BYU sports experts Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd address five of the big questions facing Cougar athletics this week:

1. Regardless of what happens Saturday against San Francisco in the season finale, the BYU men’s basketball team will post its worst conference record since joining the WCC in 2011-12. Would you consider the Cougars venture into the WCC an overall success or an overall failure?

DICKSON: The WCC years won’t be remembered fondly. I think most fans expected BYU to battle with Gonzaga at the top of the conference. There have been a couple of seasons where that has been the case but the Zags (or Saint Mary’s) have always come out on top in the end.

Despite having the GOAT in coach Dave Rose and all-timers like Tyler Haws, Kyle Collinsworth, Eric Mika, Yoeli Childs, TJ Haws and Elijah Bryant, the cold, hard facts would indicate the program is mired in mediocrity.

The Cougars never won a conference title or conference tournament title in 11 years in the WCC and made just four NCAA appearances (twice in the First Four). The last conference title (2011) and last conference tournament title (2001) all came in the Mountain West Conference.

As BYU prepares for the mighty Big 12, the climb is even more uphill than you think.

LLOYD: I don’t look back on the last 11 years and think they have been a failure for BYU basketball. There have been a lot of moments to be proud of.

The simple reality is that at no point in Cougar history have they been in a league with a coach who has been as consistently good as Gonzaga’s Mark Few. And while Saint Mary’s hasn’t been able to replicate the Bulldog success on the national stage, I would say that Randy Bennett is a better coach than just about anyone BYU faced during their time in the Mountain West Conference. And both Few and Bennett have been at their institutions forever, something you rarely saw in the MWC.

Great coaching makes a huge difference and frankly neither Dave Rose nor Mark Pope have been able to match the consistency of Few and Bennett. Yes, BYU lost games to other teams — but those two opponents were the ones who truly kept the Cougars from being champs over the years.

I think Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s deserve credit for it, not to be reviled for it. Any team who wants to be the best needs to find ways to regularly beat the best, something BYU never did in the WCC.

2. What are the chances that BYU men’s hoops can put together a nice run in the WCC Tournament?

LLOYD: I kind of feel like this is the point where the classic Lloyd Christmas line from the 1994 movie Dumb and Dumber comes into play: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance … Yeah!”

As of right now, just about everyone in the country still could get hot, win their conference tournament and make it to the Big Dance. But the vast majority will have their hopes dashed in the early rounds and I don’t see any reason to truly believe BYU won’t be one of them.

The Cougars have had one winning streak (two games) since New Year’s. That’s it. And so can they win four or five in a row in March? I don’t see it happening.

I’ve seen BYU launching a ton of 3-pointers (110 more than their opponents) and not making them very consistently this year (just 33.5%), so I’ll give the Cougars the benefit of the doubt and say they get one good-shooting night. That might be enough for one win — but until they prove otherwise, I’m going to say BYU goes no deeper than that.

DICKSON: Time and time again the Cougars have proved they have the potential to play with any team in the conference. The four games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s were all winnable. Yet BYU also lost to last-place Pepperdine.

The problem with the Cougars making a run in the WCC Tournament is they don’t have the consistency to play their best in what would have to be four or five consecutive games. That’s probably beyond their capabilities.

However, getting two or three nice wins might be enough to get them to the NIT. A few postseason games would be a plus for the young players heading into the Big 12.

3. One of the big changes with BYU moving to the Big 12 will be postseason all-conference teams. Which Cougar football player has the best chance of earning All-Big 12 honors in 2023?

DICKSON: We are, for the most part, unfamiliar with the programs and personnel in the Big 12. As we get to know them better, we’ll have a better handle on how the preseason and postseason awards will work.

In the meantime, I would look to someone like offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, who could be pretty dominant next season. Or perhaps tight end Isaac Rex if he gets enough footballs thrown his way. As for preseason All-Big 12, I’m not sure anybody at BYU or any of the new schools gets on the first team. Maybe second or third team.

LLOYD: It’s an interesting challenge to think about which Cougar players have shown enough already to be considered. It’s almost impossible to pick a BYU defender, since with the new defensive staff and schemes we don’t even know what roles different players will have.

Still, I’ll start by looking at that side of the ball since I think Darnell pointed out the two offensive players who are most likely to get that type of respect in Rex and Suamataia.

While I think the Cougars still have some good linebackers, I’m going to point to the secondary as the most likely unit to be recognized. I think both Malik Moore and Micah Harper have shown flashes of brilliance and, if healthy, could become all-conference performers.

But if I was putting money on it, I’m going with junior punter Ryan Rehkow. If he gets locked in, he could easily lead the league in a variety of punting categories and that would be enough to get him the nod.

4. Lots of change for the BYU defense in 2023 with new coaches and a new system. Which Cougar defensive player could step up and have a huge year?

LLOYD: As I noted in the last question, I like the BYU safeties and think they could be strong this year. Micah Harper and Malik Moore play positions where I don’t expect a ton of changes in their responsibilities, so they should be able to thrive.

But there is no doubt in my mind that the Cougars need defensive linemen to take their game to the next level. I’d like to see Tyler Batty and John Nelson get more one-on-one opportunities because then we can really see what they might be capable of. I think some of the transfer additions could open the door for a lot more success off the edge, which would improve the pro interest level in those players.

DICKSON: The linebacking crew should be pretty strong next season, so I would look to someone like Max Tooley to have a really big year. He’s the kind of linebacker who will always be on the field regardless of down and distance. His ability to play in coverage on one play and come on the blitz on another will make him a star in Jay Hill’s new defense.

A hidden gem in the defensive backfield is former JC transfer Mory Bamba. Hearing good things about his athleticism and he should excel in the new defense as well.

5. The BYU women’s basketball team will look very different in 2023-24 as Amber Whiting has already locked in seven recruits. Which of those seven players (Kailey Woolston, Amari Whiting, Ali’a Matavao, Marina Mata, Ashala Moseberry, Jennah Isai and Jana Sallman) are you most looking forward to watching?

DICKSON: We almost got a preview of Amari Whiting (the coach’s daughter) this season since the family moved to Provo and she was headed to Timpview. A knee injury derailed her senior season so she’s preparing for her freshman campaign for the Cougars in 2023-24.

The younger Whiting was highly decorated at Burley High in Idaho and was considered a Top 50 recruit nationally. I am interested to see how she makes the jump to college basketball and if she can get 100 percent healthy. If she does, I think she’ll have an amazing career at BYU.

I’m intrigued by the foreign post players (Mata is from Spain and Sallman is an Egyptian national) as well as Matavoa, who was just named Nevada Player of the Year.

LLOYD: I’m intrigued by the out-of-state players, many of whom are highly touted. But I’m not personally familiar with them, so it will be an introduction when they get to Provo.

The one I do know is Lone Peak superstar Kailey Woolston, who in my opinion has been the best all-around player in the state for the last two years. Her combination of shooting ability, defensive tenacity and overall basketball IQ make up for limited stature (she’s only 5-foot-10).

I’ve watched Woolston take on the best players in Utah high school basketball and she has more than held her own, so now I’m looking forward to seeing how she does in the college ranks. I still get to enjoy watching her impressive Knight squad for a couple of weeks of state playoffs but then Woolston will be off to join the Cougars. I can’t wait to see what impact she has.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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