In the midst of BYU’s three-game losing skid earlier this month, and especially after those highly discouraging losses at TCU and Utah, first-year Cougars basketball coach Kevin Young has preached patience.
He said they were executing well, but just not finishing.
He said they were an above-average shooting team, and that shots would start to drop.
He said the freshmen such as Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings would “figure it out” and start to play better.
He has been proven right on all three accounts.
If nothing else, recent blowout wins over Colorado (83-67) and Cincinnati (80-52) proved Young was on to something, even if the Buffaloes (0-8) and Bearcats (2-6) are among the weakest teams in the Big 12.
“I think guys are seeing and reaping the benefits of playing that way (at a faster pace, and with more purpose),” Young said after Saturday night’s walloping of Cincinnati. “… I think Egor is figuring it out. I think Dallin (Hall) is figuring it out. Even when Trev (Knell) is getting run off the (3-point) line, he is putting it on the deck (and getting to the basket). So I do think the message is getting across there.”
Perhaps Tuesday’s game against Baylor (13-6, 5-3) will be the real test, as the Bears come into the Marriott Center for a crucial Big 12 contest (7 p.m., ESPN2) having done something BYU was unable to do — smoke Utah at the Huntsman Center.
The Bears got a combined 43 points from Miami transfer Norchad Omier and freshman VJ Edgecombe to win 76-61 and sweep the Utes. Baylor did it without two of its best players, junior guard Langston Love (ankle) and Duke transfer Jeremy Roach (concussion protocol), who may or may not be available against the Cougars.
BYU is at full strength, and playing some of its best ball of the season.
“They are freaking good. I know they have had it rough a little bit with losing Roach. But they are extremely well-coached like everybody knows, and it is going to be a really big matchup, and I am glad we get them here,” said BYU’s Richie Saunders. “They are just a tough, tough team, and I am excited for the challenge.”
Saunders and Edgecombe are candidates to be Big 12 Player of the Week, after Saunders scored 25 and 21 last week and Edgecombe had 21 against Utah and 30 in a 70-62 win over Kansas State last Wednesday.
Demin said it will be “exciting” to be on the same court as another highly regarded freshman such as Edgecombe, who was a consensus five-star recruit and is averaging 13.5 points per game for the Bears.
“It is always interesting to play against those teams. I hear about them, playing in Europe, or playing in Russia, a bunch of them,” Demin said. “You know, playing in March Madness and playing those players who are going (to be drafted) is interesting. … It is always good competition in the Big 12. As I already know.”
Although his college career is not off to as solid of a start as Edgecombe’s is, Demin is showing improvement and looking more and more comfortable in Young’s system now that he’s fully recovered from a knee contusion suffered against Providence. Demin’s shooting stroke looked much better against Cincy, as he went 3 of 5 from 3-point range and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
“Yeah, I was trying to find the moment of confidence, as I had at the start of the season, where I wasn’t even thinking that I was going to miss it,” he said. “Again, yeah, I am just getting better and better, starting to feel better and better.”
Catchings is also looking more comfortable. The 6-9 freshman was 3 of 4 from deep against Cincinnati and also made some standout defensive plays. When he was taken out in the second half, he received a nice round of applause from the Marriott Center crowd of 17,483.
Young said Catchings “had his best practice in a long time” on Friday.
“For him to lock in at practice, even though things haven’t been going his way, and then to come out and be rewarded with a good performance, I think it speaks to work. There is no substitute for that,” Young said.
“And he has not shied away from work. He has stayed the course. Which gave me more confidence to do a better job of putting him in position to get some of those 3s. Some of those were from set plays. I just thought his overall aggression was better. He just looked more comfortable out there and to hear it from the crowd, especially that many people, is a good feeling.”
Bottom line is that the freshmen are starting to turn the corner, and so, perhaps, has the BYU basketball team. But the schedule stiffens from here on out, beginning Tuesday against a Baylor team that has a NET ranking of 28.
BYU’s NET ranking moved from No. 43 to No. 38 after Saturday’s 28-point victory. The Cougars’ Kenpom.com rating went from No. 38 to No. 31.
“It is a little bit of a turning point for us, because we have had to learn how to finish games. You know? There are just so many of those details that it takes to win games, that we have had to really come together and fix,” Saunders said. “I would say a little bit of gradual (improvement), which leads to turning a little bit of the corner. We have a big one coming up on Tuesday, just like every game.”
Cougars on the air
Baylor (13-6, 5-3) at BYU (13-6, 4-4)
Tuesday, 7 p.m. MST
At the Marriott Center
Provo, Utah
TV: ESPN2
Radio: BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYURadio.org/BYU Radio app