consider our plus rebounding that big a surprise. It IS a lot better than I'd've figured it would be, considering on that list of 13 top-ten stats BYU owns, 4 of them are rebounding stats, so our team's focused rebounding mentality is an honorable mention, but I LOVE that perimeter defense is now a strength, when in previous years it was a definite liability.

And I can also see to where those go hand-in-hand. Both rebounding and perimeter defense require focus on positioning, and trust in teammates (and yeah, athleticism helps), but it's just another sign to me that this team is really gelling.

The conference season is still going to be a meat grinder. There'll be more than a few nights our outside shots aren't falling and we get EMBARRASSED by some teams. But there'll also be a few nights we shoot and rebound our way into games that conventional wisdom says we have no business winning.

It'll be a ride!