I am so sorry that you didnt get my newsletter last week. Last week was crazy busy and I didnt have a ton of time to get this done. But we are back for this week!
Game Recap vs Duequesne, First Round
You have probably already seen and heard that BYU lost to Duquesne in the First Round of March Madness. It felt like a gut punch straight to the stomach. BYU was down by 8 at halftime and they should have been down by more. BYU did not play a very good first half. They played a much better second half and were tied with just under 2 minutes to go in the whole game.
But BYU never does well in crunch time. I dont know if its a player thing or coach thing. But they had a bad foul and turnover by Saunders, Fouss took a very questionable floater just below the FT line, and Hall had a bad foul as well.
After the Hall foul, Duquesne shot FTs, up 2. They made the first one and missed the second one but it turned into a jump ball and Duquesne had possession. You have to grab a rebound after a missed FT. That would have given a chance for BYU to tie it, down 3. Duquesne made one more FT and the game was over.
BYU Basketball Season Recap
Overall, the season felt like a total success and a huge surprise. But the last two games that BYU played, felt like a let down and gave us some bad taste in our mouths. They lost to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Quarterfinals by 14 and got upset by 11 seed Duquesne in the First Round of March Madness. Not a great way to go out in your last two games.
But good times are ahead and this team took a huge jump this season, making us all excited about BYU Basketball again. They finished 5th in the Big 12 after being polled to finish 13th. Thats a successful season, in my opinion, the ending just didnt match it.
BYU Basketball Outlook
I want to take an early look at what BYU Basketball could look like next year! First we will look at the departing players:
- Spencer Johnson (Graduation)
- Jaxson Robinson (Possibly Turning Pro)
- Tredyn Christensen (Graduation)
- Marcus Adams (Transfer Portal)
- Tanner Hayhurst (Transfer Portal)
So far we have 5 guys leaving. 3 of which are scholarship players. Christensen and Hayhurst are the walk ons. Jaxson Robinson hasnt said yet whether he is leaving or staying but he will need to make a decision soon. But if he comes back, that will drastically improve this team even more. Marcus Adams is transferring because of the death of his father. His mom lives in Southern California and doesnt speak English and doesn’t know how to drive. So he will likely go to a school that is closer to her.
While this loss does hurt a little, it just means more playing time for guys who are staying and the recruits joining the team. Both Hayhurst and Christensen didnt contribute much to the team so their loss wont hurt much. Johnson is the only other contributer that is leaving. He was a good player and a great leader.
Returning Players
- Noah Waterman (Senior)
- Trey Stewart (Senior)
- Atiki Ally Atiki (Senior)
- Richie Saunders (Junior)
- Trevin Knell (Senior)
- Dawson Baker (Junior)
- Dallin Hall (Junior)
- Fousseyni Traore (Senior)
- Aly Khalifa (Senior)
- Jared McGregor (Junior)
- Townsend Tripple (Sophomore)
As of this writing, these are the guys coming back and the class they will next year. There will be a TON of Seniors but this is still a very solid foundation for next year and they are bringing back a lot of people from a team that really exceeded expectations. If they can have another offseason of good development and take another step, they could be really good. I wouldnt be surprised to see maybe Trey Stewart of Atiki Aly Atiki hit the transfer portal for their last year though.
2024 Recruiting Class
Isaac Davis – Forward
Isaac Davis and Brooks Bahr are the only two high school signees for BYU in 2024. Bahr will serve a mission first, so Davis is the only guy on the roster next season from high school. Davis has a lot to like. He is a 4 star prospect from Idaho and is very similar to Fouss Traore, moderately tall but very strong and athletic.
Davis may not play a huge role with Khalifa, Fouss, Waterman, and Atiki all in the rotation. But if one of them transfers, Davis could become a part of the rotation. But, all 4 of these guys in the rotation next year are all seniors. So this next year and a half will be big for Davis to be the main big man in two years.
2022 Returned Missionaries
Collin Chandler – Guard
Former 4 star prospect Collin Chandler returns from his mission in about a week. He is one of the most coveted basketball recruits to ever come out of Utah. He can do everything. Chandler can shoot, handle the ball, and is a strong driver who is super strong, lanky, and athletic. But coming off a mission, he might need half a year or year to shake off the rust. Here are some highlights of Collin Chandler if you want to see what one of the most coveted basketball recruits out of Utah looks like.
Overall, BYU does lose some contributors in Jaxson Robinson and Spencer Johnson. But adding Collin Chandler and having Dawson Baker come back from injury will most likely vill the void left by those two. And if Jaxson Robinson decides to come back, I think BYU will be better than this last year. So the future is bright for BYU! And BYU, next year, could definitely be on the same level as this years team or even better if Robinson returns, Collin Chandler coming back from his mission, Isaac Davis joining the fold, and Dawson Baker coming back.
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