Recap: Gonzaga 83, BYU 63

Photo Credit: AP

*** First and foremost, my apologies for the brief service interruption. I was out of the country for a family funeral and was unable to recap either the Saint Mary's or San Diego games — although considering the outcome of the latter, that may have been for the best. ***

To be honest, that was pretty much what I expected to happen. Not what I hoped for, but pretty much what I expected.

BYU rode a dismal first-half effort to a 19-point halftime deficit from which they never recovered, falling to No. 10 Gonzaga before a raucous crowd at The Kennel, 83-63. Kelly Olynyk didn't miss a single shot all night, pacing the Bulldogs with 26 points on 9-for-9 shooting and 8-for-8 from the stripe.

But while the final result wasn't too far outside my expectations, the way we got there was a bit of a surprise. Gonzaga dominated the game from the opening tip, particularly on the defensive end. BYU simply couldn't figure out how to solve the Zags' tough, physical defense and looked completely out of sorts in the opening frame.

Recap: BYU 76, Pepperdine 51

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

On a snowy night in Provo, BYU trailed an inferior Pepperdine team by 5 points at halftime. The Cougars won the game by 25. And that pretty much tells the whole story of Thursday's West Coast Conference matchup at the Marriott Center.

The home team came out flatter than flat in the first half, struggling to solve the Waves' zone defense on one end and failing to play much defense of their own on the other. BYU finished the first half shooting 28 percent from the field overall, including a ghastly 2-for-11 from deep, while Pepperdine shot 50 percent from the floor and a red-hot 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. There was no fire. There was no focus. BYU was just going through the motions. That's not usually a recipe for a great deal of success, and it wasn't on this night either — the Cougars trailed the usually hapless Waves 35-30 at the break.

I don't know what Dave Rose said in the locker room during halftime, but it certainly worked — the team that emerged for the second half was completely different than the one that had entered. This team had energy and it played with a purpose, especially on the defensive end. BYU employed an aggressive half-court trap that Pepperdine was never really able to solve, allowing the Cougars to score 15 points off turnovers alone while holding the Waves to just 16 total in the closing period.

Recap: BYU 80, San Francisco 76

Photo Credit: Daily Herald

During the course of a basketball season, some nights will be good and some nights will be bad. Some nights your shots will fall and some nights you'll draw nothing but iron. Some nights the calls go your way and some nights your best players get mired in foul trouble. The difference between the good teams and the mediocre teams is that the good teams find a way to win when they have bad nights. They figure out how to get it done.

After tonight, it appears that BYU just might have what it takes to be a good team.

The Cougars rebounded from a horrific first half performance to snatch a thrilling 80-76 road victory over San Francisco from the jaws of defeat — but not before giving me about 17 heart attacks. The boys in blue did most of their damage with their best player, Brandon Davis, stuck on the bench with persistent foul trouble, which makes the feat even more impressive in hindsight.

Recap: BYU 92, Loyola Marymount 51

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast.

Behind their most impressive all-around performance of the season, BYU repeatedly bludgeoned Loyola Marymount right up until the final buzzer sounded on Thursday night, walking away with a dominating 41-point win in their first game of West Coast Conference play, 92-51.

It all just worked for the Cougars in this one — the offense finally started clicking on all cylinders, shots started falling for once, and the boys in home whites cranked up the defensive heat, holding the Lions to a paltry 30.8 percent from the floor. It was as in-sync and functional as I've seen the team this year, and the performance was made even more special because of the opponent.

Loyola Marymount isn't the Little Sisters of the Poor. This a good program — one that beat BYU by 14 points at the Marriott Center in their last meeting. (Think the Cougars remembered that one?) They were essentially the same team this year, with nearly all of their key personnel returning. So this wasn't the Cougars beating up on yet another cream puff D-II team.

Recap: BYU 97, Virginia Tech 71

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

Somewhere in Salt Lake City, Tyler Haws is probably still hitting jump shots.

The BYU sophomore exploded for a career-high 42 points on Saturday, leading his team to a big 97-71 win over hapless Virginia Tech at EnergySolutions Arena. Haws started fast, dropping 29 points in the first half on 9-for-13 shooting, including six three-pointers. And while he cooled off considerably after halftime, he still found a way to break his father Marty Haws' previous family record of 40 points in a Cougar uniform.

It was a breathtaking offensive display. Haws made virtually everything in that first half — open shots, contested shots, impossible shots. Everything was going in. It was almost enough to make a fan harken back to the days of Jimmer. Almost. But lest we forget, Haws is only a sophomore. He has plenty of time to turn in a few more of these performances and etch his own name in BYU lore.

Recap: BYU 85, Montana 60

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

It's amazing what happens when you play a little defense. BYU found that out first-hand Wednesday night, using their first really solid defensive outing of the season to create offensive opportunities on their way to an 85-60 victory over Montana in Salt Lake City.

If the Cougars' main problem so far has been defending the perimeter, they showed great improvement against the Grizzlies. Their closeouts were more under control, leaving them in better position to move laterally to cut off dribble penetration. With a few exceptions, BYU was able to keep Montana's guards almost entirely out of the lane, and the visitors from the north notched just 16 points in the paint on the evening as a result.

Furthermore, because the guards could not penetrate deep into the heart of the defense, the Cougars' back line did not have to rotate over to help protect the basket, allowing them to stay home and successfully challenge perimeter shooters when the ball was inevitably kicked it. Montana still got some looks from three — and even made a few of them — but they simply weren't as high quality as the Grizzlies would have preferred. As such, they shot only 37.5 percent from deep, rather than the 46.5 percent they had been averaging for the year. This was an excellent all-around effort from BYU on the defensive side of the ball.

Recap: BYU 103, Southeastern Oklahoma State 57

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

Well, that got out of hand quickly — not that we expected anything different. When a Division II team comes to your house for what is essentially a pre-arranged slaughter, good teams take care of business and use the opportunity to get better. BYU did that tonight and, despite the massive scoreboard disparity, there were a number of interesting developments worth noting.

In lieu of a full recap (this is still the preseason after all), I will include some quick thoughts and instant reaction to BYU's 103-57 blowout of Southeastern Oklahoma State after the jump.

Recap: Cougar Tip-Off

Photo Credit: BYU Photo

Man, it's good to be back. Even though it was sloppy at times and defense was clearly a mere afterthought for many players, the Cougar Tip-Off gave me everything I wanted — namely, BYU basketball.

There is nothing quite like a fresh new season — full of limitless possibilities and unsullied by disappointment — to make you feel even better than usual about the greatest game ever invented. Nights like tonight encapsulate that feeling. It may not represent the sport at its highest level, but there's just something fun about rolling the balls out for the first time and letting the fans finally get a glimpse of what lies in store in the months ahead. In the words of the great (fictional) coach Norman Dale, spoken at a similar event, "This is your team."

Since this was just an intra-squad scrimmage, I'll forgo a more comprehensive recap and just share some quick thoughts that popped into my head as I soaked in the action.

Report Card: Gonzaga 74, BYU 63

Brigham Young Cougars

63

Final

74

Gonzaga Bulldogs

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 7-23 FG | 3-9 3PT | 1-3 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 18 PTS Carlino is definitely a freshman — and that comes with its ebbs and flows. Matt carried BYU through a dismal first half offensively. However, he also forced bad shots down the stretch when he should have been feeding the red-hot Davies. Those costly mistakes may have snuffed out any possibility of a comeback, but BYU likely wouldn't have been in the game in the first place without Carlino's efforts.
	Anson Winder, SG 2-5 FG | 1-3 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 5 PTS Anson didn't light the world on fire tonight, but he was solid. He played great defense and didn't turn the ball over, which is more than we can say for some people. (coughZylstracough) Winder was inexplicably nonexistent for much of the second half before Rose reinserted him in the closing minutes — where he promptly scored five points. There is a lesson in here somewhere...
	Charles Abouo, SF 4-13 FG | 1-4 3PT | 1-3 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 10 PTS Abouo is often simultaneously maddening and essential. He is capable of doing some of the dumbest things imaginable — and he does them frequently — but then turning around to get a key steal or grab a big rebound the next time down the floor. He made a few too many dumb mistakes tonight, but at least he rebounded and defended well. Say what you will about him, but Charles always plays hard.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 0-0 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS A sad night. No other way to put it. Courageously, Noah tried to gut it out despite playing with what looked like an artificial leg. He only lasted 7 minutes. It was abundantly clear that he just couldn't move well and was in a state of perpetual discomfort. He couldn't be effective, and the team suffered mightily as a result. Cougar fans need to hope against hope that Hartsock's sprain heals, like, now.
	Brandon Davies, C 8-18 FG | 0-0 3PT | 7-10 FT | 10 REB | 1 AST | 23 PTS After a spotty first half, Davies really turned on the jets in the second and dominated Gonzaga in the paint. As BYU made their final run down the stretch, Brandon stepped up to the plate and took over the game. It was a true "leadership moment." Of course, the guards stopped passing him the ball shortly thereafter, but we won't dwell on that. Davies was huge. (Also, he had 6 steals. Six!)

Report Card: BYU 81, San Francisco 56

Brigham Young Cougars

81

Final

56

San Francisco Dons

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 4-6 FG | 2-3 3PT | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 12 PTS Message received, loud and clear. Carlino was a much different player than we saw Thursday in Los Angeles, looking first to get his teammates involved rather than for his own shot. As our point guard, I like to see him sharing the ball, but the pendulum may have swung a tiny bit too far. Carlino attempted just 6 shots, and while it didn't matter much Saturday, BYU will need his scoring moving forward.
	Brock Zylstra, SG 8-8 FG | 6-6 3PT | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 22 PTS Zylstra continued to stake his claim for the title of World's Greatest Player Against Mediocre Competition. Brock was blistering hot against USF and he didn't miss a single shot, even going a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. What's more, he also grabbed 6 boards and dished out 3 dimes. He looked like an All-American. Now he just needs to do that in a competitive game...
	Charles Abouo, SF 1-5 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 7 AST | 2 PTS This is a weird stat line that I really can't explain. I don't remember Charles dishing out 7 assists (with no turnovers!), but apparently that quietly happened. Good on him for pulling back and finding another way to contribute on a night when his shot wasn't falling. (Lemonade out of lemons, etc.) A nice bit of self-awareness that wasn't present against LMU.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 5-9 FG | 0-1 3PT | 4-4 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 14 PTS Hartsock took an unusual backseat to The Brock Zylstra Show tonight, and understandably so. Nevertheless, despite taking only 9 shots, Noah did his usual business — scoring and rebounding with the efficiency of a robot assassin. It's a testament to his talent that he always finds a way to produce, even when his touches are reduced.
	Brandon Davies, C 5-9 FG | 0-0 3PT | 2-4 FT | 6 REB | 6 AST | 12 PTS Davies started the game hot, and had 9 points after about 5 minutes. He was dominating from everywhere — posting up inside, knocking down mid-range jumpers, dishing out assists — and the Dons didn't seem to have an answer. Unfortunately, he picked up two quick fouls and had to come out soon thereafter, and he never quite found that same rhythm again when he eventually returned.

Recap: BYU 93, Buffalo 78

It took awhile, but after an ugly start and much uncharacteristic screaming from Dave Rose, BYU finally got their act together and routed Buffalo 93-78 at the Marriott Center on Tuesday night. It wasn't always pretty, but the Cougars relied on big offensive contributions from Brock Zylstra and — surprise! —Anson Winder to get the job done. As always, three thoughts and a few stray observations on the game:

1. Anson Winder May Be the Streakiest Shooter of All-Time

I've waxed philosophical on Twitter recently about the playing time problem facing BYU now that they have three point guards in the mix — and it seemed, at least up until tonight, that Anson Winder had become the odd-man out. I advocated for moving him back to shooting guard — looks like Rose had a similar thought — but I also said he couldn't be given big minutes until he proved he could force the opposition to guard him on the offensive end of the floor. After all, Winder was shooting an anemic 24 percent from deep and teams were starting to dare him to shoot. The results weren't pretty.

Then tonight happened.

Recap: BYU 90, Prairie View A&M 51

Due to the tardiness of this recap (Thanksgiving travel conspired against its timely completion), I'm going to forego the usual format and scrap my three longer thoughts in favor of a list of shorter observations. The full recap will return for tomorrow's game against Nevada. Now, without further ado...


Stray Observations

• Mark my words, these sluggish starts are going to come back to bite BYU in the butt — perhaps as soon as this weekend against Nevada and/or Wisconsin. Against the Longwoods and Prairie View A&Ms of the world, coming slow out of the gate isn't really a problem. Against good teams? It's fatal. If the Cougars turn in a first-half performance in Chicago like they had Tuesday (sloppy offense, bad turnovers, all-around mediocrity), they will get blown off the floor. Clean it up, boys.


• Noah Hartsock continues to prove that he is the real deal. He almost always looks like he is the best, most well-rounded player on the court. Noah has always been efficient offensively — in fact, he was ranked in the top five nationally for PER his sophomore year — but he has added more tools to arsenal this season, including a killer back-to-the-basket post-up game he didn't have before. Combine that with some much improved defense and his always reliable mid-range game, and Noah is easily the team's MVP thus far. He brings his best stuff every single night.

Recap: BYU 73, BYU-Hawaii 52

Three thoughts (and some stray observations) on BYU's 73-52 hammering of BYU-Hawaii  in last night's Mormon-on-Mormon home opener. Granted, this is all against a Division II school, so take everything with the necessary grain of salt:

1. Post Power

If there was any question where the strength of this BYU team would come from, it has been resoundingly answered in these first few games — the big guys. I already sang Brandon Davies' praises following the Utah State game, and he showed again tonight just how dangerous he can be. To be certain, this was an undersized, under-talented D-II team that was a poor match-up for him from the get-go, but you still have to be impressed with how thoroughly Davies dominated the first half.

He scored inside with clever post moves, he scored from mid-range with a deft jumper, and he got to the free throw line. The Seasiders just had no answer for him — it was like he was an alien visiting from another planet and he had no plans of calling home until he had beaten BYU-Hawaii's bigs into submission. Davies finished with a career-high 25 points, while also leading the team with nine rebounds (along with Noah Hartsock — much more on him shortly) and drawing three charges to boot. He also had five turnovers — an unacceptable number for anybody, especially a post player — but all in all, I'd chalk it up as a great step in Davies' evolution as a primary scoring threat.