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Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey (3) pokes the ball away from BYU guard Spencer Johnson (20) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.

Matthew Putney, AP Photo

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BYU's Fousseyni Traore slams down an alley-oop dunk during a Big 12 men's basketball game against TCU at the Marriott Center on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Trevin Knell greets fans after an 87-75 victory against TCU in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU seniors Kaylee Smiler, left, and Lauren Gustin embrace near the end of a Senior Night victory against Houston at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU quarterbacks Jake Retzlaff (left) and Gerry Bohanon Jr. throw passes during practice at the outdoor practice facility in Provo on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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

1. It was a heartbreaking end to BYU men’s basketball upset chances at No. 6 Iowa State on Wednesday as the Cougars struggled down the stretch. What do you take away from the loss?

DICKSON: What I take away is BYU can play good enough to beat anybody and can also play bad enough to lose to anybody.

There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground with this team. They are either brilliant or awful.

The first half of the Iowa State game was a clinic offensively against one of the country’s top defenses. In the second half, the Cougars couldn’t make open shots or execute down the stretch and took a painful loss.

Making a post-season run is about putting together consecutive good performances and this team only been able to do that once during Big 12 play.

We all know how difficult the league can be, but BYU hasn’t shown the consistency to be able to put together a run in the postseason. They certainly have the ability, but Wednesday’s game is just another example of how flawed this team can be.

LLOYD: The reality that BYU fans clearly see is that this Cougar team doesn’t have a clear closer, a Tyler Haws or Jimmer Fredette that they can trust to get a good look on their own with the game on the line.

I love the fact that BYU’s offense is based on movement and sharing the basketball. It makes it fun to watch and often results in open shots.

But when the time is short in the final moments, the combination of additional pressure and frantic defending can make such sets virtually impossible to execute. That means the Cougars need to have another plan in place for those situations, particularly with the tournament looming.

Taking a step back, though, how cool is it that we are talking about this at all, that for the second time in a week BYU nearly pulled off a stunning road upset? This team has spoiled us with their overall performance, even though there have been tough defeats.

2. How much did it hurt the Cougars that they used their last timeout with more than seven minutes left in the game?

LLOYD: The timeout conundrum is a tough one for coaches and players. You only have so many to use during a game but it’s not like you can take them with you. You just can never be quite certain when to stop the game.

I do think they are treated a little more frivolously than they should be in college basketball, particularly because there are so many media timeouts and possessions. Is it really worth saving one possession in the first half or early in the second half when there are dozens of trips up and down the floor still coming?

I think coaches need to keep a couple on hand for the stretch run, especially on the road. You need to be able to have the option to draw up a play or set the defense. BYU didn’t have those things as options and it showed when the game was on the line.

DICKSON: I’m just a dumb sportswriter but it didn’t look like BYU had any plan at all offensively coming down the stretch run of the game.

Dallin Hall turned the ball over twice in the final couple of minutes on offensive possessions that looked pretty aimless.

What were the Cougars trying to accomplish down one? It was unclear based on what Hall ended up doing, which was try to beat his man off the dribble.

I would have liked to have seen some stagger screens and ball motion. I would have liked the ball to find its way to Jaxson Robinson for a drive, to the hot hand in Richie Saunders.

You have to give credit to Iowa State’s defensive ball pressure, which is elite. But it would have been nice for BYU to have a timeout left to get everyone on the same page on how they wanted to attack.

3. BYU appears to be a lock for the Big Dance, but there is another round of playoffs happening first. What are your expectations for Cougar men’s basketball heading into their first Big 12 tournament?

DICKSON: It’s really hard to say. BYU has proven it can beat teams above them in the standings (third place Baylor, second place Iowa State, Kansas is tied for fourth, Texas Tech is tied for fourth) but it also has losses to Kansas State (10th) Cincinnati (tied for 11th) and Oklahoma State (tied for 13th).

My expectation is that the Cougars can win its first game and put a scare into anyone they play from then on. Winning beyond the first game is going to require greater consistency than BYU has demonstrated in Big 12 play. They will have an advantage against any team that has just a day to prepare for their unique offensive sets.

LLOYD: After months of enjoying the benefits of home games and facing the challenges of road games, teams now return to the ambivalence of neutral court games (although Kansas and Kansas State have a clear advantage being so close to the tournament site in Kansas City).

My first expectation is that BYU needs to find its shooting touch. That’s not exactly a stunning revelation, since the 2023-24 Cougar squad has won when it shoots well and often lost when it shoots poorly.

I think BYU should win at least its first Big 12 matchup. A loss there sends it to the NCAA tournament on a down note and that’s not a good place to be. I think two wins are certainly possible but I have my doubts that — as Darnell pointed out — the Cougars can shoot well enough to win the multiple games needed to win the tournament title.

4. BYU women’s basketball starts its Big 12 tournament on Friday. What would you say are the keys for the Cougars to make a run?

LLOYD: Given what we have seen from BYU throughout the season, I’ve got to start with the most glaringly obvious key for this Cougar squad:

Take. Care. Of. The. Basketball.

Turnovers are not something any team likes having but they are even more damaging when the stakes get raised in tournament play. Sloppy passes, lazy ballhandling, offensive fouls and poor footwork all need to be avoided at this point in the season or you’ll be done. It’s that simple.

I also think BYU has to avoid foul trouble. Head coach Amber Whiting needs to be able to use her short bench effectively without having to worry about athletes picking up third, fourth or fifth fouls, particularly with Lauren Gustin and Emma Calvert inside.

DICKSON: Over the past month I feel like Lauren Gustin and freshman Kailey Woolston have been really consistent in scoring and leading this team.

But I really feel like the Cougars need freshman Amari Whiting to step up and give them a third scoring threat for any kind of serious tournament run.

BYU lost four of its final five games and Whiting was 10 for 38 (26%) from the field in the losses, scoring in double figures just once. She’s capable of being a scorer but sometimes is overwhelmed with having to run the offense.

If Gustin, Wooston and Whiting can all hit double figures, the Cougars have a chance.

5. BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake said the Cougars want to have a starting quarterback set “as soon as we can.” Is that just coach-speak or do you think BYU will name a QB1 in spring?

DICKSON: I don’t think the coaches can reach a consensus in spring football, especially since Gerry Bohannon is so new to the program. They are going to have to spread out the reps to both Bohannon and returner Jake Retzlaff and spring reps can be tricky, especially with so many key defenders getting limited playing time to keep them healthy.

There is just too much unsettled in spring ball to really chose a quarterback so soon. Bohannon is supremely talented and motivated to make his final season of college ball a success. Retzlaff won’t go down quietly, though. He’s going to battle to the very end.

I suppose if Bohannon or Retzlaff really set themselves apart in spring, the coaches could decide. But I expect this competition to extend into the first couple of weeks of fall camp.

LLOYD: While I think it is basically coach-speak and that any sort of starting QB announcement by BYU in spring would be shocking, I see an element of truth to the sentiment.

Retzlaff mentioned last week the iron sharpens iron and that competing for the job helps individual players improve. But Bohanon also made the good point that BYU’s offense needs to do what it does at a high level to be successful.

That becomes easier when you know who you will have as your main signal-caller. Then the other players and coaches on the offense can get acclimated to who the QB is, what he does well, how he communicates, even how he does the snap count.

The ideal situation for the Cougars, in my opinion, is a hearty competition in spring with both guys gaining the trust of the rest of the offense, then a clear-cut leader emerging early in fall camp.

That way BYU would have both a starter established long before the first game and a backup who demonstrated he is ready to step in and make plays if needed.

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