How did Noah Waterman take such a big leap this season and become one of BYU’s best players?

According to Cougar head coach Mark Pope, sheer will.

“One of the greatest things ever as a coach is when a player just makes a decision that he’s going to change,” Pope said. “It was almost like in a day. Like he just woke up one day and said, ‘I am going to approach this differently.’ He did it with his urgency. He did it with his off-court life. He did it with his academic life. He did it with building relationships with his teammates.”

Waterman came to BYU from Detroit Mercy with a reputation as a stretch four who could shoot long distance. He had his moments last season, including a 5 for 6 performance from the 3-point line in a win against Missouri State and made 4 of 7 from distance in a win against Weber State. Then there was a rough stretch when Waterman was just 9 of 40 (22%) from beyond the arc. He only scored five points in the final four games of the season and finished averaging 4.6 points while shooting 32% (30 of 93) from the 3-point line.

This season, Waterman is averaging 11.2 points while shooting 39% from distance. He set his BYU career high with 24 points in a win against Arizona State, making 6 of 9 from the 3-point line. In the past three games (two of them Cougar victories), he’s averaged 17.3 points and shooting 48% (10 of 21) from beyond the arc.

Beyond his scoring and shooting, the 6-foot-11 Waterman has become a consistent defender and rebounder, making himself valuable whenever he’s on the floor. He’s gone from 2.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23 to 6.2 rebounds per game this season and has started 19 games.

“I wish I could take some credit for it, but I can’t,” Pope said. “I think his teammates could take a lot of credit. I think that he takes mostly credit for just saying, ‘You know what? I’m actually going to believe that the way I’m approaching this needs to change and I’m actually going to change it.’ It doesn’t happen like that all the time and when it does, it’s what you dream of as a coach. He’s a different human being and he’s reaping the rewards right now.”

His teammates appreciate Waterman’s input.

“Oh, man, Noah has just been a different guy,” junior forward Fousseyni Traore said. “Of course, we all see him last year compared to this year. He’s just more physical. He plays harder than anyone. He’s been helping us big time, for sure.”

Waterman is enjoying the level of competition in the Big 12.

“I said it before, it’s a dog fight every game,” Waterman said. “It comes down to the offensive glass and the defensive glass and who plays the best defense. People out there are going at your neck every day. We’re not trying to make friends, we’re trying to win games. It’s a really fun, competitive spirit going to away games with the crowds and it’s a super fun atmosphere.”

SCOUTING REPORT

If there is a “Team Turmoil” in the Big 12, it’s West Virginia.

The Mountaineers lost Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins in June when he resigned after a DUI arrest. Long-time assistant Josh Eilert took over as the interim coach and juggled a roster with ten new players. West Virginia brought in one of the most touted transfer classes in the country but a series of NCAA denials, injuries and suspensions resulted in a 5-8 start. An NCAA lawsuit eventually freed up transfer guards RaeQuan Battle (Montana State) and Noah Farrakhan (Eastern Michigan) to start playing. Recently, 6-11 Syracuse transfer Jesse Edwards has recovered from injury and has been a real difference maker.

The Mountaineers aren’t your typical 8-13 team (3-5 in Big 12 play), having beaten then-No. 25 Texas and then-No. 3 Kansas. Battle leads the team with 15.7 points per game. Arizona transfer Kerr Kriisa, who led the Pac-12 in assists last season at Arizona, served a 9-game suspension and is averaging 10.9 points and 4.7 assists per game. Edwards (14.8 points, 8.4 rebounds per game) was outstanding in Wednesday’s 69-65 victory against Cincinnati, going for 25 points, ten rebounds and four blocks.

“Their roster is finally healthy and they are great a home,” Pope said. “I mean, they are unbelievable at home. If you look at them statistically, they are actually plus-30 free throws over their opponents at home and minus-30 free throws on the road. They’re shooting 44% from the 3-point line at home and 33% on the road. We can’t wait to get there. Morgantown is a really special place. It’s beautiful and their fan base is incredible.”

Men’s College Basketball

No. 22 BYU (15-5, 3-4 Big 12) at West Virginia (8-13, 3-5 Big 12)

Saturday, 4 p.m. MT

WVU Coliseum in Morgantown

TV: None

Streaming: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Radio: KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: BYU and West Virginia have played just twice, with the Mountaineers winning 68-51 in 1947 and the Cougars claiming an 85-83 victory at the Far West Classic in Portland, Ore., in 1973. … BYU has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for ten straight weeks, the fourth-longest streak in program history. … West Virginia has had six different leading scorers in the past six games.

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