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What We Learned From the BYU Basketball Exhibitions
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- What We Learned From the BYU Basketball Exhibitions
BYU head coach Kevin Young against Arizona | BYU Photo
BYU finished its exhibition slate 2-0, beating Nebraska 72-61 at the Marriott Center on October 16 and UNLV 89-77 on the road on October 24.
Robby McCombs of Vanquish the Foe reported the Cougars also defeated Long Beach State in a 102-53 closed-door scrimmage on October 10.
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Looking at the exhibitions, neither win was perfect, but there were some encouraging signs about how BYU could look this season. Here is a closer look at the victories.
By the numbers
There were some consistent trends in the exhibitions.
Defense
In each game, BYU forced 18 turnovers. Last season, BYU's opponents had at least that many in only three games. Now, in consecutive games during preseason, that mark was reached twice.
For stretches of the Nebraska game, BYU applied some full-court pressure, led by Nate Pickens and Brooks Bahr. Against UNLV, the Cougars applied that same pressure for most of the game, this time with everyone involved. It paid off in both exhibitions.
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During the UNLV game in particular, Bahr had steals on back-to-back possessions on inbound plays. That helped energize BYU the rest of the way.
Under Kevin Young, BYU has rarely pressed full court. Those possessions have mostly been situational, so it will be interesting to see whether the Cougars keep defending this way throughout the season. Exhibitions should be taken with a grain of salt, but this could be a sneak peek of what's to come on that end of the floor.
Still, there are question marks around rim protection. It's hard to replace the shot-blocking ability of Keba Keita. This BYU squad has a lot of length, so potential to disrupt opponents in the paint is there, but everyone on the roster who played college basketball last season averaged less than a block a game, so it isn't necessarily anyone's strength.
Three-point shooting
One thing we know for sure is BYU will be shooting a lot of threes this season. In the two exhibitions, the Cougars had a combined 66 attempts from deep and shot 30%.
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The long ball wasn't falling at a high clip, but with many shooters on the roster and the season not yet underway, that should get better with time. Six different players hit at least one three in an exhibition.
Rebounds
Against Nebraska, BYU out-rebounded the Cornhuskers 39 to 35. A week later, UNLV won the battle on the boards against the Cougars 41 to 34. With so much length, BYU has the potential to be a good team on the glass.
Jaxon Kohler was one of the best rebounders in the country last season and is poised to be a major contributor again. Bruce Branch, Khadim Mboup, and Jake Wahlin also rebounded well through both exhibitions. All four players grabbed at least four rebounds in each game.
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The "Fantastic Four"
There were four players who stood out most in the exhibitions.
Collin Chandler led the Cougars in scoring, averaging 21 points a game. He scored in a variety of ways: from the perimeter, driving to the basket, and catching lobs for dunks. He shot 6-15 (40%) from three and was also great at getting to the free throw line, where he went 14-17 (82%). Chandler even showed off his vision with five assists against UNLV.
Rob Wright picked up where he left off last season, averaging 18 points and 5.5 assists. He was key to sparking the comeback against UNLV, scoring eight straight points in an 11-0 run that left the Cougars within one at halftime. Wright continues to be someone BYU can count on to score when needed, but he can also find the open man and be a catalyst for a more free-flowing offense.
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Branch put on an impressive display in both outings, averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. Freshmen typically need time to adjust to college basketball, but he looked poised and comfortable on the floor. He dished out eight assists against UNLV, showcasing his passing ability, and he consistently made the right reads with an obvious feel for the game. It wouldn't be surprising if Branch ended up with a triple-double at some point during the season because of how well-rounded he is.
Kohler made it clear how important he is to BYU, averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. He had a double-double against Nebraska and knocked down three triples against UNLV, which is exactly what makes him so dangerous for opponents and so key for the Cougars. His versatility makes him hard for opposing bigs to guard. He is comfortable with stretching the floor and has incredible footwork in the paint to get by defenders. Kohler raises the ceiling of this team and gives Young a type of a big man he hasn't had before.
BYU has good options on the roster with different skill sets, but this group of four will be key to the Cougars' success this season. All of them have proven they can score and find other ways to impact games when shots aren't falling.
The Depth
Depth hurt BYU last year. Because of injuries and other factors, the Cougars couldn't rely on their bench to consistently win games. This season, there are some intriguing options on the team.
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There has been a lot of buzz around Tyler Betsey this offseason. In the exhibitions, he didn't make a ton of noise. He averaged just 1.5 points and 3.5 rebounds, going 1-6 from the field and 1-6 from three. However, with how reliant the Cougars will be on three-point shooting, he should make more of an impact going into the year after shooting nearly 41% last season.
Mboup and Wahlin helped clean up the glass in the exhibitions and will continue to be relied upon to do so. Mboup also showed that he can be a lob threat. At times against UNLV, he shared the floor with Kohler, so it's possible the two could play together in the frontcourt in certain rotations.
Bahr has been a welcome surprise. He has been a spark off the bench, showing off his motor and his ability to make winning plays. He played good defense against both Nebraska and UNLV and wasn't shy about attacking the rim. If he keeps up that kind of effort, he should find his way into the rotation.
Pickens played 13 minutes a game and should find a core role in the rotation because of his defense alone. He shot 39% from three the season before coming to BYU. He went just 1-5 from the perimeter in the exhibitions, but the shots should start falling as he settles in after missing last season with an injury. His experience and leadership will also be valuable to this group.
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Brody Kozlowski played his first minutes for BYU since January 25, 2025, in the UNLV game. He has battled injuries throughout his career and has not played consistently, so it will be interesting to see how he fits into the rotation. Dawson Baker and Dovydas Buika are the only two Cougars who did not play in preseason as they recover from injuries.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/byu as What We Learned From the BYU Basketball Exhibitions .
