Scott G Winterton, Deseret News via AP

Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd give their opinions on the hot BYU sports topics this week:

1. With the BYU men’s basketball team losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, how successful was the 2023-24 season?

DICKSON: It’s been an interesting week for BYU basketball, hasn’t it?

Fans and experts fall on both sides of the argument. Some contend that the Cougars weren’t expected to do anything during their first season in the Big 12 and others are too disappointed with another first-round exit to give too much thought to what the team accomplished.

My own thoughts are that a program needs to show progress for a season to be successful. Mark Pope and his team showed a ton of progress after a bad finish in the West Coast Conference last season. BYU managed to finish fifth in the Big 12, stayed near the top of every single metric and earned an NCAA berth for the first time since 2021.

Sure, the first round loss to Duquesne was a gut punch, but that’s the NCAA Tournament. Upsets happen.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

What’s next for the Cougars is to continue to make progress as a program and get to the second round or a Sweet 16. Pope is bringing in some nice talent to go along with returning experience for 2024-25.

LLOYD: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being extremely successful and 1 being a complete failure, I would give BYU a solid 7.

There is no doubt that this Cougar squad completely obliterated expectations — but expectations are always flawed. They are usually based on a combination of extrapolation from what happened the previous season and speculation about what might have changed, both of which can be wildly inaccurate.

But this team also had every reason to believe BYU could be better than it turned out to be. There were a number of times when it didn’t adapt to circumstances nearly as quickly or as effectively as it should.

I understand that head coach Mark Pope and the Cougars had a team of shooters and tried to play to that strength, but I thought there were times where it forgot that the best 3-point shots come when you make the right passes and get out in transition off of good defense.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

I look forward to seeing what the overall success signifies for the future of the BYU program.

2. Should Cougar junior guard Jaxson Robinson bolt for his professional career or come back to BYU for one more season?

LLOYD: To me, it comes down to what Robinson wants his professional career to be. Right now, I see him as a G-League player at best and a guy who is relegated to international opportunities at worst.

Yes, he can shoot. He has proven that this season. And modern pro basketball teams need shooters.

But he has so much more to work on. I think he could be a lot better at things like passing, attacking the rim, getting into the mid-range game and playing aggressive defense.

In my opinion, it is a lot easier to develop those skills in college than in the pros, which is where I see the biggest argument for him in returning and why I think he should come back.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

But it’s hard to argue that he will almost certainly make more money if he moves on and there is always the risk of injury. He just has to weigh how much better he could get against those potential benefits.

DICKSON: Most NBA Draft predictions have Robinson as a late second-round choice, which makes it dicey.

If Robinson were to come back to BYU I would thing Pope would make him a starter and the focal point of the offense. Robinson could improve his draft stock by averaging 20 points per game next season. He could get better at playing defense and hone other parts of his game as well.

Then again, his 25-point effort in the loss to Duquesne probably caught the eye of plenty of pro scouts. It really depends on whether he’s ready to begin his pro journey right now, draft choice or not.

No one’s talking about it, but there’s also a chance some other power conference program will make Robinson a huge NIL offer to play one more year in college. Plenty for Robinson to think about.

I think he should come back to Provo for another year but that’s just because I want to cover another magical BYU run. Robinson is good enough to make that happen.

3. What kind of help does Cougar basketball need to find in the transfer portal?

DICKSON: There are two really talented freshmen (Collin Chandler and Isaac Davis) joining the program this summer. Chandler is a returned missionary so it may take him a while to get fully ready, but he could be really, really special. Add in a healthy Dawson Baker and the roster gets pretty crowded.

Of course, we’ve already seen Marcus Adams Jr. enter the transfer portal and there could be more. Until that settles, I would say BYU could use a one-and-done guard to give Chandler a chance to get rid of his mission legs.

And after a season in the Big 12, the Cougars could stand to find some more length in the frontcourt. Keanu Dawes, a 6-foot-9 forward who considered BYU before choosing Rice, is now in the portal and could be an option.

LLOYD: This is a much tougher question than it appears on the surface because the answer is based on what Mark Pope and his staff see from the players who are on the team (and don’t leave).

On the inside, can they get Aly Kalifa to be better around the rim? Can Atiki Aly Atiki finally figure out the footwork needed to be an effective, non-fouling rim-protector? Can Fousseyni Traore add a jump shot to his repertoire of post moves?

If the answer is no to any of those questions, then BYU definitely needs to look at bringing in help down low.

On the perimeter, is Jaxson Robinson returning? How confident are they that Dawson Baker will get healthy? Are guys like Ritchie Saunders and Trey Stewart ready for more playing time? What are the expectations for newcomers like Collin Chandler?

Overall, I think BYU should only be looking at bringing in one or two players at most to not disrupt the chemistry that helped the Cougars make such a big leap in performance this year.

4. The BYU spring alumni football game has been a rousing success over the past three years. Does it make up for not having an actual spring football game?

LLOYD: I don’t think the two things are mutually exclusive, if BYU decided to do both.

I have certainly enjoyed seeing the reunion of former Cougars returning to the field and I hope that continues. These athletes from different eras dedicate a lot of themselves to the BYU football program and should be honored by having the chance to enjoy some light competition as players again.

As for the more traditional spring game, I think they are overrated in many ways. Fans who show up in droves or watch the spring showcases that get hyped up on sports station desperate for any football content come away with minimal additional understanding of what these teams are.

But I do think there is a value that needs to be considered and that’s the chance to get a taste of an environment that simulates a game better than any practice. I think if BYU or any school is going to do a spring game, it should treat it as much like a game as possible, not just a glorified practice.

That way the players get that taste months before the important games roll around, which could be beneficial in preparing them for the season.

DICKSON: Yes and no. The alumni game has been way more popular than I would have predicted. Fans have really enjoyed seeing their old favorites come back and wear blue. Steve Young even made an appearance this year and former Cougar Jake Heaps played as well.

But I think BYU is missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with fans and boosters by not having an actual spring game. Yeah, I know this spring the field is being replaced and I also know all the reasons the coaches don’t want to have it anyway, mainly possibility of injury.

I don’t care if the 1s and 2s play much, and I don’t think it really matters. A spring game is a chance for fans to get outside and see the team in uniform. It’s a chance to sit in great seats and renew conversations about the program.

It probably would lead to more fans considering season or single-game tickets. Big-time programs like Florida, Ohio State and Nebraska all have spring games with huge crowds. BYU should follow suit and build something in the spring.

5. Call your shot: Who will be the starting BYU quarterback on August 31 against Southern Illinois?

DICKSON: We’re almost at the end of spring football and I don’t think the coaches will name a starter until right before the first game.

At this point, Jake Retzlaff has the edge because he knows the BYU offense better than grad transfer Gerry Bohanon. I believe Retzlaff will be the starter against Southern Illinois.

Cougar fans shouldn’t judge Retzlaff too harshly on his performance when he was forced into the starting role late last season. I think Retzlaff has all the tools to be a really successful quarterback in Aaron Roderick’s system.

I also believe we’ll see Bohanon at some point. He’s a one-year guy with a lot of talent who could be useful on special plays. And we all know injuries can change the quarterback dynamic very, very quickly.

I think the success of the offense in 2024 will be more tied to the offensive line than who plays quarterback, to be honest. Whoever takes the snaps needs a better running game and better protection to survive the Big 12 schedule.

LLOYD: Darnell is right in saying this battle to be QB1 is far from determined at this point. In the limited opportunities I’ve had to watch both Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon, I’ve seen brilliant throws and I’ve seen inconsistent plays.

Since I don’t think either one has established himself as the clear frontrunner, I feel like I might as well flip a coin to give an answer.

Instead, though, I’m just going to take the one Darnell didn’t so then (barring injury) one of us is guaranteed to be correct.

Bohanon does have a much more extensive body of work in his Division I career, since he has played in 34 games (Retzlaff has played in four). He has all spring and summer to get acclimated to how BYU and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick do things, and I think he’s savvy enough to figure things out.

Don’t be surprised if the reports early in fall camp are a lot higher on Bohanon than they are now. He’s got the skill and experience to emerge as the best player for the starting job.

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