Cougar Report: Rise Their Out

Rise (or not) and Shout (or at least speak in more than a whisper), the Cougars are out.  Out as in losing in the first round in the NCAA tourney.  Out as in getting thumped by the Oregon Ducks, in a game in which the Cougars never lead, and in which they were outshot and outhustled.  Out as in down and out and finished for the season.  The BYU men’s basketball team finished in second place in the WCC, second place in the post-season conference tournament, and probably in second place in the hearts of the Cougar fans.  (They were probably in second place because of the surprisingly good showing from the women’s team, which has made it to the sweet sixteen on the women’s side.)

As to the men, there were too many problems with this year’s team.  There were too many flaws, and too many pieces which didn’t fit together well.  They had several forwards who couldn’t score, a point guard so inconsistent that one game you loved him and another you hated him, a defense which could not defend the three-point shot and made heroes out of garden variety players on opposing teams, a pathetic inability to shoot free throws, and a system dedicated to running and gunning and hoping only to outscore the opponent, not bothering with the defensive side of the game.  With all that said, the Cougar men won more than twenty games, and came close in games against tourney teams such as Iowa State, and even beat Texas and Stanford, other tourney teams.  In the end, though, the Cougars were more frustrating than fun to watch.

The women, on the other hand, have made it to the sweet sixteen.  They have had a very nice run, and have responded well to coaching.  They can hit free throws and outside shots, and have done better than was expected of them.  The trouble is, that they play UConn (or is it Yukon, the Alaskan team?), and that will be the end of the line for the lady Cougars.  UConn hardly ever loses, and they have a habit of not only beating, but destroying the teams they play.  Kind of like a steam roller bearing down on a turtle in the street.  One of them is going to get flattened.   But maybe, like most women’s basketball games, nobody will watch it.  In any event, congratulations to the lady Cougars for a wonderful season.

In other news, the Cougar football team has its spring scrimmage tomorrow.  There is great optimism in Cougar town, because the duo of Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams is back for another year.  The optimism should be tempered by a dose of reality, since the offensive line is also back.  Last year they were, in a word, mediocre.  If they can’t block, and hold their blocks, it will be a long year for Taysom and Jamaal.  But hope always springs eternal among the Cougar faithful, and hundreds will turn out for the glorified scrimmage tomorrow.  This reporter will be there.

Finally, as Cougar fans, we need to be measured in our optimism.  This reporter has been accused of being a “Pollyanna,” and of thinking that the Cougars always have a chance to be in the top 25, both in football and basketball.  As one close to this reporter has said, “they are what they are” and “don’t get your hopes up too much.”  The honor code does limit the recruits they are able to get, and the “niceness” of the university sometimes wears off on the teams, and they don’t have the “kick butt, take names” mentality we wish they would have.   But we shall see what this season brings.

JudgeWood