It is understandable that BYU basketball coach Mark Pope doesn't want to play a lot of tough non-conference games this year as the Cougars venture into the incredibly difficult Big 12.
But the outfit that BYU brought into the Marriott Center on Monday night for its 2023-24 opener was about as non-threatening as a Division I college basketball team can get.
The Cougars walloped visiting Houston Christian , formerly known as Houston Baptist , 110-63 in front of 13,130 in Provo in what amounted to be little more than shooting practice for the home team.
It was just what Pope wanted, because the Cougars were able to put up 43 3-pointers, a school record, believe it or not. It surpassed the 40 they shot at Loyola Marymount in 2020.
They made 15 of those Monday, for a just-OK 34.9%.
Get used to it, Cougar fans.
"We are not going to be able to get 43 3s up in a lot of games, but we are going to fight to get them up," Pope said. "I am really proud of the 43 3s, and I am really proud of the 23 offensive rebounds. Those two things go together. … This is a staple of who we want to be."
BYU led 56-18 at halftime, covering the 32.5-point spread in the first 20 minutes, and Pope was able to play as many guys on his roster as he wanted to.
Obviously, everything changes in four days when San Diego State , which lost 76-59 to UConn in last April's national championship game, comes to town to renew an old WAC and Mountain West Conference rivalry.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
Speaking of the tipoff, 11 seconds after it happened Monday, Trevin Knell hit a 3-pointer to get BYU going and he and the Cougars never looked back.
Knell went 5 off 9 from deep and finished with 19 points in his first game since the 2022-23 season, having missed all of last year after shoulder surgery.
"It feels great to be back," Knell said. "Everybody has been telling me it has been 500 and something days since you played basketball in the Marriott Center, but it feels great to be back in front of the ROC.
My teammates got me open shots today. Coach ran some great plays for me to get open shots as well."
Spencer Johnson added 20 points, a career-high, and BYU was never in any real danger of losing.
"The guys, we really came out and we were mentally there today. I felt like we started the game really hot both on the offensive and defensive end," Knell said.
"We are in a position now where we share the ball really well as a team. Coach got us going. Spence (Johnson) had a great pregame speech. We just have to carry that momentum into Friday."
Pope has said 3-pointers will be critical this season to offset advantages nearly every BYU opponent will have, so Knell's bomb and subsequent long-distance connections were more than welcomed.
BYU was 10 of 27 from beyond the arc in the first half, before both teams lost interest in playing defense in the second.
For if there was one knock on the Cougars in this performance, it was their second-half defense. With seven minutes left, Houston Christian was shooting 70% in the second half alone.
The Huskies shot 60% in the second half, and were led by Marcus Greene with 18 points. Most of the buckets came when BYU players were beaten off the dribble. That kind of matador defense certainly won't work in the Big 12 — or on Friday. If BYU resorts to some zone defense this year, you will know why.
On-ball defense doesn't appear to be a strength of this team. That will have to change, or there won't be many nights like the opener.
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Pope went with the starting five of Fousseyni Traore, Noah Waterman, Trey Stewart , Johnson and Knell.
Dallin Hall, wearing a protective sleeve on his right knee, came off the bench with just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half and had one bucket in seven minutes. He finished with six points on 3 of 4 shooting.
Dawson Baker, the transfer from UC Irvine, is still nursing an injury and did not play. His status for SDSU is unclear.
"The starting lineup will change throughout the year," Pope said, when asked why Jaxson Robinson, who started in 30 games last year, came off the bench. Robinson had 13 points in 20 minutes, and, more importantly, was 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Pope expects Knell and Robinson to get up as many triples as they can.
"I am really proud of Jax. I think tonight was a really high energy game for him. I thought he was really effective," Pope said. "I thought his decision-making was really good. He is obviously a really special player and (whether) coming off the bench, starting the game, it doesn't matter. He is going to make a huge difference for us."
Waterman also had a nice game, with 16 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes. He was 3 for 6 from deep. The catalyst was Stewart, who had four assists and just one turnover while running the point.
"I am really proud of Trey. He has had a ton of pressure on his shoulders," Pope said, noting that Stewart has had to handle all the point guard chores with Hall and Baker out most of training camp and Ques Glover transferring to Kansas State.
"Trey has had to carry the entire load. He has had every single rep, every single practice, every single day in training camp," Pope said. "He has been unbelievable. I thought he was incredible tonight. It is so fun to watch his confidence (grow)."
BYU's Dallin Turner reacts during victory over Houston Christian Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in the Marriott Center in Provo. | BYU Photo
