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Ever since the 2000-2001 season BYU has had good hoop teams in every year save 2001-2001 and 2004-2005. Each team has followed the same basic model in that they had probably the best center in the conference and then a glut of very good jump shooters. With Travis Hansen and Lee Cummard they had their best teams because they also had the ability to defend the opposing teams' best perimeter player. Occasionally, the teams might have one or two kids who had the athletic ability and ball handling skills to create a shot for himself, however for the most part the BYU recruiting base seems to provide very good big men and very good jumpshot shooters.
This model has its limitations. Usually when BYU would play teams with superior athleticism and a big man capable of defending BYU's big one on one they struggle. Opposing teams use their athleticism to push BYU's offense farther on the perimeter thus making entry passes either difficult or the center gets it 15 feet from the hoop. Then these clubs are not forced to double the center and can continue to guard their men straight up which takes away those wide open jump shots. Against lesser teams unable to defend BYU in this manner BYU has those fantastic runs, but they are rare in tourney time.
This team is experiencing those same runs and wide open shots, but not because of a dominating 5. The biggest difference I see with this club is that it has 4 starters who can drive/create their own shot. I can't wait until BYU plays both ASU and Wake Forest to see if Fredette, Emery, Cummard and Tavernari can still create on their own, penetrate and force the opponent to collapse and thus creating open jumpers for teamates. I am pretty confident that at a minimum Fredette and Cummard will be able to continue doing this against good teams, but I hope one of the others can as well. This will be key as I doubt Miles ever really develops into any type of offensive threat. Miles is a very good athlete for a big who defends well, is a poor offensive threat and rebounds even worse. I hope he is just going through a slump.
The other big difference is that this team has two really good perimeter defenders in Emery and Cummard. They can disrupt opposing offenses and create steals, especially with Tavernari who is developing into a good defender as well and whose hoops IQ allows him to anticipate to get into passing lanes, or turnovers that result in opportunities for open 3's on the primary or secondary break as well as layups. I have seen BYU teams that defended well because they played good position defense, contested shots and rebounded well. This club is different. It doesn't rebound real well IMO, but it creates turnovers far better than any BYU team I have seen. Once again the competition has been the suckiest sucks that ever sucked, so perhaps my praise and adoration is as premature as a 21 year old BYU RM married sophmore's first post sealing nut, but I don't recall those other good BYU clubs this decade creating as many turnovers and fast break opportunities as this one. My biggest concern about this trend is whether or not Jackson Emery will have the miles in the engine this year to continue to play that type of defense in February and March when the post mission bear gets on his back.
The final difference is that BYU has had severly limited PG play with each of its good teams save 2000-2001. Woodberry in 2003 was a liability, Lemes was a decent jump shooter and a solid pg but he was more of a combo and could not penetrate to save his life, Ainge had a great hoops mind but a Division II hoops body. BYU's best tourney PG performance was Jimmer's last year as a true freshman. This year he is better, more experienced and way more confident. In fact I dare say that BYU's pg is actually one of the better players on a good team. Jimmer can handle the ball, penetrate, distribute and pass. He is a much better defender than Lemmes and Ainge as well. He doesn't defend as well as Woodberry, but his offensive skills are so far superior that the comparison is dumb. Jimmer is not a great athlete and it is unlikely that he could beat Mike Waters in a one on one, but I think the kid is going to do very well for BYU even when he is facing teams with more athleticism than himself.
I am really looking forward to the ASU game. I think these kids can play. I hope I am right.
This model has its limitations. Usually when BYU would play teams with superior athleticism and a big man capable of defending BYU's big one on one they struggle. Opposing teams use their athleticism to push BYU's offense farther on the perimeter thus making entry passes either difficult or the center gets it 15 feet from the hoop. Then these clubs are not forced to double the center and can continue to guard their men straight up which takes away those wide open jump shots. Against lesser teams unable to defend BYU in this manner BYU has those fantastic runs, but they are rare in tourney time.
This team is experiencing those same runs and wide open shots, but not because of a dominating 5. The biggest difference I see with this club is that it has 4 starters who can drive/create their own shot. I can't wait until BYU plays both ASU and Wake Forest to see if Fredette, Emery, Cummard and Tavernari can still create on their own, penetrate and force the opponent to collapse and thus creating open jumpers for teamates. I am pretty confident that at a minimum Fredette and Cummard will be able to continue doing this against good teams, but I hope one of the others can as well. This will be key as I doubt Miles ever really develops into any type of offensive threat. Miles is a very good athlete for a big who defends well, is a poor offensive threat and rebounds even worse. I hope he is just going through a slump.
The other big difference is that this team has two really good perimeter defenders in Emery and Cummard. They can disrupt opposing offenses and create steals, especially with Tavernari who is developing into a good defender as well and whose hoops IQ allows him to anticipate to get into passing lanes, or turnovers that result in opportunities for open 3's on the primary or secondary break as well as layups. I have seen BYU teams that defended well because they played good position defense, contested shots and rebounded well. This club is different. It doesn't rebound real well IMO, but it creates turnovers far better than any BYU team I have seen. Once again the competition has been the suckiest sucks that ever sucked, so perhaps my praise and adoration is as premature as a 21 year old BYU RM married sophmore's first post sealing nut, but I don't recall those other good BYU clubs this decade creating as many turnovers and fast break opportunities as this one. My biggest concern about this trend is whether or not Jackson Emery will have the miles in the engine this year to continue to play that type of defense in February and March when the post mission bear gets on his back.
The final difference is that BYU has had severly limited PG play with each of its good teams save 2000-2001. Woodberry in 2003 was a liability, Lemes was a decent jump shooter and a solid pg but he was more of a combo and could not penetrate to save his life, Ainge had a great hoops mind but a Division II hoops body. BYU's best tourney PG performance was Jimmer's last year as a true freshman. This year he is better, more experienced and way more confident. In fact I dare say that BYU's pg is actually one of the better players on a good team. Jimmer can handle the ball, penetrate, distribute and pass. He is a much better defender than Lemmes and Ainge as well. He doesn't defend as well as Woodberry, but his offensive skills are so far superior that the comparison is dumb. Jimmer is not a great athlete and it is unlikely that he could beat Mike Waters in a one on one, but I think the kid is going to do very well for BYU even when he is facing teams with more athleticism than himself.
I am really looking forward to the ASU game. I think these kids can play. I hope I am right.