Whatever BYU’s identity is, head basketball coach Mark Pope needs the best version of it against Utah on Saturday.
The Cougars’ best chance to beat the streaking Utes Saturday afternoon is to go inside out and when the ball comes to that outside launching pad beyond the arc, the bombs must fall.
This is a curtain call for senior Gideon George and transfer Noah Waterman. It would help if freshmen Dallin Hall and Richie Saunders heat up.
Meanwhile, Utah’s Craig Smith will bring his 9-2 (2-0) Utes to the Marriott Center Saturday with an established identity. There he’ll meet Pope, who is working hard to develop more from his 7-5 team fresh off a win over Western Oregon.
The Utes have experience and the players’ roles look polished and established. BYU is still exploring what works and who will consistently deliver what is asked. Turnovers remain a big issue for the Cougars.
Tipoff is 4 p.m. and the game will air on the CBS Sports Network.
This game will be the second of a four-game homestand for the Cougars. While that is comforting for the squad, the Marriott Center is also where Utah Valley chased BYU off its home court with a 15-point win Dec. 7.
Utah has found its groove early with a stingy defense, a lot of hustle and sound offense. Branden Carlson, a 7-foot center, and Marco Anthony have given Smith a great foundation. Carlson is averaging 15 points, seven rebounds and 2.3 blocks a game. The Utes’ upset of then-No. 4 Arizona two weeks ago is proof the Utah pilot has pieces in place to do some damage in the Pac-12. Utah received also-mention points in the last few AP Top 25 polls.
Pope does have emerging freshmen Hall and Saunders showing their potential early in their careers. Hall already has two game-winning shots, the latest coming in a win over No. 21 Creighton in Las Vegas last week. Saunders had 17 points and seven boards in Thursday’s blowout of Division II Western Oregon.
This will be the first rivalry game for the two rookies.
“I’ve watched this rivalry for as long as I can remember,” Saunders told BYUtv Thursday. “I’m just ready to be a part of it and just put my heart into it. And I know everybody else on my team is ready for that. Like, we’re just gonna put our hearts into it.”
It will take that and more in this contest for BYU. A poor free-thow shooting team, the Cougars are streaky from beyond the arc. Pope has the shooters, but when they are all off, they can be rolled over by any opponent. See South Dakota results on the Vivint Arena floor in early December.
In the NET rankings, Utah has a solid advantage at No. 21 after Thursday’s games. BYU came in at 179, while Utah State was an impressive No. 12. Utah Valley is 105, Utah Tech 149 and Southern Utah 155. Those ratings are based on schedule and results against Quad 1, 2, 3 and 4 opponents. BYU is second to last in the state — Weber State sits at 318 — heading into Saturday’s rivalry game.
Of Utah, Pope told KSL NewsRadio after Thursday’s win, he sees a veteran Utes team. “It is a great team playing at a really, really high level,” said Pope. “(They are) a super veteran team. The guys have been together for a long time. And it’s gonna be another one of these games where it’s gonna take everything we could possibly have. But we’ve got to find a way to get some answers.”
A key for Pope is if he can get Fousseyni Traore back on the floor. The 6-foot-7 post player is BYU’s primary threat inside the paint and his backup, Atiki Ally Atiki, athletic at 6-11, is still a raw sophomore. Traore did not suit up against Western Oregon.
The Utes shoot 39.1% from 3, 46.8% from the field and are converting free throws at 68.2%.
BYU’s 3-point accuracy is 32.8% and 43.7% from the field, while making 66.7% from the free-throw line.
The Cougars will need to make at least 12 from distance to win this game and make up for their penchant for turnovers, an average of 16 per game.
