This offseason for BYU Basketball could be maybe the biggest one in a while. Going to the Big 12 and coming off a bad year makes it that much more important. The Big 12 is going to require depth, physicality, and some big men reinforcements. Having guys transfer out via the transfer portal is always alarming. But I trust in Pope and know that he is going to bring in some dudes who are ready to play, fit his type of play, and hopefully are 6″10′ and taller.

BYU Sports Updates

Women’s Sports

• Tennis: The lady Cougars played 3 matches, winning 1. The first match was against Fresno St in Fresno where they fell in a close one 3-4. They then took on #65 Harvard in San Luis Obispo and fell 2-5. They continued their play in San Luis Obispo and went up against Cal Poly where they won 5-2. BYU returns home this weekend to face Gonzaga and Portland.
• Softball: The ladies’ showdown with #25 Utah on Tuesday was canceled and hasn’t been rescheduled. They proceeded to take on Utah Tech in St Goerge where they came away with a close win 4-3. Their quick series with Iowa St and Omaha was then canceled last weekend as well. They filled those games with a quick series against Idaho St where they won in 5 innings each game, 10-1 and 12-0. They are scheduled to take on Boise St, Utah St, and Idaho St this week.
• Basketball: BYU took on Rice in the first round of the WNIT and fell in a close one in the Marriott Center, 67-71. This was the final game of their season and will now be looking to the offseason to improve.
• Track and Field: BYU’s distance coach Diljeet Taylor for the second straight year won assistant coach of the year. The women started their outdoor season with 2 event wins and a lot of experience for freshmen. The 2 event wins were in the javelin and shot put.
• Gymnastics: The Cougars placed second in their final conference championship with #21 Southern Utah finishing first for the first time in school history. 4 Cougars earned All-Conference honors.

Men’s Sports

• Baseball: BYU went up against Utah, in Provo, and came away with a huge win 7-0 against the Utes. The Cougars threw a combined 1 hitter fueling them to the win. They then played LMU in LA over the weekend and won 1 out of 3, losing the series, 2-12, 8-0, and 9-10. The Cougars will now play UVU on Tuesday and then take on Saint Mary’s this weekend in Provo.
• Tennis: The Cougars took on #40 Texas Tech in Eugene, Oregon, and lost 1-4. They then took on #56 Oregon and lost 0-4. BYU will return home this weekend and take on Gonzaga and Portland.
• Track and Field: The Cougars started their outdoor season with 4 event wins and 11 top 3 finishes. Their 4 wins were in the 400-meter hurdles, 3,000-meter steeplechase, javelin, and discus throw.

Transfer Portal Strikes Again

The Transfer portal has struck again for BYU. This time taking instead of giving like in recent years. Both Braeden Moore and Hao Dong are transferring. Dong was a walk-on and probably wasn’t ever going to get time, but Moore surprised me a little. I kind of saw it coming and hinted at it in my last blog, but still. He was a 3-4 star 86-rated recruit. He was supposed to be pretty good and was a scholarship player. I don’t know what happened there but either he wasn’t as good as BYU thought or Pope and the staff told him that they are going to look for something else via the transfer portal. I think the latter is what happened. Moore was injured for most of the season and took a redshirt year so I don’t know the whole story, but still interesting.

But BYU can’t have this happen. If Moore really is as good as he was supposed to be, having a freshman that young with that potential heading into the Big 12 is VITAL. Depth is a major key. It concerns me a little because it looks like Pope will go the transfer portal route which is probably a player who will be here for only 1 or 2 years to fill that depth/small forward role. That’s not really building a program. Of course, Pope has a great young core, but we need our great and difference-making players to come from the young core and not from the transfer portal which Pope seems to be doing. I do trust Pope in what he is doing though.

BYU Basketball Off-Season Checklist

• Retain Dallin Hall, Fousseyni Traore, Richie Saunders, Jaxson Robinson, and Atiki Ally Atiki for the upcoming season.
• The offense was atrocious at times last season. Get a scorer in the transfer portal. A 3 wing or small forward would be ideal.
• Front Court help. BYU needs another center to help Fouss. Go to the transfer portal to find a big man.

Thats it. That’s all that I am hoping for. BYU needs scoring, big men, and a small forward with length.

Other (NFL/BYU) News

In case you didn’t see, Jamaal Willaims signed with the New Orleans Saints after playing for the Detroit Lions for the past couple of seasons. Do you know what that means? It means that Jamaal and Taysom Hill are once again on the same football team! The same duo that lit up Texas and many other teams. Yes, this could get very interesting!

March Madness Update

I am dead. Literally dead inside. It’s been the first weekend and my bracket is done. I got 7 out of the Sweet 16 teams right, can only get a max of 4 teams right for the Elite 8, 2 teams right out of the Final Four, and my champion Kansas is gone. It was fun while it lasted. On the bright side, who is ready to cheer on 15-seed Princeton?!