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BYU's Kanon Catchings (6) shoots a 3-pointer in a Big 12 men's basketball game against Baylor at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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The BYU Marching Band, socially distanced, plays during a football game against Western Kentucky at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah on October 31, 2020.

BYU Courtesy Photo

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BYU's Luke Benson (1) serves in a men's college volleyball match against St. Thomas Aquinas College at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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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. How good was Kanon Catchings in BYU’s overtime victory against Baylor on Tuesday?

DICKSON: What came to my mind once Catchings started going off was “It’s nice to see a young, talented player shooting with confidence.” Catchings himself said after his second 3-pointer he knew he was feeling it. You could tell you was dipping deep into his bag for several different moves, not just 3-pointers. His reverse layup for a 3-point play was probably the prettiest play of the night. One thing I’ve noticed about BYU moving up to the Big 12 is that every team has two or three shot-makers, players who can get their shot whenever they want. The Cougars have difficulty guarding players like that. Heck, most teams do. Kevin Young has said Catchings brings a skill set that gives BYU a different look offensively. Catchings didn’t play much at the end of the game or in OT and Young said that was a tactical move based on matchups and that, “It worked.” Maybe Catchings shooting would have kept the game from going to the extra session, maybe not. In any case, it looks like Catchings is finding his stride and that’s a very good thing.

LLOYD: Wasn’t it fun to see the talented athlete that we all knew was in there come up big in a big game?

Catchings has so much ability but seemed to be pressing too hard during much of the season so far. He would get in the game, take a couple of bad shots and go back to the bench.

That wasn’t the case against the Bears. He was much more controlled and looked far more comfortable. He would drift into open spots and be ready when the ball came to him.

I think the results spoke for themselves. His shooting was flawless (8-8 on field goals, 4-4 on 3-pointers and 3-3 from the free throw line). I hope it was a lesson he has learned that will allow him to be a more consistent contributor for the Cougars as they head into February.

2. How did the Cougars survive Baylor tremendous shot making ability of freshmen V.J. Edgecombe and Robert Wright III?

LLOYD: For the first time all season, BYU finally didn’t fold when it got into a dogfight down the stretch — or at least didn’t fold enough to lose.

It still wasn’t pretty at times. The Cougars saw a six-point lead evaporate both in regulation and overtime, thanks to mistakes and poor execution. BYU didn’t even get a shot off at the end of regulation.

But unlike in their two previous overtime games and other close contests, this time the Cougars kept finding ways to respond. A couple of mistakes didn’t result in BYU falling behind.

It certainly didn’t hurt that the Cougars were at home and had the fans urging them on, but it was still a step in the right direction. Now they have to prove they can do it more often.

DICKSON: BYU was really cooking offensively against Baylor. The Cougars were executing their offense and getting great shots for just about everyone, not just Catchings. BYU couldn’t pull away because Edgecombe and Wright were pretty efficient, either scoring or getting to the foul line. I would have liked to have seen the Cougars execute better down the stretch. They didn’t score the final 1:50 of regulation and it looked like they were going with isolation plays with players kind of standing around until around the 10 second mark, which isn’t really the strength of the offense. It was encouraging to see BYU make free throws in the overtime to put the game away, because that has been a problem.

3. What will be the key for BYU pick up a road victory at UCF on Saturday?

DICKSON: It’s a very different Knights team the Cougars are facing this year. Last season, UCF had trouble scoring and relied on toughness and defense. This year, the Knights can really score with a trio of three-level scorers. They put up 87 points in a four-point loss at No. 11 Kansas on Tuesday. So many of the same challenges BYU faced against Baylor will show up on Saturday. It will be important for the Cougars to stick to the defensive game plan and force UCF to take tough shots and rebound on the defensive end. The Knights will put up a lot of shots and will hit some of them. I like BYU’s chances if they win the rebounding battle. It wouldn’t hurt to shoot better than 50% from the field like it has the past three games.

LLOYD: The Knights are a solid team that is playing well now, featuring length inside and plenty of playmakers, but they aren’t the most amazing outside shooters (35.1% from 3-point land on the season).

That means BYU should have a shot if they can take care of the defensive boards. That can be easier said than done against an opponent who is aggressive on the glass.

I want to see the Cougars make a big effort to box out and limit UCF’s second-chance opportunities. If BYU does that and shoots decently, I wouldn’t be surprised if the road team is able to come up with another win.

4. What are we to make of what’s happening between the BYU ROC Band and the school’s marketing department?

LLOYD: The reality is that the Marriott Center is BYU’s facility and they can choose what they do at games there. Examples are how they’ve moved seats around, changed where reporters are and made big upgrades. If the school decided to not have a band at basketball games, that’s their prerogative.

But the idiocy of it all is not being open about why.

Are they trying to sell more tickets? I don’t know if that makes that much sense, since it is in the ROC student section. Is it not following instructions of when to play? Did the band members not follow some rules?

I know that as a private institution BYU doesn’t need to explain its decisions to taxpayers like public schools do, but the tendency to just be silent results in a lot of frustration from people who care about the students, including those in the band.

DICKSON: I have a daughter who has played in the BYU marching band for the past three years, so I’m kind of sensitive to this issue. Plus, I am a traditionalist. There are things that make college sports unique and I fear they are being phased out so schools can chase the almighty dollar. BYU doesn’t seem too interested in explaining why the band is not playing at basketball games, but it certainly seems eager to fill the time the band won’t be playing with more advertising for their sponsors. which is their choice. I’m not a fan paying to go to games but if I were, I don’t think that’s going to make me enjoy the game any better.

The initial issue may have been a miscommunication between the band and BYU, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye.

5. How can BYU men’s volleyball be successful on Friday and Saturday against Hawaii?

DICKSON: First of all, it’s been a minute since BYU and Hawaii met on the volleyball court, and this is going to be really fun. The rivalry between the Cougars and the Warriors, in any sport, brings out the best in both clubs. Shawn Olmstead has scheduled very, very difficult matches to open the season and he hopes that pays off in the long run. There’s no shame in losing to UC Irvine. The Anteaters are really, really good and tough to beat at home. It will be really important for the Cougars to put the two losses behind them and focus on the game plan. Each matchup in the non-conference will help them get better. Hopefully, they learned some things in the losses to UCI and will come out firing against Hawaii. The Smith Fieldhouse will be rocking, that’s for sure.

LLOYD: The Cougars faced their first real test last week and although they played will in the first game at No. 2-ranked UC Irvine, they ultimately lost both contests.

So how will BYU bounce back?

One of the big challenges for every team is seeing how it handles failure, but the Cougars really have a great situation lined up.

BYU will be at home against another highly ranked opponent in Hawaii. I think the Cougars have both the talent and the environment to put on a great performance, but they can’t come out flat. If they do, the Warriors will extend the misery through another weekend.

My expectation, though is that BYU wins one and at least pushes the other to five sets, even if the Cougars lose.