[MikeWaters]

I have a lot of thoughts about the KSU game. But in short, the better team won. Better at every position. Better guards. Better frontline. Jimmer owned. Couldn't even bring the ball up the court due to the strength and quickness of Pullen. Not to mention, Jimmer's lack of defensive ability. He scores 30 and gives up 30.

Anyway, looking to next season.

Jimmer will be back. He doesn't have a shot to be an NBA player. Who is he going to guard in the NBA? His stuff works great against a lot of teams, but not against elite players.

Loyd has really impressed me. Great defense. Super quick. Improved shot. Can go to the rim, has a mid-range game. I dare say Loyd has the potential to be the player that Jimmer cannot be.

But with Loyd and Jimmer we have a problem. Or maybe it's not a problem. We have two combo guards. Neither is really a true point guard. Can they play well together and complement each other? Here's a better question. Can Jimmer make an impact on the game offensively without overdribbling? Jimmer going one-on-one is not going to get BYU wins against good competition.

Haws has really impressed me. I think he is going to be a star for BYU. But he's mission-bound, so not part of the equation next year.

Davies, I don't know if he's LDS, haven't heard that he's going on a mission, so I assume he will be back. A lot of upside to this kid. Is already better than Miles, will only get better. Can he develop to the point that 1) offensively, he has to be reckoned with, 2) how much can he contribute on the defensive side with shot-blocking and rebounding (two huge weaknesses for this team)?

Emery. I am a big fan. Great defensively, can really run. Great 3-point shooter. But his weakness is that he doesn't have an offensive game beyond that, can't create his own shot, no mid-range game, not terribly effective going to the rim. As long as Jimmer is on the floor, we have defensive problems. Jimmer can't guard anyone fast. Emery and Loyd have to do that. I would like to see Emery develop his offensive game more. Be more of a threat.

Hartsock is solid. But he's only solid. He has a decent offensive game, and he scraps on the defensive side, but will often be overpowered guarding 4's. And completely overpowered guardin 5's. Ideally Hartsock would be a backup 4, sort of a change of pace guy to bring more offensive off the bench.

Abouo. I like this guy. He's a little rough, but it's clear that he has improved significantly. Probably the best pure athlete on the team in terms of raw power and explosiveness. He knows his role, come off the bench, add energy, get garbage points. Play defense, rebound. He just needs to get better at everything. If BYU is to improve next season, he needs more minutes, and needs to be even more effective in those minutes.

Chris Collinsworth, coming back from his mission. He was a solid and heady as a freshman. Good defender, but sleight of build. Had range out to 12 feet or so. Scraps. Who knows how he will do when he returns. But I expect him to get significant playing time. His younger brother has committed to BYU, and looks to be a more elite pickup. Though I don't know much about him. Sounds like he is yet another combo guard. One wonders how he picks up minutes from Fredette, Loyd, and Emery.

You know, I would have liked to have watched Prof. Basketball (Jimmer's relative) during the KSU game. Hell, I would have liked to watch him during the Florida game. After he came on here and ragged on Loyd. To see Loyd actually pick up the team and put the team on his back. And then to see Jimmer almost choke the game away, while making antics in front of the camera. And then to see Jimmer embarrassed against KSU. He looked like one of the Reid brothers against KSU. Jimmer is good. But he is what he is. He is not a good defender. He is a guy that needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective, which is a weakness. Elite players don't have to have the ball. They can be effective off the ball. And Jimmer needs to expand his game and show that. Because BYU has too much talent for the other guys to stand around and watch Jimmer dribble and play street ball, effectively against lousy guards, and disastrously against good guards.

I think Loyd is going to be a star. And I hope Jimmer doesn't end up holding Loyd back.

Ok, now some overall observations: for this team to really get further, it doesn't need better offense. It needs better defense. Especially from the 4 and 5 positions. But also from the 1 (Jimmer). You note that all the BYU players were under extreme duress dribbling, passing, and shooting. Whereas on the other side of the floor, BYU couldn't bring that kind of pressure. To some degree it is a function of the athletes you have. Loyd for example, has extremely quick feet and hands, as well as great anticipation. Some of the other players do not. But more than that, it is a matter of commitment. Of selling out on defense. Go back and watch Jimmer on defense, and tell me if he is selling out on defense. This team cannot do better without great team defense. And they just don't have it.