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| Photo Credit: BYU Photo |
After a three-year experiment dividing the game into four 10-minute quarters, in the 1954-1955 season the powers that were in college basketball reverted the structure of the game back to its previous form of two 20-minute halves, a rule that has remained unchanged since that time. Unfortunately this meant that on November 16, 2012, BYU Basketball fans had to endure 38 minutes of meaningless basketball in a game that was over two minutes in.
Once Brandon Davies picked up his second foul just two minutes in to BYU's semifinal matchup of the Coach's vs. Cancer Classic, the game was all but decided. The numbers weren't pretty — without Brandon Davies on the floor, BYU is a borderline incompetent basketball team.
Not that they were world-beaters with him on the floor. BYU's road three-point shooting woes from last season seemed to have carried over, affecting this year's squad. The Cougars were just 6-for-27 from the land of plenty, an icy 22 percent. Meanwhile BYU's opponents, the Florida State Seminoles, were an NBA Jam-esque 11-for-20 (55 percent) from behind the arc. The Seminoles' Devon Bookert continued the time-honored tradition of an unknown guard coming off the bench and setting the nets on fire against BYU. (The freshman scored 15 points, including going 3-for-4 from behind the three-point line). Ian Miller and NBA prospect Michael Snaer were also on fire, each going 3-for-5 from downtown.
But ultimately, Brandon Davies playing just 21 minutes due to foul trouble was the deciding factor in this game. Once Davies left the floor just a few minutes into the first half, Florida State was able to build a sizable lead as BYU struggled with even the most basic facets of the game, such as bringing the ball up the court. BYU head coach Dave Rose risked further foul trouble for Davies by putting him back in the game midway through the first half, and with their best player on the court BYU immediately went on a run, eventually tying the game.
Once the game was tied, Rose opted to sit Davies down for the final few minutes of the half, hoping to avoid a third foul and thus preserving his ability to play the entire second half. The Cougars had played so well over the preceding few minutes that Rose — presumably — felt that the ship had been righted and his team could survive four and a half minutes without Davies' presence. Without Davies, BYU again became a complete lost cause — they allowed Flordida St. to close the half on a 10-1 run, building a nine-point lead.
The second half would just be more of the same. When Davies picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession, he went to the bench and the Seminole lead only grew. When he returned, the Cougars managed to make a quick run, cutting the Florida St. lead to 15 before the Seminoles' three point shooting put the game away.
BYU's inability to execute even the most basic elements of the game with Davies off the court is incredibly troubling. Davies will almost certainly have a few games this year in which he will find himself in foul trouble — that's the nature of being a post player. The BYU offense is completely predicated on two things: 1) a back-to-the-basket player who can be the focal point in the half court, and 2) consistent three-point shooting in transition. If the three-point shooting — particularly on the road — continues to disappoint, Davies' ability to catch the ball in the post and score will be the only thing keeping BYU in games. With Davies on the bench (either for short rests or because of foul trouble), where will that consistent post scoring come from? Certainly not from Nate Austin and Augustin Ambrosino, and as much as Josh Sharp has improved in year two, he's still a scrappy role player, not a one on one offensive threat.
Ultimately, the Cougars must find the ability to shoot the ball consistently on the road in order to survive periods when Davies isn't on the floor. If the BYU guards continue to shoot 22 percent from behind the arc outside of the Marriott Center, it could be a very long road through the West Coast Conference.
Stray Thoughts
• One of the few positives to come out of this game was the play of Tyler Haws. The recently returned missionary was the Cougars' only hope in the first half, scoring BYU's first 11 points. Haws finished the game with an impressive stat line: 23 points on 10 for 20 shooting from the field, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Haws' start to the season is more impressive than even the most optimistic BYU fan could have predicted, and his play against Florida State proved that Haws' early season scoring wasn't a fluke or a result of playing inferior competition. He can flat-out score the basketball, and has clearly set himself apart as the Cougars' second option after Brandon Davies.
• On the opposite end of the spectrum, Matt Carlino was dreadful in this game. The sophomore point guard scored 0 points on 0-for-9 shooting, had 3 rebounds and just 2 assists (and 2 turnovers). I was very impressed with Carlino's play in the first two games of the year as he stylistically changed his game to fit the bill of a play-making point guard — effectively running the offense, finding shooters in transition, and efficiently picking his spots to score. Against Florida State, Carlino looked like the lost freshman he was in WCC road games a year ago, completely ineffective and downright detrimental to the team. Carlino still has the potential to be an elite college point guard and he will continue to develop, and I still believe — unlike many of the BYU fans, many of whom should probably stay off Twitter and on CougarBoard with the rest of the trolls — that Carlino's presence on this team is ultimately a positive. However, like many of his teammates, he must adjust to the pressure of playing on the road. BYU has no chance at upsetting Gonzaga or finishing above St. Mary's unless Carlino can be a consistent playmaker on the road in conference play.
• The plus-minus stats haven't been calculated yet for this one, but it sure seems like BYU is a better team when Craig Cusick is on the floor. He is a badly needed three-point shooting threat and has a great calming influence on the second unit. Despite coming off the bench, he's averaging 25 minutes a game, and I think he's cemented his role as the Cougars' sixth man.
• Agustin Ambrosino has been brutal so far this year. I expected the juco transfer to be vying for a starting job, but Josh Sharp and Nate Austin are clearly ahead of him in the rotation and Ian Harward is right there as well. I expected Ambrosino to play as a stretch four — a power forward who could stretch the defense by shooting three-pointers, while still being an effective rebounder and defender. In 26 total minutes this season, he has 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, and 3 personal fouls, failing to get on the board in any other statistical category. Even more condemning, Ambrosino has yet to take a shot that was not a 3 pointer, going just 1-for-5. I'm sure that Ambrosino is still adjusting to the speed and athleticism of the Division I game, but at 6-foot-8 he needs to bring more to the table than mediocre three-point shooting. If he wants to earn more playing time, Ambrosino needs to prove that he is willing to rebound, play defense, and look for effective shots instead of just playing three-point line to three-point line. This isn't Salt Lake Community College.
• I maintain my assertion that Cory Calvert is the real deal. The freshman point guard was a real spark to BYU in the second half and was instrumental to the Cougar's 12-0 run in which they cut the Florida State lead down to 15. Unlike Ambrosino, Calvert is earning his playing time. But with a mission ahead of him and the specter of Nick Emery haunting the point guard position for the four years following, where Calvert fits in to Dave Rose's long-term plan remains to be seen.
Ben Wagner is the Sports Director for BYU Radio and can be frequently heard on their air. He is also a prolific tweeter.
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