Photo courtesy BYU
BYU’s Jackson Robinson drives to the basket against Evansville in a men’s college basketball game at Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.
Photo courtesy BYU
Players on the bench make a 3-point shot in a BYU men’s basketball game during the 2023-24 season.
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Just start following college basketball and BYU on social media.
The Cougars (9-1) were ranked No. 18 in the latest Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the KenPom ratings, surprising experts who did not expect the team to be as dominant as it was in the preseason.
Ready for more? The College Basketball Report notes that since the NET (2018-19), every national champion has been ranked in the top five on December 15. The top five are Purdue, Arizona, BYU, Houston and Baylor as the Cougars prepare for a home championship game Saturday night with Georgia State.
Hard times, indeed.
Even with a challenging 12 regular season underway, Cougar Nation has to ride the wave of success as long as possible.
BYU rebounded from its first loss of the season (at Utah) to handle a good Denver team 90-74 on Wednesday, featuring 28 points and eight 3-pointers from Jackson Robinson and its first double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds). From the career of Noah Waterman.
The Cougars were able to re-establish the identity that clearly propelled them to a 9-0 start.
“So that’s what it is,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “It (their identity) wasn’t missing on Saturday. It wasn’t as consistent as we’re trying to be. And I don’t have to do anything with those guys. We have great leadership on this team. I think the guys have a feel and understand what we’re trying to be. I think They know what they want to become as a team.”
During critical moments in the game, players will either try to do things themselves rather than within the system or return to aspects of their game that worked, Pope said.
“There comes a point when you’re at a risky moment in the game, maybe the momentum swings or something,” Pope said. “And you can either emphasize who you are as a team or you can feel like, ‘I have to do something different.’”
“For us, we’re going to have a lot of that this year. And we’re a good team. We’re going to have a lot of crunch moments because we’re going to be playing against really good teams. In those moments where things might seem like they’re slipping a little bit, as much as we can get back to the things that we do, which is Unbelievable transition defense, communicating and playing in the half-court like crazy defence, all five guys getting a hit really sharing the ball, cutting hard and completing shots, really working on drives, we get back to those things in the weak moments in the game where everyone has a little bit of doubt. And nothing works.
Green light
Robinson is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, shooting 44% from distance off the bench.
“I just trust in the work I’ve done over the summer and so far,” he said. “I have great teammates and great coaches that support me, whether the shots are falling or not. I’m really lucky that I can say I have these guys as teammates and coaches. All I can do is thank them, to be honest.”
Robinson was 3 of 8 against Utah but the rest of the team was just 4 of 22 (18%) from long range against Utah. The Cougars were 12 of 37 (32%) against Denver, and Robinson made 8 of 16.
“Everyone has confidence in each other,” Robinson said. “I don’t think it’s just me. It’s everyone on the team. It doesn’t matter if Zero (Waterman) is shooting it, Trev, (Trevin Neal), Spencer (Johnson), Dallin (Hall)… we all know we have each other’s backs, specifically with “Our wedge is on the offensive glass, I’m trying to get second chances and third chance points.”
Scouting report
Georgia State is 4-5 to start the season after finishing 10-21 in 2022-23. The Panthers were picked to finish 13th (out of 14 teams) in the Sun Belt Conference.
Wake Forest transfer Lucas Taylor, a 6-foot-5 guard, leads Georgia State in scoring with 14.1 points per contest. Winthrop transfer Toneri Layne, a 6-4 guard, is averaging 12.4 points and leads the Panthers with 23 3-pointers.
With the finals next week, BYU will host Bellarmine on Friday, then won’t play again until a home matchup with former Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming on Dec. 30. The Cougars’ Big 12 opener is Jan. 6 against Cincinnati at the Marriott Center.
Men’s college basketball
Georgia State (4-5) at No. 18 BYU (9-1)
Saturday, 7pm GMT
Marriott Center, Provo
television: no one
flow: Big 12 now on ESPN+
radio: Sirius XM 143/BYU Radio.org/BYU Radio app/KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM
Live stats: byucougars.com
Word: BYU and Georgia State have played just once before, an 80-62 Cougar win in 2012 at the Marriott Center. … The Cougars have won 10 straight non-conference home games, outscoring their opponents 893-603. … BYU is first in the country in 3-point percentage (12.2) and 3-point attempts (33) per game.
the news
BYU men’s basketball team has seen a resurgence in the national spotlight as their stellar performance on the court continues to attract attention. With impressive ratings and rankings, the team has solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in college basketball. As fans and analysts alike take notice of their success, the BYU men’s basketball team has become a top contender in the sport. This latest news has garnered widespread coverage in the world of sports, sparking excitement and anticipation for what the team will achieve next.