are misogynistic bigots. That state of mind is clouding any inkling you could have of optimism. Try this: If you are happy and you know it clap your hands!

Seriously, I think that part is improving. We only have the past 4 games against lackluster teams to see it but I think the improvement is there. Other than St Mary's and the Zags nobody else in the conference is good. I think Portland and USF are better than LMU but we also do not go to those games until Feb 11 and Feb 23 respectively. For BYU, other than the St Mary's road game, the conference season is set up well for a team that is young and inexperienced and not hitting its groove until now. I think we can get through this conference season with 4 losses in 2x the Zags, @ St Mary's and one more likely on the road.

[byu71]

If SMC is favored by more than 3, I am afraid SMC is going to win.

[myboynoah]

If SMC is favored by more than 3, I am afraid SMC is going to win.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

[New Mexican Disaster]

But you are also a Liberal who has spent the past 9 weeks in the fetal position alternating between a Tourrette's outbreak about James Comey and sucking your thumb moaning that all your countrymen are misogynistic bigots. That state of mind is clouding any inkling you could have of optimism. Try this: If you are happy and you know it clap your hands!

Seriously, I think that part is improving. We only have the past 4 games against lackluster teams to see it but I think the improvement is there. Other than St Mary's and the Zags nobody else in the conference is good. I think Portland and USF are better than LMU but we also do not go to those games until Feb 11 and Feb 23 respectively. For BYU, other than the St Mary's road game, the conference season is set up well for a team that is young and inexperienced and not hitting its groove until now. I think we can get through this conference season with 4 losses in 2x the Zags, @ St Mary's and one more likely on the road.

To be fair I have been sucking my thumb about misogynistic bigots sense I knew what those terms meant.

My pessimism (realism) is based upon past seasons and also upon watching a very talented but inexperienced team play. I am happy to be proven wrong, then I will clap my hands! :clap:

[Goatnapper'96]

To be fair I have been sucking my thumb about misogynistic bigots sense I knew what those terms meant.

My pessimism (realism) is based upon past seasons and also upon watching a very talented but inexperienced team play. I am happy to be proven wrong, then I will clap my hands! :clap:

I think this is the most talent we have had since Jimmer's years. Well, I don't really think that as I am pretty certain. That talent will start to show more and more this year as the experience builds. I don't think the teams of the past that lost those stupid games were as much inconsistent as they just didn't have as much talent as this squad does.

But I am an admitted optimist!

MAKING BYU BASKETBALL GREAT AGAIN!

[Omaha 680]

BYU 3-pt FG% last four games:

LMU 41%
Santa Clara - 64%
CS-Bakersfield - 47%
Idaho State - 41%

That has been a very welcome sight for sore eyes. If we shoot anywhere near 50% from 3 we will win tomorrow. There's my hard-hitting out on a limb analysis.