1 / 5

BYU sophomore running back Tyler Allgeier scores a touchdown during the 35-31 Cougar win over USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2021. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

2 / 5

BYU baseball coach Mike Littlewood coaches third base in a game at Miller Park during the 2022 season.

Courtesy BYU Photo

3 / 5

4 / 5

The BYU men's volleyball team celebrates a point in a match against Concordia Irvine at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, March 11, 2022. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

5 / 5

A BYU batter hits the ball during the first Cougar home game of the 2022 season against Maine at Gail Miller Park in Provo on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

❮ ❯

BYU sports experts Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd answer five of the biggest questions facing Cougar sports this week:

1. How will losing assistant coach Chris Burgess impact the BYU men’s basketball team moving forward?

DICKSON: It took a pretty big man (literally and figuratively) for the 6-foot-10 Burgess to come to BYU after that whole mess in the 1990’s during his recruitment by Roger Reid. It could have made for some awkward moments but Burgess handled it with class and proved to be a very talented big man’s coach. From the outside looking in, the decision to head up I-15 to the Utes seems like a lateral move at best. This is a program with no forward momentum (11-20 overall, 4-16 Pac-12), in the middle of a big rebuilding project with a second-year coach and very little fan support with dreadful attendance at the Huntsman Center last season. However, Utah is Burgess’ alma mater and his daughter, KJ, will play volleyball for the Utes this fall. I would imagine he got a pretty nice salary bump as well. While Utah is firmly established in the Pac-12, BYU has a lot of work to do to be competitive in the Big 12 and maybe that played into his decision. Burgess did a nice job at BYU but his departure is going to open up an opportunity for another young coach to make his mark, so it’s all good.

LLOYD: On a personal level, I always enjoyed talking to Burgess during his time in Orem and Provo, so I’ll miss that regular interaction. As far as the impact his departure will have on the program, that is difficult to determine. Yes, he was a solid recruiter and his work with post players was really good. But Mark Pope has enough connections that I’m confident he will be able to bring in a replacement who will be able to pick up the slack in those areas. In some ways, the bigger question is what it says about the Cougar program to have Burgess choose to be an assistant at Utah. Was it about the money? Was it to be closer to his daughter, who will be playing volleyball as a Ute? Was he ready for a new challenge? When Pope talks about wanting to have the best locker room in America, I extrapolate that to include the staff. Seeing a coach like Burgess choose to depart like this makes me wonder if there is still work to do in that area.

2. What does BYU baseball have to do to maintain its level of play for the remainder of the season after the resignation of Mike Littlewood?

LLOYD: As long as the “personal reasons” that were the official reason for Littlewood’s departure don’t impact the status of the program, I think the only reason for concern is the distraction it could be. This is a pretty good Cougar squad that has a lot of positives going for it right now. The players are certainly familiar with the coaches who will be taking more of the coaching duties and I don’t expect there to be any major disruptions. But if there was dissension in the ranks or there are other issues, that could derail this team. Baseball has a huge mental component and BYU can’t afford to let its focus lapse.

DICKSON: The timing of this move was curious, to say the least. Coaches become very emotionally attached to their players and their program, and to leave midseason without being pushed out is difficult to explain. Did Littlewood just not see himself as the coach of the Cougars when they entered the Big 12? He is leaving the program in better shape than he found it but there is still a lot of work to do in the next two seasons. As for the players, the move does give them a fresh start with interim coach Trent Pratt at the helm. Maybe that helps them relax a little bit in the final 25 or so games. Pratt is getting good reviews from former players so maybe he can get the team to reach their potential. The pitching has been pretty solid but the Cougars need some more offense to finish the season strong and make a run in the WCC Tournament.

3. How many former BYU football players will be drafted in the 2022 NFL draft?

DICKSON: There should be two players taken in the NFL draft. That much is clear after Pro Day and subsequent mock draft results. Certainly running back Tyler Allgeier will go in the first three or four rounds. He has all the makings of a really good NFL player. Center James Empey would have helped himself had he been able to stay healthy his whole career, but he’ll be a late-round steal for somebody. As for others, I’d like to see receivers Neil Pau’u and Samson Nacua get a good shot in an NFL team camp. Both are a lot better than their senior year numbers would indicate. If they get a chance to show NFL coaches what they can do, I like their chances to catch on in the League.

LLOYD: In some ways, I see the 2022 draft as more of a referendum on how the Cougars are perceived by the decision-makers in pro football than the 2021 draft was. That’s because BYU has so few players who are in the mix but all five have shown some potential. To me, running back Tyler Allgeier is a lock to be selected and I give offensive lineman James Empey at least a 75% chance of hearing his name called. The situation for defensive lineman Uriah Leiataua and wide receivers Neil Pau’u and Samson Nacua is a little more difficult to predict. I just don’t know if they have done enough to be picked but those late rounds are definitely a time where teams are willing to take some chances. If the Cougars have elevated their stock enough, I could definitely see one of those guys getting taken in the last round.

4. It’s been a rough year for the Cougar men’s volleyball team. Having seen the struggles, do you think this is a blip in the radar and BYU will rebound or is the program heading in the wrong direction?

LLOYD: I don’t believe that one season is a good indicator of a program’s direction but I will say I expected to see slightly more improvement from January to April from this squad. There are a number of players who I think are talented but things haven’t quite come together consistently. I do believe Shawn Olmstead does a great job and that he’ll have things back on track soon, but this is the first time he has been tested like this in a long time. Next year will be when I will expect to see a lot more progress.

DICKSON: This season just proves how good men’s college volleyball is year in and year out. I feel like BYU has a pretty good amount of young talent. They just aren’t proven yet and need to push through the tough times to get that experience. The Cougars have lost four five-set matches this season and had leads in all of those fifth sets. As the team continues to improve, they’ll start winning those five-set matches. And while BYU benefited from the extra COVID year last season, other programs are benefiting more in 2022. That advantage will eventually balance out and I think the Cougars will be right back in the thick of things very quickly. Shawn Olmstead is an excellent coach and this year has really been a big challenge for him and his staff.

5. Should BYU softball be concerned after it dropped its first WCC series to Loyola Marymount last week?

DICKSON: My own little research shows that the last time the Cougars lost a WCC series was in 2016 so heck, yeah, there is concern. BYU has dominated this conference for so long I’m not sure how the team will respond after losing the series to LMU at home. The Cougars definitely had their chances against the Lions and just couldn’t come up with the big hit or big play. That’s where they need to focus their efforts next. Two games were postponed due to bad weather this week so BYU won’t play again until April 20 against Utah Valley. That gives Gordon Eakin plenty of time to get this team ready for the rest of conference play.

LLOYD: The answer to this question is yes, although not because of how it pertains to their standings in the conference. It’s a long season and since it is very rare to see the Cougars lose a softball series, I think BYU will bounce back and have plenty of success. But the reason for apprehension is how the Cougars lost. BYU head coach Gordon Eakin talked earlier in the year about how he was disappointed by how his athletes hadn’t stepped up in key moments, resulting in a lot of runners being left on base. It looked for a while like his team was doing better, but that same issue hurt the Cougars last week. I see that as being a bad sign, since you always have to take advantage of opportunities against top opponents. BYU needs to improve in that area before the postseason.

BONUS: What do you expect from the Utah Jazz in the 2022 NBA Playoffs?

LLOYD: My expectations have certainly been tempered by the reality of seeing the Jazz play so poorly late in games this year. This is a team that should be better in the fourth quarter than it has been, although the collapses haven’t surprised me because Utah seems determined to stop doing what works. I think the Jazz could get past Dallas in the first round, particularly if Mavericks star Luka Doncic isn’t 100%, but I just think Utah’s lapses will catch up to them and they will be bounced before going any further.

DICKSON: What’s wrong with the Jazz? It’s a good question and one that’s difficult for me to answer since I have Dish Network and they stopped carrying the channel that played Jazz games. (Boo, DIsh Network!) Following the box scores has been interesting since Utah keeps blowing double-digit leads and there are rumors of dissension in the ranks. The Jazz have been very inconsistent this year and a first-round exit isn’t out of the question, even if Luka Doncic misses some games. There’s enough talent on this team where they should be a championship contender. Is it time for new owner Ryan Smith and president Danny Ainge to blow up the roster? Could be.

Newsletter