Courtesy BYU Photo

As a preferred walk-on with BYU men’s basketball, junior Tredyn Christensen usually does his best work in practice.

As a member of the scout team, Christensen helps simulate the Cougars next opponent. During games, he’s there to support and encourage the players in the regular rotation.

That is, until he was suddenly thrust into the two biggest games of the season.

Due to three suspensions, Christensen found himself playing important minutes against No. 22 Saint Mary’s on Jan. 28. The Cougars got in foul trouble last Saturday at No. 16 Gonzaga so Christensen, an undersized post player at 6-foot-7, was guarding Bulldogs All-American Drew Timme.

He more than held his own.

Christensen played seven minutes against Saint Mary’s and nine minutes against Gonzaga, but they were important minutes and the most he’s played at one time all season.

“I just do whatever I’ve got to do,” Christensen said. “Whatever the coaches ask of me, I go do it. I’m just going to work to continue to be ready for each game. If I get called, I’ll be ready.”

Christensen was an all-state performer at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs. He played a couple of seasons at Snow College, averaging 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore.

He and his wife, Aliyah (daughter of former BYU running back Jamaal Willis) moved to Hawaii so Tredyn could play at Chaminade. He appeared in 26 games with 12 starts, averaging 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

“My wife and I were out in Hawaii and it was fun, but it really wasn’t my fit,” Christensen said. “We came back to Utah to be closer to family. I got in touch with some of the coaches and Bobby (BYU Director of Operations Bobby Horodyski). I came here on a visit and hung out with some of the guys. It felt great. Everybody wants to play at BYU, so it was an easy decision.”

He has settled into a backup role to big men Fousseyni Traore and Atiki Ally Atiki but Christensen actually played point guard at Snow and brings some unique skills to the team.

“I played point guard my whole college career until I got here,” he said. “I played the four and the five in high school. I pretty much play to my strength. Playing (in the post) is different but it’s fun. It’s definitely challenging as a walk-on. We’ve got to bring it every single day and push all the starters every day to get better. The coaching staff respects us all the same.”

BYU head coach Mark Pope said he appreciates Christensen’s contributions.

“The cool part about it is he’s gained the trust of the guys on the team and on the staff that he can go in at certain moments and really help us,” Pope said. “His ball skills are impressive. He’s comfortable making plays, handing the ball and passing. He has a hefty body so he can stand in there and compete physically. The most important thing for a walk-on is to be durable, and he’s been incredible that way. He has a durable body and a durable game. He’s a mature guy and has been a great piece to our program. I’m super grateful he’s here.”

Scouting report

The final three games of the regular season will be a huge challenge for BYU.

The Cougars host Santa Clara on Thursday, travel to Saint Mary’s then finish the schedule in the Marriott Center against San Francisco.

All three teams handed BYU losses in the first half of league play.

In the first meeting against the Broncos at Santa Clara, the Cougars trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half but tied the game at 58-all on a 3-point play from Noah Waterman with 6:18 to play. Santa Clara made some difficult shots down the stretch to pull away and won 83-76. Rudi Williams came off the bench to lead the Cougars with 24 points, 20 in the second half.

Traore struggled and had only six points in the game. In his past three games, Traore is averaging 18.3 points.

The 6-6 sophomore has been slowed by nagging injuries to his foot, his ankle and his hamstring but Pope said he’s probably as close to 100 percent as he’s been all season.

“The progress Fous has made over the past two months has been staggering,” Pope said. “He’s doing things differently on the court. He’s doing so much more and he’s been so much more versatile. All the focus has been on him this year and it was not last year. He’s the headliner on the scout and he’s attracting a lot more bodies this year. The fact that he’s become so creative and dynamic is really exciting for us.”

One big obstacle for BYU this season is making the right plays down the stretch in close games. The Cougars lost in the final minutes to both Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga and of their 12 losses, ten have been by single digits.

“There are a thousand factors in a game and in a game down the stretch it can hinge on your ability to win a defensive rebound,” Pope said. “It’s not the only factor in a game. But that can be the deciding factor in a deciding moment. It feels different with 90 seconds left in the game and the physicality required in that play.

“It might seem like an easy concept but there’s so much that these guys are thinking about and dealing with as well as the momentum and pressure in the moment to be able to lock in on the thing that’s most important in the moment. That’s a lesson you have to learn over time and certainly a lesson that our guys are going to learn.”

Men’s College Basketball

Santa Clara (7-5, 19-8) at BYU (6-7, 16-12)

Thursday, 7 p.m. MT

Marriott Center, Provo

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: BYU leads the overall series with Santa Clara 32-8 but the Broncos have won the past two meetings. … Santa Clara won 83-76 at home on Jan 19. … The Cougars are 9-0 at home against the Broncos since joining the WCC in 2011. … Santa Clara lost three games in a row after beating BYU (to Saint Mary’s, Pacific and Gonzaga) but have beaten San Francisco, San Diego and Loyola Marymount since then. … The Cougars have lost five of their past seven contests.

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