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| Photo Credit: BYU Photo |
TYLER HAWS, SF
2009-2010 Stats:
11.3 PPG (49.6% FG, 36.8% 3PT, 91.7% FT)
4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 1.2 TO
I don't remember Tyler Haws being a basketball superhero during his freshman season at BYU, but that's certainly what appears to have returned from a two-year stint in the Phillipines. To be sure, the sample size is small — an intrasquad scrimmage and two exhibition games do not make a legend — but Haws has looked exceptionally good since setting foot back on campus, especially considering the renowned "dead leg" period usually experienced by returned missionaries.
Don't get me wrong — Haws had a fantastic 2009-2010 season for the Cougars. As the third banana behind Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery, he showed himself to be an efficient scorer with a reliable perimeter game and an ability to make virtually every free throw known to mankind. He played a key role on that squad, which is no small feat. However, I don't remember him being a particularly dominant force on the offensive end, but simply a nice complementary piece who could knock down an open shot when asked.
As such, I had expected him to fill much the same role this year, at least initially, giving him time to round back into basketball shape after a long period of inactivity. Not so. If anything, Haws has looked stronger and more skilled in his return to Provo, showing off a veritable treasure trove of deft moves and clever fakes that have allowed him to get a solid look at the basket whenever he wants one — and if he can get open, especially from mid-range, the defense might as well call it good and head back down the floor.
Haws' game is so smooth and his post-mission return to normalcy has been so swift that, against all odds, he will likely the squad's second most important player this season. With Brandon Davies as the clear number one option and Matt Carlino allegedly pulling back to fulfill a more traditional pass-first role, Haws should serve as BYU's most prominent perimeter scoring threat, providing the necessary ying to Davies' interior-oriented yang.
This is a near-perfect set-up. Due to his high level of efficiency, Tyler doesn't need many touches to score big — his game focuses largely on getting to his comfort spots on the floor to take only good, high-percentage shots, as well as sinking an inordinate number of free throws. This approach should allow the BYU offense to center around Davies' post game, with Haws providing a reliable outside threat (no small luxury, given recent team history) to keep defenses honest.
If Haws can fill that role with the same kind of lethal efficiency that he has displayed thus far, the Cougars will have a key offensive weapon that they didn't have during their first WCC campaign — and one that their opponents may not see coming.
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