LAS VEGAS — When 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Gavin Baxter suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder during the first week of practice, BYU basketball coach Mark Pope’s job in his first season at the helm became even more difficult.
The Cougars will also be without forward Yoeli Childs for the first nine games of the season due to an NCAA suspension.
“It leaves us pretty small and it leaves us with having to be a little bit creative with how we play,” Pope said Thursday during WCC media day at Orleans Arena. “That’s part of this game, trying to figure things out. It leaves us with an opportunity to see if we can do that and put a great product on the floor that is challenging to match up with.”
Pope said that Baxter and the program are still exploring medical options in regard to Baxter’s injured shoulder.
“It’s super unfortunate that happened to Gavin, especially at this time of year. It can be a challenge, but this is what sports is all about. This stuff happens.” — BYU guard TJ Haws, on Gavin Baxter
“We’re trying to figure out what the appropriate treatment is. It could be a rehab thing or season-ending surgery,” he said. “We’re trying to find the best way to go for him. We’ve talked to several doctors. It’s not for sure that he’s done for the season but that’s a possibility.”
Senior guard TJ Haws said it’s been difficult to watch Baxter deal with a serious injury and they’ll do their best to move forward without him.
“It’s super unfortunate that happened to Gavin, especially at this time of year. It can be a challenge, but this is what sports is all about. This stuff happens,” Haws said. “It’s about coming together as a team and figuring out ways to win. The way your team responds really defines a team. This will be a great opportunity for us to come together and be a close-knit team. It really hurts to have him go, but it will bring us all together.”
Forwards Kolby Lee and Dalton Nixon will be among those trying to fill the void inside for the Cougars.
“Kolby had an incredible tour in Italy. He’s been great in practice. I feel really comfortable with him handling the ball in the post. He shot the ball really well for us. He’s working hard. I have high expectations for him,” Pope said. “And Dalton Nixon has been off-the-charts incredible in our first 10 days of practice. He might have been the best player on the floor in the first week-and-a-half of practice. They have a huge burden to bear as well as the rest of the team. We just have to find a way to play and compete, and we will.”
Haws, meanwhile, who underwent a knee scope a couple of weeks ago and has been sidelined for practices.
“My knee’s feeling good,” he said. “I should be back fully competing by the end of next week.”