BYUtv/BYU Sports Nation’s Jarom Jordan joins Coug Connect as a regular contributor during men’s basketball season starting with a preview of BYU vs Delaware Tuesday night.
A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING
It’s great to be part of the Coug Connect content team. I’m excited to write and discuss BYU men’s hoops this season and what a season it will be.
There’s never been a more anticipated season in program history and so far watching practice, shoot arounds and games has lived up to the billing.
UCONN SATURDAY
It’s a big week. Another home game tune up that we’ll discuss in a moment with Delaware then the second most high profile game of the season IMO (Houston is no. 1) against UConn, Saturday at 5pm MT on FOX, in Boston at TD Bank Garden, 45 minutes away from AJ Dybantsa childhood home in Brockton, Mass.
That’s no. 7 BYU vs no. 3 UConn. The closest thing we’ve had to that recently was no. 9 BYU hosting no. 4 San Diego State in 2011. This is new territory.
BTW, that game time is great for fans with Football against TCU at 8:15pm MT.
That would mean Tuesday’s matchup with Delaware would have a trap element to it but…that’s not the case.
If the Holy Cross game was a taste of what BYU might do against the non-power conference foes this season, that means dunks and highlight plays and big wins. 10 dunks in all is what I was told, officially. It felt like 20.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
The “Fightin’ Blue Hens” (you read that right) are 0-2 with losses to Bucknell (78-70) and Wilmington (71-62).
Delaware comes in at 236 in Ken Pom. Holy Cross is 339. That’s metrically based. What I see is two teams BYU should beat by 30-50 points.
Here’s my most interesting Delaware Deets…
Robert Wright III is from Wilmington, Delaware (I think he’s the first BYU player from the state) and went to school about 15 minutes from campus but he played his high school ball in Philadelphia at Neumann-Goretti High School before his senior season at Montverde Academy (with Cooper Flagg and the gang).
Kevin Young coached three seasons with the 76ers G-League affiliate the Delaware 87ers who were the Utah Flash from 2007-11 then 87ers 2013-18 (now the Blue Coats). The team was in Newark where the University of Delaware is. Assistant coaches John Linehan and Tim Fanning were also there with him.
87ers is random right? Well, it’s in reference to December 7, 1787 when Delaware became “The First State” as it is known when it ratified the Constitution first among the 13 colonies. Don’t say you didn’t learn anything here. That’s what Coug Connect does!
NFL QB Joe Flacco was a Blue Hen. In fact Joe was hanging out at a BYU basketball game last year to visit his niece who was a BYU student. He was hanging with troublemakers Austin Collie and my homie Dennis Pitta. Sorry Joe. You are going down tomorrow.
My neighbor and current BYU assistant Cross Country coach/men’s distance, Ryan Waite was with Delaware in a similar capacity for six seasons. In fact, he’s saying the prayer before the game.
This game is more about BYU preparing for UConn. Villanova gave the Cougars a challenge and revealed some things that BYU will need not just against the Huskies but remember the game after that is a rematch with Wisconsin, the next Friday in the Delta Center.
Side note – there’s a movement to call it Delta Center without “the”. Don’t be that person.
AREAS TO ADDRESS
BYU is going to be obviously fun to watch this season with AJ Dybantsa’s individual athleticism and ability to score the ball, Robert Wright III’s quickness, Richie Saunders point five second ability to get a shot off or take off for the basket with a cast of role players who seem to fit well together.
There’s a lot of awesome.
However, I see a few areas where Villanova exposed BYU early in the season and the Cougars are aware and have given attention for games like UConn, Wisconsin, Clemson, etc. ahead in non-con play not to mention Big 12 play in January.
- Shots at the Rim
- Second Chance Points
- Bench Scoring
As part of the ESPN+ TV broadcast team Saturday we get to chat with both coaches for the broadcast. With Kevin Young that was at 5:30pm before the Holy Cross game and I asked about these three items.
1) SHOTS AT THE RIM
Against Villanova BYU shot 17/35 within 4.5 feet of the rim. I asked him if that was a one-off or if it’s a concern. He said it is an issue because they differentiate restricted area paint 2s vs non-restricted area paints 2s. They want to be right at the rim and shoot zero non-restricted area paint 2s. Get to the rim or kick it out for a three. Very NBAish.
Talking to another staffer about this he said at the end of the shot clock there are exceptions. “Anything goes in that situation.” Just get a bucket.
After the Villanova game Young said he took the team to “Finishing School” where he pulled video from his vast array of clips in various situations in the NBA where he showed guys how to get in the paint with a two foot jump stop, not settling for a floater, how to find the open shooter if it’s too congested or contested, etc.
How many other coaches in the country have that in their arsenal on demand of guys they’ve coached at the next level?
I tallied BYU getting seven of its first nine shots at the rim against Holy Cross. In fact, they had 62 points in the paint, most in the Kevin Young era Saturday vs Holy Cross. Immediate coaching and immediate adjustment.
2) SECOND CHANCE POINTS
BYU gave up 31 second chance points on 17 offensive rebounds against Villanova. That kept the Wildcats in the game.
KY told me it wasn’t an issue of the main rebounders getting boards but it was the lack of gang rebounding to get the ball after a big cleared their guy out. That’ll be important against UConn Saturday.
3) BENCH SCORING
BYU’s starting five can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the country. However, when they go to the bench, who will score?
The Cougars were outscored 38-7 against ‘Nova. Dawson Baker had five and Mihailo Bošković had two.
KY told me it’s less about specific scoring but more about finding the right rotations and who fits with whom doing what.
He told me there are essentially three rotations.
1) When AJ/RW3 start the game together
2) When AJ subs out
3) When RW3 subs out and AJ comes back in
Either AJ or Rob will be in the game at all times (barring a blowout).
He referenced his time with the Suns where Devin Booker and Chris Paul were staggered in that way. Then when they added Kevin Durrant they had to figure out that rotation.
He mentioned last year was exceptional in the fact that BYU went 10-11 deep often.
He doesn’t anticipate the rotation to be as large this season. Realistically I’m thinking it’s 8-9 guys.
Off the bench I anticipate Dawson Baker and Tyler Mrus are the regulars in Big 12 play then it depends which big is effective among Bošković, Khadim Mboup and Xavion Staton behind Keba Keita.
Dominique Diomande has special athleticism as a small forward. His shot is a work in progress. Staton as a shot blocker is going to be awesome. They’ll likely come along slowly. The game is a little fast for both of them right now IMO.
PERSONALITY PIECE – AJ
Throughout the season I’ll share a human interest story so you get to know these guys on a more relatable level.
“Wait, you aren’t 6’8” with a 41-inch vertical like Keba Keita?”
When did AJ Dybantsa want to become a basketball player? Well, his Dad Ace played college soccer and his relatives in Jamaica and France and Congo all played soccer. His sister plays volleyball (at Lone Peak with Chris Burgess’ daughter. They are BFFs).
Ace told me it was in first grade where in class he declared in a book “I am seven years old. My favorite thing about first grade is gym class. When I grow up, I’d like to be a basketball player.”
Courtesy of Ace Dybantsa
We like that he is a basketball player too.
Shameless plug here – check out our one hour pregame show BYUSN Countdown live at 6pm MT on BYUtv, BYUtv app, ESPN+, or online here Tuesday night with the postgame show BYUSN Wrap Up after the game on the app/ESPN+.
Go Cougs!