CougarCorner

I know it is football time but we should be very excited about this team.

We have senior guard leadership. We have a star player to make the big plays. We have enough depth on the inside. Our starting likely line-up of Emery-Fischer-KC-Davis-Kaufusi has playmaking, shooting, rebounding and rim-protection.

Off the bench we have Calvert-Chatman-Sejilaas-Aytes-Austin. We can absorb foul trouble.

Let's win some tourney games this year.

I've hopefully we have a very good team, or I will honestly be quite disappointed. I think 5 losses is more than generous with this team, talent, and schedule.

We lost scoring when Haws graduated but these guys will make it up and it will be evenly distributed. In addition they may be the best defense and rebounding team we've seen for a while. I'm optimistic.

Qman wrote:I know it is football time but we should be very excited about this team.

We have senior guard leadership. We have a star player to make the big plays. We have enough depth on the inside. Our starting likely line-up of Emery-Fischer-KC-Davis-Kaufusi has playmaking, shooting, rebounding and rim-protection.

Off the bench we have Calvert-Chatman-Sejilaas-Aytes-Austin. We can absorb foul trouble.

Let's win some tourney games this year.

I highly doubt you will see that starting line up, just look at who started on the Spain trip:
#1 Kyle Collinsworth 6' 6" 215: 4/4 games
#2 Chase Fischer 6' 3" 190: 4/4 games
#3 Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195: 4/2 games (games 3 & 4)
#3 Jake Toolson 6' 5" 205: 4/1 games (1st game)
#3 Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215: 4/1 games (2nd game)
#4 Kyle Davis 6' 8" 225: 4/3 games
#5 Corbin Kaufusi 6' 10" 255: 4/3 games
#4/5 Nate Austin 6' 11" 245: 4/2 games

FWIW, BYU has up the new roster and list Alan Hamson 7' 2" 210... Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210, that's big enough IMO to play the 1 through 3 spots. Another interesting one was Jamal Aytes 6' 6" 235, I thought 225 would be strong last, but add another 10 pounds of muscle he is going to be a beast down low.

E-Zone15 wrote:

Qman wrote:I know it is football time but we should be very excited about this team.

We have senior guard leadership. We have a star player to make the big plays. We have enough depth on the inside. Our starting likely line-up of Emery-Fischer-KC-Davis-Kaufusi has playmaking, shooting, rebounding and rim-protection.

Off the bench we have Calvert-Chatman-Sejilaas-Aytes-Austin. We can absorb foul trouble.

Let's win some tourney games this year.

I highly doubt you will see that starting line up, just look at who started on the Spain trip:
#1 Kyle Collinsworth 6' 6" 215: 4/4 games
#2 Chase Fischer 6' 3" 190: 4/4 games
#3 Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195: 4/2 games (games 3 & 4)
#3 Jake Toolson 6' 5" 205: 4/1 games (1st game)
#3 Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215: 4/1 games (2nd game)
#4 Kyle Davis 6' 8" 225: 4/3 games
#5 Corbin Kaufusi 6' 10" 255: 4/3 games
#4/5 Nate Austin 6' 11" 245: 4/2 games

FWIW, BYU has up the new roster and list Alan Hamson 7' 2" 210... Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210, that's big enough IMO to play the 1 through 3 spots. Another interesting one was Jamal Aytes 6' 6" 235, I thought 225 would be strong last, but add another 10 pounds of muscle he is going to be a beast down low.

Ouch on the 210# Center. That is one seriously skinny dude at 7'2"

BYULV wrote:

E-Zone15 wrote:

Qman wrote:I know it is football time but we should be very excited about this team.

We have senior guard leadership. We have a star player to make the big plays. We have enough depth on the inside. Our starting likely line-up of Emery-Fischer-KC-Davis-Kaufusi has playmaking, shooting, rebounding and rim-protection.

Off the bench we have Calvert-Chatman-Sejilaas-Aytes-Austin. We can absorb foul trouble.

Let's win some tourney games this year.

I highly doubt you will see that starting line up, just look at who started on the Spain trip:
#1 Kyle Collinsworth 6' 6" 215: 4/4 games
#2 Chase Fischer 6' 3" 190: 4/4 games
#3 Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195: 4/2 games (games 3 & 4)
#3 Jake Toolson 6' 5" 205: 4/1 games (1st game)
#3 Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215: 4/1 games (2nd game)
#4 Kyle Davis 6' 8" 225: 4/3 games
#5 Corbin Kaufusi 6' 10" 255: 4/3 games
#4/5 Nate Austin 6' 11" 245: 4/2 games

FWIW, BYU has up the new roster and list Alan Hamson 7' 2" 210... Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210, that's big enough IMO to play the 1 through 3 spots. Another interesting one was Jamal Aytes 6' 6" 235, I thought 225 would be strong last, but add another 10 pounds of muscle he is going to be a beast down low.

Ouch on the 210# Center. That is one seriously skinny dude at 7'2"

Actually I was pretty excited that he was at 210, Nate Austin was normally at 6' 11" 230, last year they listed him at 235 and this year 245. If BYU could help get Alan up to 220 or 225 by season end by adding the right kind of weight (strength & conditioning). So it's not out of the question he could be up to 230 or 235 by as early as next year and IMO, 230 to 250 would be a very effective weight for him. Also don't for get Ryan Andrus 6' 11" 215 (83" vs 86" or 87", isn't that much of a difference) played really effective for BYU last year as a true freshman right out of High School.

Anyway, yesterday what gets me, is when people try to pencil in players at the #3 spot that aren't #3's (Fischer and Emery). Coach Rose has recruited a bunch of talented players that can play the #3:
Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195
Jake Toolson 6' 5" 205
Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215
Jakob Hartsock 6' 8" 205
***Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210
*** has to set this year out do to transfer rules

Now the interesting thing is 3 of those 5 could also play PG:
***Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210
Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195
Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215 (had 325 assists in High School)

Kyle Collinsworth is BYU's PG and there is no need to try pencil him anywhere else (the #3 or #4) when BYU finally has the players to play those positions.

--BYU's Options--
#1
Kyle Collinsworth 6' 6" 215
Nick Emery 6' 2" 185
Cory Calvert 6' 3" 190
Cooper Ainge 6' 180
Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195
Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215
***Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210

#2
Chase Fischer 6' 3" 190
Nick Emery 6' 2" 185
Cory Calvert 6' 3" 190
Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195
***Elijah Bryant 6' 5" 210

#3
Jordan Chatman 6' 5" 195
Jake Toolson 6' 5" 205
Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215
Jakob Hartsock 6' 8" 205

#4
Kyle Davis 6' 8" 225
Nate Austin 6' 11" 245
Jamal Aytes 6' 6" 235
Braiden Shaw 6' 9" 210
Zac Seljaas 6' 7" 215
Jakob Hartsock 6' 8" 205

#5
Corbin Kaufusi 6' 10" 255
Nate Austin 6' 11" 245
Alan Hamson 7' 2" 210

There are a lot of reasons to be excited. In general, the roster this year is a huge upgrade from the last 3 or 4. The depth and balance are way beyond what we've had recently. Plus they've already had more practices and games to gel as a group than other teams because of the Spain trip. I'll say it right now. The Utah game December 2nd is going to wake a lot of people up about this team just like the win at UNLV in the 2011 season did. I can't wait.

I know we lose KC and Austin in 2016-2017, but man I can't wait to see Erik Mika with Kaufusi and the addition of TJ Hawes.

Believe it or not, but I think as both teams are constituted for this season that BYU may actually present a challenging matchup for the Zags. You can make a pretty persuasive argument that their best three players are Wiltjer, Karnowski and Sabonis. And against most WCC teams they could probably get away with playing all three at the same time. I don't think that would work against BYU unless they play zone (Wiltjer guarding KC? Good luck) They don't usually like to play zone anyway, and I think KC and BYU's shooters would absolutely carve it up.

On the other end, BYU will have much more size and depth this year by the basket that will play good enough defense to at least make the Zags' big men have to work for it. Bottom line is I think the games will be very competitive. Gonzaga's loss of considerable experience on the guardline with Pangos, Bell and Wesley gone I think will make some difference also. They'll still be very good, but I think the improvement for BYU and Gonzaga coming down a little from their unbelievably good team last year makes the gap pretty close. Don't forget we did actually beat them once last year by taking advantage of some matchups.

It will be fun.

BlueK wrote:Believe it or not, but I think as both teams are constituted for this season that BYU may actually present a challenging matchup for the Zags. You can make a pretty persuasive argument that their best three players are Wiltjer, Karnowski and Sabonis. And against most WCC teams they could probably get away with playing all three at the same time. I don't think that would work against BYU unless they play zone (Wiltjer guarding KC? Good luck) They don't usually like to play zone anyway, and I think KC and BYU's shooters would absolutely carve it up.

On the other end, BYU will have much more size and depth this year by the basket that will play good enough defense to at least make the Zags' big men have to work for it. Bottom line is I think the games will be very competitive. Gonzaga's loss of considerable experience on the guardline with Pangos, Bell and Wesley gone I think will make some difference also. They'll still be very good, but I think the improvement for BYU and Gonzaga coming down a little from their unbelievably good team last year makes the gap pretty close. Don't forget we did actually beat them once last year by taking advantage of some matchups.

It will be fun.

One other interesting observation after looking at their roster, the only have 5 bigs, 2 centers and 3 forwards, but 10 guards. They have two guys 7'1", another 6'10" and 6'9", but after that it's one 6'6" guy and the rest are avg sized guards. They don't have a lot of room for injury or fatigue amongst their big men. I think that plays to our favor. They won't be able to man handle our big guts like they did last year.