1. Point Guard Problems
I've already said this once in our point guard preview, but I'll say it again here: Brock Zylstra is not a point guard. That much was readily apparent tonight, particularly in the second half. After generally muddling through the first 20 minutes without serious damage, the wheels really came off BYU's offense after the break.
BYU opened the second session 4-for-4 from the field, but that didn't last long. The Cougars' offense stagnated and went through a prolonged, five-plus minute drought, getting outscored 17-2 in the process. There were a number of reasons for this malaise but none were more significant than the poor play of Zylstra, which continued to plague BYU down the stretch.
Let's be honest for a second: Brock Zylstra may be a nice kid, but he does not have the mindset nor the skill set to succeed as a Division I point guard. It's as simple as that. He does not handle the ball well enough, he does not pass the ball well enough, and he does not have the vision to create open looks for his teammates. Period. End of story.
When the team needed leadership and steadiness at the helm in the second half tonight, Zylstra shriveled up like a raisin. He coughed the ball up multiple times, including a particularly heinous giveaway on a backcourt inbounds play coming out of a timeout. He failed to direct the offense with any sense of urgency, despite the increasingly dire situation at hand. And, ultimately, he finished with as many turnovers as he had points and assists combined. That is not the mark of a successful point guard.
Cougar fans, I hate to write someone off after one game, but... Brock Zylstra is not a point guard. Not now, not ever. It's time to turn our eyes toward December 17 and start praying that Matt Carlino can live up to the hype.
2. Give Davies the Rock
Brandon Davies' first official game back featured a disappointing result on the scoreboard, but it also showed flashes of just how good he can be. Davies finished with 13 points and 5 boards in just 24 minutes after sitting much of the first half with foul trouble. He got to the free throw line repeatedly and routinely made the types of elite post moves that cause BYU fans to wonder what might have been had Davies been eligible during last year's tourney run.
Make no mistake: Brandon Davies is this team's go-to guy — or at least he needs to be. The offense works so much better when the ball goes inside to Davies first, giving him a chance to make a move, force the defense to react, and then either score or kick to an open teammate. This conscious choice to pound it inside makes the opponent move and rotate over from the help side, allowing the Cougars to exploit the resulting gaps and driving lanes.
And when the ball doesn't go down low? Well, a whole lot of three-pointers get hoisted toward the rim — and considering this is a team that just shot 3-for-14 from deep (here's looking at you, Stephen Rogers!), that's probably not a very effective game plan.
Davies needs the ball in his hands, and he needs it on the block. Too often tonight Davies caught the ball 10-15 feet away from the basket, a place where he cannot operate nearly as effectively. In fact, Davies picked up his second early foul on a foolish, out-of-control drive toward the rim that ended in an unnecessary charging call. He also took several long two-point jump shots that can only be described as ill-advised. He doesn't need to be catching the ball in those spots. He needs it down low where he is comfortable, and he needs it there as often as possible. BYU is just better when that happens.
3. Holes in the Zone
BYU stuck to their zone defense for much of tonight's game in Logan, and that's a look fans can expect to see a lot more of this season. As big and long (and, um, slow) as the Cougars' lineup is this year, there will be very few opponents who will present an ideal man-to-man match-up for Dave Rose's team. Hence, it will be crucial that they figure out how to effectively guard and rebound out of that zone as quickly as possible — because tonight's effort is not going to cut it.
Time after time after time, BYU was late rotating out to the corner, either leaving an opposing player wide open for three or granting him an easy path to the hoop after a rushed close-out went predictably awry. Thankfully, Utah State missed many of those open perimeter looks, but the Cougars simply can't count on that happening regularly. If it were possible to place a bet on what Dave Rose will be covering in the team's next few practices, I would tell you to sell everything you own and put it all on zone defense rotations. It will definitely be discussed.
Similarly, the Cougs must do a better job of rebounding out of the zone. They lost the rebounding battle to a much smaller team tonight because they failed to box-out effectively. They gave Utah State at least 10 extra positions from offensive rebounds — and when you only lose by 7 points, that's a significant number. Coach Rose won't like that at all. You can also add that to your hypothetical Vegas list.
Stray Observations
- KCSG (the local television affiliate that broadcast the game) clearly enjoyed the 1980s. I could have sworn I was watching this game on an old VHS tape — right down to the weird tracking-like interference that cropped up near the end. Also, their announcers may or may not be the worst I've ever heard, and that's saying something. Almost makes me long for The Mtn...
- Stephen Rogers has to shoot better from deep. As of right now, this is a team without a legitimate 3-point threat, and somebody needs to fulfill that role. If Rogers can't (and/or won't) do it, then I'm not quite sure what purpose he fills.
- I saddled Brock Zylstra with a lot of blame for tonight's loss, and I think that's warranted. But the team did amass a staggering 20 turnovers as a whole, which is totally unacceptable for a decent basketball team any way you slice it. Just sloppy stuff.
- Damarcus Harrison played only four minutes and looked lost while doing it. It makes me wonder whether Rose pulled him because he looked lost, or whether he looked lost because it was his first college game, in a tough atmosphere, had no rhythm, etc. Either way, I was hoping for/expecting more.
- Craig Cusick got nine minutes behind Zylstra tonight, and he was surprisingly adept during that time. He didn't turn the ball over (a rousing victory in this game), had an assist, got to the line, and generally looked like he knew what he was doing. Not bad work. Looks like we may have found ourselves a back-up point guard. (I would also have been in favor of trying Cusick down the stretch for a minute or two, rather than letting Zylstra continue to melt down, but that's just me.)
- For what it's worth, the night's MVPs: Noah Hartsock and Charles Abouo. The two seniors were rock solid throughout.
- Lastly, a brief thought on the infamous Utah State fans. Yes, their signs and chants directed toward Brandon Davies were largely crude, vulgar, and low-class. Yes, I would be ashamed if I ever saw BYU fans doing similar things. But no, I'm not surprised or shocked. These are college kids. This is what they exist to do, for better or for worse. This will not be the last vicious heckling Davies receives on the road this year, and both he and his teammates will somehow have to learn to get used to the abuse. It's (unfortunately) not going away anytime soon.
UP NEXT: BYU vs. BYU-Hawaii, Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. EST
Photo: The Salt Lake Tribune
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