BYU Men’s Basketball’s first real test comes against Ole Miss. Let’s look at why they should win, or what could be a cause for concern.
BYU Men’s Basketball is a good team this year. New faces have taken the Cougars to another level. Freshman Egor Demin is passing the ball well, and Canon Catchings is scoring like crazy. Alongside the newbies, experienced BYU ballers are lighting up the stage. Fousseyni Traore’s big-man presence, mixed with the return of sharpshooter Dallin Hall, makes BYU a hard team to stop.
BYU has some good potential this year, winning their first five games. However, the Cougars will have their first real test when they travel to San Diego for the Rady Children’s Invitational where they will face 23rd-ranked Ole Miss, who will be the Cougar’s hardest opponent so far. BYU will have to tighten up the defense and get hot early if they want to win this game.
BYU has been historically good at basketball, winning several conference championships, a handful of NIT tournaments, and appeared in the NCAA tournament multiple times. BYU has a long tradition of winning and is known to surprise the nation with surprise victories and unexpected upsets. BYU has strengths and weaknesses that could be the difference in a game like this. Let’s break down what the difference each could make on Thursday.
What is BYU’s Greatest Strength?
Ball movement. BYU is great at ball movement. They are looking to make the extra pass and get the best shot. BYU did it against Mississippi Valley State and scored 87 points. They are good at spreading the ball and when it is done right, it leaves a player wide open with a good shot, especially when the Cougars are facing a zone defense. The Cougars have not scored less than 87 points and are outscoring opponents by an average of 30 points a game. If BYU can move the ball quickly they could be a hard team to contain this year.
What is BYU’s Greatest Weakness?
Free throws. BYU cannot make free throws. BYU shot 63.3 percent from the stripe and unlike other games, this did not come back to bite them. Against UC Riverside, the Cougars shot 53.8 percent from the foul line while Riverside shot 82.6 percent. The Cougars ended up winning that game but barely. The Cougars will need to shoot better from the free throw line this season if they want to make a deep run in the Big 12 and possibly the NCAA Tournament.
In conclusion, this BYU basketball team is a good team. If they can keep moving the ball and fix their free throw issues then this could be a special year for BYU Basketball. Expectations are high and hope is rising. Can BYU pull off a Cinderella story?
