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| Photo Credit: AP |
BROCK ZYLSTRA, SG
2011-2012 Stats:
8.3 PPG (45.5% FG, 37.6% 3PT, 64.4% FT)
4.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.4 TO
The journey of Brock Zylstra has been an interesting one. The native Californian spent much of his formative years in Provo toiling in obscurity, keeping the end of the bench warm for when the water boys needed a rest. I can't be sure, but I believe Dave Rose actually permanently affixed a blindfold to his face to prevent him from ever seeing the floor — at least this theory would explain his poor play in miscellaneous garbage time appearances. Such was the life of Zylstra in the age of Jackson Emery.
But last year, things changed. Emery graduated. The shooting guard spot was vacated. The blindfold was surgically removed from Zylstra's face. He was finally allowed to see the floor, with surprisingly positive results. After an initial (and unsuccessful) one-game stint at point guard that this blog will forever refer to as "The Brock Zylstra Experiment," our conquering hero sidled into the starting shooting guard slot and refused to relinquish the throne, remaking himself into a (relatively) efficient deep threat and turning in a handful of dazzling performances over the course of the season.
But all was not well. While Zylstra was capable of exploding for a 20-point outing on any given night, faithful observers of the team began to detect a pattern — Brock's best games all seemed to come against drastically inferior competition, while he managed to disappear completely when lining up against the Cougars' best opponents. Though he looked like an offensive savant against the likes of Buffalo, Northern Arizona, and San Francisco, Zylstra was nowhere to be found against Gonzaga (7 total points in three games) or St. Mary's (5 points in two games) in crucial WCC contests. It wasn't that he was bad in the big games, he was just eminently forgettable. He had no impact whatsoever.
BYU must hope for more consistency from Zylstra this year if they are to truly challenge for the league title. And to his credit, it appears that Brock realizes the need for improvement. He spent the summer shooting 54,000 jump shots, attempting to hone his craft. That kind of commitment and self-awareness is commendable, and should give Cougar fans great reason for optimism heading into this new season.
But Brock still has to deliver. He needs to show more aggressiveness on offense, looking to use his strong, 6-foot-6 frame to create shots for himself against smaller defenders, and a better touch on his three-point stroke. Zylstra has already proven himself to be a capable defender, particularly within the construct of Rose's zone defense, and we know that he can score — now he just needs to bring it on both ends every night, regardless of the strength of his opponent.
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