‘Fuel to the fire’: How BYU basketball players are handling low expectations in powerful Big 12

The Big 12 men’s basketball preseason poll for the 2023-24 season comes out in two weeks, and there is a very good chance that coach Mark Pope’s BYU Cougars will be picked to finish 14th — that’s dead last — in what is widely considered the best basketball conference in the country.

Guess what? 

“I would describe this group as extremely competitive. Some of the best practices I have been a part of in my life, honestly. Guys competing every day.” — BYU sophomore guard Dallin Hall.

That’s totally fine with the 16 players on the roster, returning point guard Dallin Hall said Tuesday from the Marriott Center Annex as the Cougars began their second week of preseason training camp practices.

“You know, there is a lot of noise, and we try to limit it for the most part. But obviously some of it reaches us. And the stuff that does, we love it. That is just fuel to the fire,” said Hall, a 6-foot-4 sophomore. “People (are) counting us out. We wouldn’t have it any other way. … We don’t care what everyone else thinks we can do. We just care what the guys in that locker room believe and we hold ourselves to a high standard. We believe we can do great things, and the rest is just noise. We believe we determine our own destiny.”

Pope was traveling Tuesday and not at practice or available for interviews with reporters, so assistant coach Nick Robinson addressed the media and provided updates on a variety of topics, including the type of identity the team is building.

“We have really loved the competitive spirit of our guys through the first four or five practices, the first week,” Robinson said. “We really feel like guys are doing the best they can to have the pace that we want offensively in order to be able to shoot 3s at a pretty high level.

“Defensively, we are still working out where we want to be from a disruptive standpoint, from an identity standpoint,” Robinson continued. “We want to do everything we can to guard each individual as a team at a high level.”

Fifteen of the 16 players on the roster practiced Tuesday, while the most recent addition — freshman Marcus Adams Jr. of Torrance, California — watched from the sidelines with his right foot in a protective boot. Adams, who originally signed with Kansas and then transferred to Gonzaga before ending up at BYU, has yet to practice with the Cougars.

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“So right now, that (boot) is really a precautionary measure,” Robinson said. “It is in the healing phase, but hopefully he will be able to get him back sooner than later.”

Because Adams is already well-traveled, he must get a transfer waiver from the NCAA before he can be eligible to play for BYU. Robinson said the waiver process continues and it is “really up to the NCAA” for now.

“Yeah, so Marcus has fit in great, in terms of being able to come in, get established academically. In terms of the human being he is, he fits great here at BYU,” Robinson said. “So in terms of on the court (ability), it is to be determined, but his skillset really is conducive to coach Pope’s system.”

Hall, a returned missionary from Plain City’s Fremont High, said Adams has been a welcome addition.

“He’s awesome,” Hall said. “He is young, a lot younger than the rest of us, which is to his credit. Shout out to him coming in at a young age and just jumping into the swing of things. He is just picking it up, trying to be a sponge, take it all in.

“And he just has good energy. He loves to laugh, loves to have fun, and we like having him around and so it is a great addition,” Hall continued. “We are excited to see what he gives us out there.”

The other two new faces who are on scholarship are Aly Khalifa, a big (6-11, 230) center from Charlotte by way of Alexandria, Egypt, and junior guard Dawson Baker (6-4, 190) from UC Irvine by way of Coto de Caza, California.

“Each of those guys continues to work his way into coach Pope’s system appropriately and we are very excited to see the progress they have made and are excited to see them on the court,” Robinson said.

The assistant who was formerly Southern Utah University’s head coach said the Cougars have one scholarship available as of this month.

Four players on the roster — Jared McGregor, Tanner Hayhurst, Tredyn Christensen and Townsend Tripple — are walk-ons. Christensen is a transfer from Chaminade.

The Cougars will host Life Pacific in an exhibition game at the Marriott Center on Nov. 1. The season opener is Nov. 6 against Houston Christian. Their Big 12 opener is Jan. 6 against fellow Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati at the Marriott Center.

“I would describe this group as extremely competitive,” Hall said. “Some of the best practices I have been a part of in my life, honestly. Guys competing every day.”

The Cougars say the word “family” when they break their huddle.

“Because when we step on those lines, we push each other, we respect each other enough to give each other our best,” Hall said. “And as soon as we step off we are family and we care of each other. Those are a few words that come to mind to describe us.”