What BYU needs to be successful
 

The two best players on the team were Cummard and Plaisted.

So, the weaknesses on the team are at the 1, 2, and 4 positions.

Fredette has proved himself a heady player and will be the starting PG next season. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in decision making and cojones.

The real killer this season was not having a serviceable 4. A not-very-athletic Tavernari at 6'6" does not cut it. Few offensive boards, gives up offensive boards. No put backs. Big defensive liability. BYU has to have a springy athletic 4 that clean the glass on both ends, that is a stopper on the defensive end.

Burgess was our best defensive guard, and so we will need a good defender at the 2, esp. with slow-footed Fredette at the 1. A stopper who can put the ball on the floor and go to the rim and hit the open 3.

So what about a lineup as follows

1-fredette
2-cummard
3-tavernari
4-?
5-plaisted

(btw, the idea of plaisted playing the 4, when he has zero face up game is ridiculous)

If we have the above lineup, who is at the 4?

One thing I've noticed in the tourney is that ALL of the good teams are excellent on defense. BYU's defense was good, but not at the level to win games in the tourney. We need better defense.

One other thing: Trent needs to get a LOT stronger. When Joe Darger can push you from the block to 12 feet out, you are not NBA-ready.

That has to the priority for Trent. My guess, however, is that he spends the entire off season working on his 12 feet out face up game, and that it will still suck.

Can you imagine if this years team had Keena Young? That sure would have helped.

I've said this before. I see a college basketballl team's defensive intensity as a reflection on the coach's character. Like playing defense and practicing defense, coaching defense must be a lot harder and more drudgery than offense. What finally turned me agaisnt Giacoletti was the Utes going an entire season almost last in the country in three-point defense.

I actually agree with you 100% on this post, move Cummard to the 2, Tav to the 3 and play either Mcgregor (6'9 with about as much offensive game as Collinsworth) or Hartsock (6'9, Oklahoma player of the year, can flat out score but is coming straight off a mission and will be a freshman) at the 4.

You can also run a smaller lineup out there with Morgan & Loyd playing the 1 & 2.


Next year's team should be nothing if not flexible.

What difference does it make where Cummard plays when we dont go to him down the stretch against UNLV or against TAMU?

rose needs to go to him on every possession in crunch time. he needs to touch the ball. And he needs to demand the ball.

I agree. I think down the stretch you have to sit Tavernari. He takes too many shots away from Cummard. What was with that half court shot with a couple of minutes left and we were down 6.

To be fair, that shot was not very characteristic of JT's recent shot selection.

On the other hand (and just as fair), that shot at the very least cost BYU a shot at the win. Even if it'd gone down, I'd have been pretty upset with the shot.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Lee missed two pull-up jumpers from 18 in the last two minutes of play.