It’s only a few weeks from the conference championship in Las Vegas and BYU continues to lose head-scratching games.
Before losing to Pepperdine, Dave Rose told reporters this road trip to Malibu and San Francisco would define his team. Did it when Pepperdine, a team that averages 69 points a game scored 52 in one half and 99 in beating his team?
Probably.

Everybody has an opinion as to why the Cougars are struggling mightily on the road in the West Coast Conference this year. And chunks of all that criticism are probably right on.
After the loss to Pepperdine, a Cougar fan in Mesa, Arizona, emailed me, writing that to him the players didn’t look like they were having any fun.
No, losing isn’t fun. Even at Duke.
Rose’s basketball knowledge is so far superior to mine it isn’t funny. So when pundits opine, it's part playing Captain Obvious, second-guessing and, well, a job.
I’ll pick just one thing.
It’s something that hurts the eyes when watching this team: The Cougars take way too many bad shots.
Bad shots ruin game plans. Bad shots waste possessions. Bad shots rarely go in the basket. Bad shots give foes hope. Bad shots lead to opponents' runs.
Bad shots deflate defensive efforts. Bad shots kill momentum. Bad shots puncture hope. Bad shots are dispiriting to teammates. A bunch of bad shots is a trend. Allowing gobs of bad shots is part of a team's culture. Bad shots show a lack of discipline and a lack of discipline is an indication of misdirection and a fuzzy purpose.
It's disheartening for fans to watch bad shots from their team because it's crushing. Bad shots lead to empty seats and a channel change. Bad shots are the enemy. Bad shots are church ball.
How many bad shots can a team endure? How many bad shots do Gonzaga, St. Mary's or Wisconsin players take? How many bad shots does Utah’s Larry Krystkowiak allow players to attempt per game? Maybe two or three?
How many bad shots does this BYU team take? Seven, eight, 10 or more a game? And when that happens, how big a difference is that?
Bad shots are akin to driving with loose lug nuts.
BYU got within six of Gonzaga late in Provo then took some of the worst shots imaginable in a 10-point loss.
The Cougars should take shots like they do in their impressive inbounds play designs.
I’d argue fans, players and coaches, who all hate losses, would endure losses easier if they didn’t come after two hours of witnessing awful shots.
You can define a bad shot in a myriad of ways. Off-balance, awkward and heavily-guarded attempts are generally bad shots.
A 22-footer from the corner by a guy, one time down the floor, might be the right shot. That same 22-foot attempt another trip down the floor might be a bad shot if it is taken too early or with no rebounding help or without a glance to see if center Eric Mika is positioned to receive a deep post pass.
Who defines bad shots? Who is held accountable for bad shots? Who on BYU’s team is taking bad shots? Name somebody who doesn’t.
Bad shots are a product of decisions. Experience helps, coaching certainly helps, chemistry and role playing helps. This is a team that plays hard and shows effort, but presses under pressure which lead to crummy attempts.
If BYU's players were to make good decisions, I’d bet bad shots would subside.
Remember that Michael Jordan step back game winner over the Jazz in the 1998 Finals? It was a good decision. Remember earlier when Jordan, in a similar situation, facing a double team in 1997, made the same move but passed the ball to Steve Kerr who then hit the series winner against Utah? Jordan made a good decision and it didn’t include him taking the hero shot attempt.
There is little doubt the injuries to Kyle Davis and Eli Bryant have hurt this team. When senior guard LJ Rose found out last week he needed knee surgery, it meant the Cougars would put the youngest team on the floor in 17 years. This team is limited defensively on the perimeter, no question.
But taking bad shots makes everything worse.
I’d be curious to see what, if any, difference correcting just this one single thing would make in the remaining games.
It certainly seems to have been a major part of why this Cougar team — defensively challenged as it is — makes things worse.
It’s a self-inflicted wound that’s proving fatal.