With the announcement this past week of Ian Harward's career ending due to injury, BYU is right back where it was at the beginning of 2012-2013: short on bodies. Brandon Davies, Craig Cusick, and Brock Zylstra are graduating. Craig Cusick and Brock Zylstra can be replaced in part by the additions of semi-experienced players in return missionary Kyle Collinsworth and JC transfer Skyler Halford. The Davies loss leaves a massive hole that BYU hopes can be filled by a few incoming freshmen.
Nate Austin is a bench player, plain and simple. He was only a sophomore this season, but he's had a lot of playing time over his two years and doesn't have what it takes to start, play without foul trouble, and score points. So, can Eric Mika do it? Even if he can, how will BYU fill both the 4 and 5 positions? Josh Sharp, Nate Austin, Agustin Ambrosino, Luke Worthington? I look at that list and think it means that BYU will have no inside scoring if Mika doesn't average 10+ per game. Ambrosino can score from the outside. Sharp can make open dunks. Austin can occasionally hit mid-range jumpers. But BYU is most effective when they can throw the ball into a believable scorer inside, drawing doubles, and kicking it out to shooters. If any of those three get the ball inside, there is no double-team coming. Mika needs to do what Plaisted did as a freshman to have the kind of impact BYU needs.
Now, in next year's WCC, BYU could survive with a smaller lineup, perhaps with Collinsworth at the 4 and a combination of Mika and Austin at the 5. There are no dominant PF's that Kyle couldn't stay with. The list of decent centers in the league basically starts and ends with St. Mary's Waldo (and decent is about as strong of an adjective as I'd use with him). It's possible that BYU could make that work defensively. I just don't see how that works on the offensive side of the ball.
Additionally, being set up to be successful in WCC play doesn't guarantee anything when it comes to non-conference or tournament play. With the 2013-14 schedule not yet out, I'd say BYU has a lot to work on before November. It looks like another bubble team next year. Is there relief in sight? Hopefully. The roster will be full of experienced seniors in 2014-2015 and soon-to-be high school senior TJ Haws is ridiculous...if he postpones going on a mission! They'll still need to get the 4/5 position figured out!
Sorry, Cougar fans, I think next year's team will only be marginally less frustrating to watch than this year's team.
you speak the truf, unfortunately. Hartsock and Davies spoiled us a bit the last few years. I had forgotten all about Plaisted...whatever happened to him?
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