BYU Basketball Questions Answered In Season Opening Win Over Houston Christian
Nov 6, 2023, 9:09 PM | Updated: Nov 7, 2023, 10:14 am
PROVO, Utah – The BYU men’s basketball team opened their inaugural season in the Big 12 conference with a 110-63 win over Houston Christian.
Let’s answer some questions from a game that was never in doubt.
Who was the MVP for BYU basketball?
BYU basketball struggled to make three-pointers consistently last season. They’ll need to be better this year if they want to make a run at the NCAA tournament.
Getting Trevin Knell back from injury should help this team significantly behind the three-point line.
In his first game back since an NIT loss to Washington State in the 2021-2022 season, Knell scored 19 points.
The Trevin Knell from the 2021 WCC Tournament is back.
Healthy for the first time since that postseason nearly three years ago.#BYU #BYUHoops
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 7, 2023
He’s my choice for the most valuable player because of how important his shooting will be this season.
Knell made 5 of 9 attempts from deep.
If he can shoot above 40 percent all season long, it changes the possibilities for this team.
What was the most interesting stat from the game?
BYU attempted 43 three-point shots. A program record.
The Cougars were 15 for 43 from deep, making 35 percent of their attempts.
It’s noteworthy this team attempted this many shots from downtown.
If BYU wants to be competitive in the Big 12, they’ll need to take and make a lot of three-point baskets.
Their performance against Houston Christian was an early indicator of improvement in that critical category.
What was the play of the game?
Aly Khalifa showed off his exceptional big-man passing ability midway through the second half.
Khalifa received a post pass from Robinson on the wing.
Robinson then cut toward the basket and Khalifa delivered a nice bounce pass leading to a two-handed dunk from Robinson.
. @Robinsonjaxx cookin'
📺 https://t.co/gijTdwsDzT pic.twitter.com/DHiNGLAQJj
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 7, 2023
The transfer from Charlotte University finished with three points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
When was the game won for BYU basketball?
Noah Waterman made a three-point shot with 4:32 left in the first half that gave the Cougars a 31-point lead.
The long ball dependence has made 20-point leads seem unsafe at times, but a 30-point lead seemed insurmountable for Houston Christian.
Waterman got the start in the frontcourt alongside Fousseyni Traore. He did a nice job scoring 16 points along with eight rebounds.
Up next is a big test against the national championship runner-up San Diego State Aztecs on November 10th, 2023.
You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter here.
