1 / 2

BYU freshman Elijah Crawford (2) drives to the basket against Colorado Christian on a men's college basketball exhibition game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 2

BYU freshman Delaney Gibb (11) goes up for a shot against Westminster in a women's college basketball exhibition game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

❮ ❯

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

1. Basketball question first. What impressed you most from the BYU men’s basketball team’s 93-49 exhibition victory against Colorado Christian?

DICKSON: Certainly Egor Demin has gotten a lot of praise from coaches and teammates about the way he can create opportunities. A 6-foot-9 point guard is a matchup nightmare and Demin showed in the exhibition he can distribute the ball really well.

I was really impressed with the other freshman phenom, Kanon Catchings, and his ability to get his shot off from just about anywhere. Kevin Young said while Catchings is still learning some things about the college game, he is a walking bucket. OK, Young didn’t say, “walking bucket” but there’s no denying Catchings has an NBA-ready jump shot and can really fill it up.

The other thing I liked was BYU’s start to the second half. While the Cougars led 42-12 at the half, the offense was kind of hit and miss. BYU went on a 24-5 run to open the second half, making 3-pointers and creating nice chances in transition.

Certainly there are more difficult games ahead but this team, even with Dallin Hall, Fousseyni Traore and Trey Stewart sitting out, has an amazing array of weapons.

LLOYD: I think you have to look at the ball movement as being the best thing to come out of the victory over an overmatched exhibition opponent. BYU finished with 24 assists on 31 made shots, something head coach Kevin Young highlighted in the postgame press conference.

Basketball teams can struggle to find the balance between when to take a good shot and when to work for a better shot. It’s not always as clear-cut as it can appear to observers.

It’s something that I’ve anticipated from Egor Demin since he arrived in Provo and he lived up to my expectations. He sees the floor, tries to think a step or two ahead and then gets the ball to where it has the best chance of going in the basket. That’s the epitome of a playmaker.

Against a team that simply doesn’t have the ability to match up, I liked that the Cougars demonstrated that they want to be a team, not just a collection of individuals. That is something I think will pay dividends if they can keep doing it when the competition gets tougher.

2. Where do you think BYU football will be slotted in the first CFP Rankings next Tuesday?

LLOYD: Before I get to my prediction, I’ll give a nod to the reality that many of the teams in the mix to be ranked are playing games this weekend. Although the Cougars won’t be doing anything to help or hurt their cause, clearly other teams can mix things up either direction between now and when the rankings are released.

Still, I’m optimistic that the committee will look at the body of work by each team more than they look at the name brand (like AP and coaches poll voters seem to do). If that is the case, BYU has a solid shot to have a good ranking because they are one of few teams who have victories over two other teams that are in the ranking conversation (Kansas State and SMU).

I’ll say the Cougars end up being slotted in at No. 8 in the first rankings, which is probably more or less where they belong.

The harsh reality is that with Utah and Kansas being mediocre, Arizona State being OK and Houston struggling, there aren’t really any more opportunities for BYU to impress the committee while a loss in any of the four contests could drop them significantly. That means all the Cougars can do is keep winning and see how the chips fall.

DICKSON: When BYU was in the MWC and later as a independent, there was definitely a national bias against the Cougars. It was basically “go undefeated or don’t bother.”

Now that BYU is in a power conference, there is still a national bias. I love to watch college football more than the NFL but at least in the NFL your merit is based on wins and losses, not your history. Teams such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama always get the benefit of the doubt and even though there is now a 12-team playoff, BYU probably needs to go undefeated or win the Big 12 championship in order to get in.

This first rankings will probably slot the Cougars somewhere between No. 4 and No. 10 but only as far as BYU is a conference champion. If the Cougars lose a game the rest of the regular season (and they are favored in every game so far), they are out. Even if they win the Big 12 title game but still have a loss, things could get dicey.

So the national bias still exists, it’s just that the line has moved a bit.

3. Who is your assistant coach MVP for BYU football so far this season?

DICKSON: I’m going to highlight the defensive line coaches.

BYU’s first year in the Big 12 was tough, for sure, but what was painfully obvious was that the Cougars were getting pushed around on the defensive line. You can blame injuries, but BYU couldn’t consistently stop the run or get pressure on the quarterback. It simply didn’t match up well in the trenches.

I think defensive tackles coach Sione Po’uha and defensive ends coach Kelly Poppinga have done a really good job of changing all of that.

Yes, a second year in Jay Hill’s defense has been beneficial, but the progress the d-line has made in handling their business game after game has been really important in the 8-0 start.

LLOYD: To me, there are lots of good answers to this question but one standout choice: offensive line coach TJ Woods.

This was a Cougar unit that had struggled far more than expected in 2023, despite having solid pieces in place. Even with Kingsley Suamataia and Connor Pay, BYU didn’t seem to be as physical and effective at the point of attack as it needed to be.

That’s not been the case in 2024, despite having guys like Pay and Sonny Makasini injured at times. The Cougars have played with renewed fire and confidence, resulting in solid numbers in both rushing yards and sacks allowed.

I think Woods still believes his unit can improve significantly (what coach doesn’t?) but he’s done an excellent job molding this group into a much more effective force.

4. The BYU women’s soccer team finished in fourth place in the Big 12 with a record of 8-5-5. Do they need at least one win in the Big 12 Tournament to solidify an NCAA berth?

LLOYD: It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride for Cougar head coach Jennifer Rockwood and her young squad, hasn’t it? There have been quite a few growing pains mixed in with some moments of brilliance, but overall I think there has been significant growth.

BYU might be able to get an bump from the selection committee because of its history of excellence, but I think the Cougars should be judged on their body of work above all else. The No. 4 spot in the Big 12 standings isn’t bad, especially considering the teams above them: TCU (ranked No. 7), Texas Tech (ranked No. 17) and West Virginia (just outside the rankings).

But even with all that, I think BYU does need to beat No. 5-seed Oklahoma State in the second round on Saturday to be assured of a spot in the upcoming NCAA tournament. A loss would put the Cougars in a very precarious position with nothing left for them to do except hope.

DICKSON: I think this might be Rockwood’s best coaching job. Remember, the Cougars lost two of its top players (Ellie Walbruch and Tara Warner) to injury and they’ve had to rely on a bunch of underclassmen who hadn’t been tested in the Big 12 trenches yet.

The win at No. 17 Texas Tech to end the regular season was another stop on a journey that has had its stops and starts, but the victory proved to the players that they can play with anyone. I fully expect this team back on top of the league next season with nearly everyone, including Walbruch, returning.

With an 8-5-5 record and good RPI (No. 21), the Cougars should be in the field of 64. Getting a win against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament would probably make them more secure. The first time the two teams met resulted in a 2-2 tie at South Field.

5. The BYU women’s basketball team scored 105 points in its exhibition win against Westminster. What kind of team has Amber Whiting put together this season?

DICKSON: As good as Lauren Gustin was last season, BYU did have to play a more deliberate style to get her the ball in the paint. In addition, Amari Whiting had to take over the point guard spot and there were some growing pains there.

Amber Whiting and her coaching staff definitely made shooting a priority in recruiting and she turned over the offense to former BYU men’s standout Lee Cummard. His style is to push the ball and so we’re going to see that a lot more this season.

Amari Whiting and Cal transfer Kemery Congdon will be the catalyst of this attack and true freshman Delaney Gibb can also push tempo. I’m interested to see how the Cougars will handle things inside, but I think this team will be pretty fun to watch.

LLOYD: Well, this BYU squad is clearly significantly better than Westminster, as it should be. Considering the Cougars shot 62.7 percent for the game and held the Griffins to 23.7 percent from the field, this was a solid exhibition performance on both ends of the court.

I don’t read too much into exhibition wins but Whiting certainly appears to have this BYU team adjusting well to a more up-tempo style of play. This is going to be a Cougar squad that will look to attack at every opportunity, both on offense and defense.

BYU has some new faces but sophomore Amari Whiting will be the key once again. She has already shown flashes of her ability to be a big-time performer. Now the Cougars need her to take a big step forward and make this her team.