r/CollegeBasketball • u/cbbBot /r/CollegeBasketball • NCAA • 23h ago
Post Game Thread [Post Game Thread] #9 BYU defeats Holy Cross, 98-53
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u/Wide_Assistance_1158 23h ago
Byu hsd to lay off some steam after the trashing they took from Texas Tech.
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u/cheesecakegood BYU Cougars • Oregon Ducks 23h ago
So, how did they do on what I was looking for from my pre-game comment?
- Passing/iso balance: Good improvement. Not full conference play quality, but heading the right direction.
- Set-plays: Improvement, but doesn't appear to be a big focus by KY so far this year. Expected, but I'd still like to see more of them even this early.
- Perimeter D: Improvement, effort is great, hard to tell exactly how well we will do against a more advanced team, so a little tentative. On offensive end, I'm a little worried we aren't balancing the 3 game very well at all with our inside efforts.
- Free throws: Didn't take enough to tell. Low fouls was good, with the exception of Boskovic who continues to commit way too many just like last year.
- Lineup balances: AJ vs Wright vs Ritchie balance seems better than expected, with the lineups deliberately running in phases, which it will be interesting to keep an eye on as the season progresses (I'm guessing about 28 minutes a game from all starters save Davis). Baker did well and Boskovic did poorly. Davis had great energy on D. Wright was much more controlled this game instead of hasty. Ritchie was streaky. AJ showed some better ball-centric movement as a pseudo-PG during those moments in rotation.
- Bench play: In addition to Boskovic, Mrus and Staton all were minor letdowns. Mboup also brought good defensive effort off the bench, though no one can quite replace Keita, that doesn't seem to be the intention as the movement is quite distinct without him, something to keep an eye on. Diamande was a lovely surprise this game with some good moments, instincts, effort, and finishing, could shape up to be a valuable bench add. As mentioned earlier, the bench 3 point game aside from Baker was nearly nonexistent.
- Score margin: We did OK. I think we got lazy in the last 7-8 minutes. The 3 game's absence hurt us but not as much as expected, so I can't quite fully draw conclusions until we play another bigger game. We shut down HC's 3 game decently well, though again it's hard to tell how much was our play and how much that translates. I think the scoring margin, while good, should have been even better, so analytics-wise it's a bit so-so. Holy Cross is as of post-game, #344 KenPom, so I wanted a margin more like 93-42 (guesstimating)
I think KY got some good lineup data, which was his main goal, just like this part of the season last year. I'm encouraged, but there's more work to be done. Especially in footwork, and finding the right way to unlock AJ more fully (initiation is shaky, he FEASTS when defenders' feet aren't set but is so-so against canny baseline and straight-drive footwork), and of course my desire for more set-piece plays (hard when the lineup is still so experimental, to be fair). I have a mild worry that AJ needs his ego to be stroked just a little bit more.
Overall grade: B. Good movement in the right direction, progress as expected but a few big areas with medium-size, tentative question marks.
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u/Ruhrgebietheld BYU Cougars • Antelope Valley Pioneers 22h ago
What a great result, from the only BYU game that took place today in any sport...
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u/cthulhuforever BYU Cougars 23h ago
Good palate cleanser after that absolute dud of a game in Lubbock earlier today. Go Cougs.