Three Takeaways After BYU Basketball's First Seven Games

Talmage Morgan | 3 Hours Ago

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We didn't know much about the Cougars through their first five games, but we knew enough to be hopeful. The returning core of Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, Fousseyni Traore, and Trevin Knell was looking good, and new additions like Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings were delivering on the preseason hype.

Then came the first real test of the season: game six vs Ole Miss. In game one of the Rady Children's Invitational on Thursday, the Cougars faced a tough, veteran Rebel squad. BYU fans were hopeful for an upset of the 23rd-ranked Rebels, and the Cougars were even favored to win by Vegas oddsmakers.

To give BYU credit, the team played well and the game came down to a final play in regulation where a missed layup by Fouss sent it into overtime. Ole Miss took over and what had been a close game down the stretch quickly got away from the Cougars. Sure, the officiating left a lot to be desired, but it was clear that if the Cougars lack one thing, it's experience, especially in high-pressure moments.

Three takeaways from this BYU team, especially after the last two games:

The roster is deep and full of talent

This BYU roster is full of offensive firepower. If one thing has changed since last season, it's that at any given moment, every player on the court has the ability to score at will. From Egor's vision and length to Fouss's dominance down low, there's no question that we have what we need on offense.

Turnovers and defensive miscues need to improve

The Cougars will face a Big 12 gauntlet of physical teams this season. The Ole Miss game was a great preview of what games against teams like Houston and Iowa State will look like.

On the bright side, we saw the Cougars' resilience come through as they matched the Rebels punch for punch offensively. However, it was clear that the Ole Miss defensive pressure rattled BYU's halfcourt offense, leading to 17 turnovers compared to the Rebels' 9.

Defensively, the Cougars struggled to stay in front of the quick Ole Miss guards, getting into foul trouble early. Missed assignments led to open three-point opportunities for opponents in both of the Cougars' tournament games. Whether it's communication, learning Kevin Young's schemes, or a bit of both, BYU will need to step it up on defense.

The late-game, high-pressure chemistry isn't there... yet

The game against Ole Miss will not be the last one that comes down to the wire. In a conference like the Big 12 where basically every team can keep things competitive on any given night, the Cougars will need to find out who can step up to lead the team to victory in those big moments.

That will be the difference between a good season and a great one.