Three Observations From BYU Win At San Francisco
PROVO, Utah — The BYU basketball team battled and fought its way to a quad-one win over San Francisco on the 71-69 road.
The Dons had a chance to win the game with final possession but Jamaree Bouyea missed a long three-point shot that was well defended by Te’Jon Lucas.
Here are my observations from a cv building win on the hill.
1.Caleb Lohner plays Hustle
BYU found themselves a point ahead with a minute left after being 10 points down at the start of the second half.
Alex Barcello drove the baseline with the shot clock expired, he didn’t pay attention to the basket.
Lohner cut into the middle of the colour, Barcello passed the ball to him and he did a short floater in front of the buzzer.
The lead was reduced to three.
Pope on Caleb Lohner’s chase: “There aren’t many power forwards in the country who could pull off what he did tonight on the glass at the end of the game and also shot around the edge. He was just spectacular.” #BYU #BYUHoops @kslsports
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 16, 2022
In the subsequent offensive possession, Lohner made the game of the game.
Barcello made a long jump down the left side of the court that bounced off the rim.
Out of nowhere, Lohner hit Bouyea to lose the ball and secured a crucial offensive rebound that led to two free throws from Lucas.
BYU basketball will be a tough hit in the NCAA tournament if Lohner continues his stellar play.
2. Barcello is more than a shooter
On a day when he was praised by Jay Bilas at ESPN College Gameday for being one of the greatest shooters in college basketball, Barcello showed why he’s more than just a shooter.
He was second on the team in rebounding behind Fousseyni Traore with seven boards.
Barcello is fearless when shattering the glass, which allows him to chase rebounds.
He has been praised by BYU coaches for his defensive efforts.
The Cougars are 23rd nationally in three-point defense and that ranking will rise after the Dons shot 13 percent from deep.
BYU is winning games defensively which is an encouraging sign for the future.
3. Fousseyni Traore patrolling the varnish
The true newcomer from Mali has started in the center position for head coach Mark Pope in the past six games.
He demonstrated the ability to hit the ball the second he entered campus.
However, it’s his defensive ability in recent games that has had the biggest impact.
As a result, Traore leads the team by a wide margin in blocks with 25 on the season.
He had two blocks against the Dons along with fellow freshman center Atiki Ally Atiki.
With his first block of the game, Fousseyni Traore now has 24 blocks in the season, putting him in a tie with Eric Mika for the ninth most blocks by a freshman in program history #BYUHoops @BYUMBB
— BYU Game Notes (@BYUGameNotes) January 16, 2022
Being forced into a bigger role through injury will benefit Traore and BYU Basketball as they join the Big 12.
He has a chance to win one of the most special “Bigs” to ever play for the Cougars.
You can hear Matt Baiamonte on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. or find him on Twitter here.
