BYU Basketball 2016-2017

[Green Monstah]

How will an additional year of experience compensate for innately bad perimeter defense and mediocre athleticism against Gonzaga or against the superior discipline and organization of SMC?

It doesn't sound like I'm going to convince you that this team has upside no matter what I say, but it isn't rocket science. Players are not static. I think there's enough fire and drive in the starting five, plus an offseason to apply lessons learned, to make a significant difference next year.

[Topper]

It doesn't sound like I'm going to convince you that this team has upside no matter what I say, but it isn't rocket science. Players are not static. I think there's enough fire and drive in the starting five, plus an offseason to apply lessons learned, to make a significant difference next year.

I get that, but it almost sounds as if you believe BYU's player development is dynamic while the player development of Gonzaga and SMC is static. Relative to those two superior programs what will a year do for these BYU players that won't happen for the other two programs? It's not a question of will BYU's five improve against this year's performance. I believe it will. But will BYU's performance improve relativeto the Big Two WCC programs performance and player development? What is the basis for your confidence? That's what I would like to have but have trouble finding.

[Joe Public]

you could have stopped listening at "my ward ball team could get 11 wins in the WCC." The kid has no idea.

Maybe he lives in Shanghai.

[Flystripper]

I get that, but it almost sounds as if you believe BYU's player development is dynamic while the player development of Gonzaga and SMC is static. Relative to those two superior programs what will a year do for these BYU players that won't happen for the other two programs? It's not a question of will BYU's five improve against this year's performance. I believe it will. But will BYU's performance improve relativeto the Big Two WCC programs performance and player development? What is the basis for your confidence? That's what I would like to have but have trouble finding.

With respect to Gonzaga they could lose their best player to the lottery this year but Gonzaga always reloads so I expect they will still be the class of the league. As far as SMC goes, I think they are already at the ceiling for their key players (like Landale). Maybe you think our guys are at their ceiling but I think they have room to grow. Time will tell as to who is right.

[Topper]

With respect to Gonzaga they could lose their best player to the lottery this year but Gonzaga always reloads so I expect they will still be the class of the league. As far as SMC goes, I think they are already at the ceiling for their key players (like Landale). Maybe you think our guys are at their ceiling but I think they have room to grow. Time will tell as to who is right.

I believe Mika and Childs will improve. Haws and Emery worry me, as they appear to be Carlino 2.0 and 2.1. Erratic and unreliable when it matters. Emery will shoot us out of a game as fast as he can win one for BYU. Haws wants to be fancy not efficient, and is a defensive liability. I hope you are correct but I'm pretty down on those two.

[Green Monstah]

I believe Mika and Childs will improve. Haws and Emery worry me, as they appear to be Carlino 2.0 and 2.1. Erratic and unreliable when it matters. Emery will shoot us out of a game as fast as he can win one for BYU. Haws wants to be fancy not efficient, and is a defensive liability. I hope you are correct but I'm pretty down on those two.

I think Emery has peeked. I think his role will gradually morph to a similar role to Jackson's: defense first (even though he's clearly a better scorer than Jackson ever was). I disagree on Haws. He will never be built like MJ, but give him time, and I think he's going to be a top-shelf guard for BYU.

[Topper]

I think Emery has peeked. I think his role will gradually morph to a similar role to Jackson's: defense first (even though he's clearly a better scorer than Jackson ever was). I disagree on Haws. He will never be built like MJ, but give him time, and I think he's going to be a top-shelf guard for BYU.

The guy who has looked completely different is Elijah. At the first of the season, he looked clueless. After return from injury, he looks serviceable. I wish his three point shooting wasn't so horrendous and I wish he were more interested on defense, but he is a serviceable guard.

[Crockett]

I think Emery has peeked.

[jay santos]

It's hard not to agree Emery has peaked. These LP kids have played a lot of basketball. Their games are mature. Yeah, they have to get in shape after the mission, but Emery's started two full years now. His sophomore year he went backwards in nearly every category.

Mika has huge upside, and I think he'll get better and better. Hope he stays.

TJ, dunno. He's been very disappointing, tbh. He'll be a stat stuffer at BYU, and will become a 20 point scorer, but is he a guy that can lead a great team or is he a guy that can score a lot of points on a mediocre team? I just don't know.

Childs probably has the biggest upside for change in the next year.

I don't know if I'm guilty of CougarBoard high expectation syndrome. I thought this year's team would be about the same as last year's team. They didn't get there. After seeing how good Mika was at the beginning of the year, and throwing in my expectations I had for the guards, I assumed we'd be a little better than that. And next year, I assumed we would be approaching Sweet 16 status. Now, I'd say I don't expect us to exceed any of the other best of the post-Jimmer 10 seedish kind of years.

Biggest blame for this: 70% players, especially lack of living up to expectations for the guards of this team and lack of depth. 30% Rose. I will admit I do wonder if something has passed him by, related to applying discipline and organization to his talent on both the D and O side of the ball to get the most of his talent.

[Jeff Lebowski]

It's hard not to agree Emery has peaked. These LP kids have played a lot of basketball. Their games are mature. Yeah, they have to get in shape after the mission, but Emery's started two full years now. His sophomore year he went backwards in nearly every category.

Mika has huge upside, and I think he'll get better and better. Hope he stays.

TJ, dunno. He's been very disappointing, tbh. He'll be a stat stuffer at BYU, and will become a 20 point scorer, but is he a guy that can lead a great team or is he a guy that can score a lot of points on a mediocre team? I just don't know.

Childs probably has the biggest upside for change in the next year.

I don't know if I'm guilty of CougarBoard high expectation syndrome. I thought this year's team would be about the same as last year's team. They didn't get there. After seeing how good Mika was at the beginning of the year, and throwing in my expectations I had for the guards, I assumed we'd be a little better than that. And next year, I assumed we would be approaching Sweet 16 status. Now, I'd say I don't expect us to exceed any of the other best of the post-Jimmer 10 seedish kind of years.

Biggest blame for this: 70% players, especially lack of living up to expectations for the guards of this team and lack of depth. 30% Rose. I will admit I do wonder if something has passed him by, related to applying discipline and organization to his talent on both the D and O side of the ball to get the most of his talent.

Come on, Jay. I can't believe you just posted that.

[smokymountainrain]

It's hard not to agree Emery has peaked. These LP kids have played a lot of basketball. Their games are mature. Yeah, they have to get in shape after the mission, but Emery's started two full years now. His sophomore year he went backwards in nearly every category.

Mika has huge upside, and I think he'll get better and better. Hope he stays.

TJ, dunno. He's been very disappointing, tbh. He'll be a stat stuffer at BYU, and will become a 20 point scorer, but is he a guy that can lead a great team or is he a guy that can score a lot of points on a mediocre team? I just don't know.

Childs probably has the biggest upside for change in the next year.

I don't know if I'm guilty of CougarBoard high expectation syndrome. I thought this year's team would be about the same as last year's team. They didn't get there. After seeing how good Mika was at the beginning of the year, and throwing in my expectations I had for the guards, I assumed we'd be a little better than that. And next year, I assumed we would be approaching Sweet 16 status. Now, I'd say I don't expect us to exceed any of the other best of the post-Jimmer 10 seedish kind of years.

Biggest blame for this: 70% players, especially lack of living up to expectations for the guards of this team and lack of depth. 30% Rose. I will admit I do wonder if something has passed him by, related to applying discipline and organization to his talent on both the D and O side of the ball to get the most of his talent.

I blame those damn mission trips. only being partly facetious. I'm convinced Haws would be a completely different player had he not gone on a mission. also, they could have used Gavin Baxter's athleticism at that 3/4 spot this year - probably won't even be able to touch rim when he gets back from his mission trip.

the other thing is KC was incredibly underrated by BYU fans. he did so much for the team. made the game easier for everybody else - imo, this is the biggest reason for Emery's step backwards. Doesn't have KC setting him up. BYU fans wanted to focus on his inability to close games because he couldn't shoot - a fair criticism, but over the course of a game, his impact was huge and his presence led to a lot of wins. they really miss KC.

[jay santos]

Come on, Jay. I can't believe you just posted that.

How do you disagree? The way the AAU and high school game has developed, frosh basketball players come in and contribute right away in today's game. Emery is a guy that's played as much basketball as anyone in the country prior to coming to BYU. And he's now played two full years at BYU. I don't expect to see a large improvement in the future.

[jay santos]

the other thing is KC was incredibly underrated by BYU fans. he did so much for the team. made the game easier for everybody else - imo, this is the biggest reason for Emery's step backwards. Doesn't have KC setting him up. BYU fans wanted to focus on his inability to close games because he couldn't shoot - a fair criticism, but over the course of a game, his impact was huge and his presence led to a lot of wins. they really miss KC.

This is a good point. I meant to mention this as well.

[Flystripper]

the other thing is KC was incredibly underrated by BYU fans. he did so much for the team. made the game easier for everybody else - imo, this is the biggest reason for Emery's step backwards. Doesn't have KC setting him up. BYU fans wanted to focus on his inability to close games because he couldn't shoot - a fair criticism, but over the course of a game, his impact was huge and his presence led to a lot of wins. they really miss KC.

This is very true.

I do not think Emery and Haws have peaked. Will they realize their potential? I am not sure. I sort of wish the coach from LP wasn't there. I am not saying he is the problem because I have no idea how involved he is in their continuing development, but in general its good to receive training/coaching from a diversity of perspectives and if he is just trying to re-create what they did in HS, it isn't going to work at this level. This off season is make it or break it for these guys. My fingers are crossed. There is still hope.

[Jeff Lebowski]

How do you disagree? The way the AAU and high school game has developed, frosh basketball players come in and contribute right away in today's game. Emery is a guy that's played as much basketball as anyone in the country prior to coming to BYU. And he's now played two full years at BYU. I don't expect to see a large improvement in the future.

First of all, Emery has not played any more b-ball at this point in his life than thousands of other college basketball players. You honestly believe that Emery played more AAU ball than most top-level players? That is nuts.

Second, the notion that after playing AAU/HS ball and then two years of college, someone has hit a ceiling and has no more room or opportunity to improve is also crazy talk. There are NBA players with far more experience than him that continue to steadily improve each year.

Emery may or may not get better in his last two years. I am betting he will improve. But if he doesn't, it won't have anything to do with this mythical experience limit you are describing.