These kinds of games happen occasionally. BYU was not really 34 points better than Kansas as just one example. If Alabama hits 33% of their 51 3s instead of 49% that’s 8 more misses (24 points) than they had tonight, which makes this basically an even game. It’s one thing for 1 player to go off (McNamara, Sears), but tonight the entire Alabama team went off. Frankly, I’d be surprised if Alabama could make 25 of 51 shots again from 3, even if there was no one guarding them. That was ridiculously impressively.

Some interesting Alabama stats from their 3 NCAA Tournament games: Against Robert Morris they were 6/21 from 3 (28.6%) and 16/24 from the charity stripe (66.7%). Against St Mary’s they were 7/17 from 3 (41.2%) and 15/20 on FTs. Against BYU they were 25/51 from 3 (49.0%) and 18/21 on FTs (85.7%). I hope I never see a shooting exhibition like that again in my lifetime unless it’s done by BYU. Alabama took 10 more 3s tonight than they took against Robert Morris and St Mary’s combined. Taking a lot of 3s must have been part of their strategy against BYU, and when they were going in at such a high clip, why stop.

This loss, though embarrassing, doesn’t take away from the success of BYU’s season. They clearly exceeded expectations, making the Sweet 16 for only the 3rd time in their history. What a great run the past year has been for the BYU BB program. The trajectory of the program is very positive. The best is yet to come.

Imagine where this team would have been without Saunders. They certainly would not have been in the Sweet 16. He is definitely a gamer. All indications are that he’ll be back next year. I hope that’s accurate. It would be really difficult to replace him.

Knell, Stewart, Traore, and Mag are all out of eligibility. They are all very good players and each played a significant role in BYU’s ascendance this year. They’ll all be missed. But the reality is that with NIL and the portal, KY should be able to replace all of them with players that are at least as good.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with BYU’s long list of bench players:

• Hall—I expect him to be back, but unless he improves significantly I see his role diminishing next year. He hasn’t been a consistent offensive threat, dribbles too much, and turns the ball over too much. I love his moxie, and he’s hit some really important shots in his career, but he hasn’t seemed to progress this year like I had hoped.

• Baker—I think he’ll play a major role next year. Probably not a starter, but a key piece off the bench. He is great at getting into the paint and either scoring or dishing. He also is a decent 3-point shooter. If he can increase his 3-point percentage and cut down on turnovers he’ll get a lot of PT.

• Catchings—The big question is whether he’ll be back or not. I hope he returns. He has seemed unhappy lately. His mid-season injury hasn’t helped. I believe that with another year he could really blossom in KY’s system. Hopefully, his aunt and other relatives can help him see that the best place for his development is to stay at BYU. He’s so young that another year in college isn’t going to hurt his pro prospects at all. In fact, it’s likely it would really help.

• Boskovic—He’s been really up and down this season. He’s played well in some games, and not even left the bench in some other games. I think he’s got the size and skills to be a great piece off the bench, but needs additional development.

• Crawford—BYU really needs a point guard who can penetrate and distribute the ball. Is Crawford that guy? He was highly recruited so I’m sure he has some skills. Can he at least be a serviceable backup next year? Who knows? I’ve heard rumblings he may enter the portal and look elsewhere. We’ll see.

• Kozlowski—From what I’ve heard he actually ended up redshirting this year. Hopefully, he’s healthy and ready to play next year. I’ve heard he’s a good outside shooter. BYU will need a guy like that. Hopefully, he can play defense as well. He was another highly-regarded recruit. I hope he stays and continues to develop.


• Mboup—I don’t really know anything about him. I hear he’s very athletic. Hopefully he can replace some of what Mag brought this season.

• Tripple/Triplett/McGregor—Are these guys just practice bodies or do any of them have the skills and ability to make any kind of significant contribution to the team? I don’t really have any perspective on them.

Most people assume that Demin will be drafted and be gone. But I think there’s at least a 25% chance that he’ll return. With NIL it’s less of a sure thing that young players like him leave for the NBA when they can make some good money, continue to develop in college, and enjoy the college life for another year. I guess we’ll see.

It seems like a sure thing that Keita, Saunders, and Dybantsa will be starters next year. If Demin were to return you can add him to that list. BYU really needs to get a 3-and-D player to add to that group, whether it’s someone from the portal or someone already on the roster like Kozlowski, Boskovic, or Mboup.

BYU needs a point guard that can penetrate and score. They also need a big who can take Traore’s place. It will be interesting to see who BYU adds, and who they lose in the next couple of months.

Doesn’t BYU get to take a summer trip overseas this year? Those kinds of trips really seem to help with team camaraderie and development. I hope this is a year they get to do that.

Finally, great season BYU. The future is bright. Continue taking positive steps forward! Go Cougars!