Chet Holmgren Among Observations From BYU’s Loss To Gonzaga
Feb 5, 2022, 10:28 PM
Opening tip between BYU and Gonzaga in the Marriott Center (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – The BYU basketball team lost in blowout fashion at home to the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs 90-57.
The Zags led by 24 points at the break and never looked back.
True freshman Chet Holmgren looked the part of an NBA lottery pick with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
Here are my observations from a fourth straight loss.
1. Points in the paint
The BYU Cougars got blasted by Gonzaga in the paint being outscored 44-22.
Gonzaga has arguably the best front-court in college basketball with Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren because of their size and skill.
Holmgren had a double-double before halftime.
Che Holmgren's final stat line against BYU:
-20 points
-17 rebounds
-6 assists
-5 blocks— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) February 6, 2022
His skillset is unbelievable for someone standing seven feet tall and the Cougars didn’t have an answer for him.
Fousseyni Traore and Atiki Ally Atiki are going to be good players for BYU in the future, but they weren’t able to slow down the Zags front court.
2. What happened to the BYU defense?
BYU has given up at least 73 points during their four game losing streak.
The Zags are No. 2 in the country for a reason. They are outstanding on both ends of the floor.
With that being said, the Cougar defense allowed Gonzaga to shoot over 50 percent from the field in both meetings.
Final: No. 2 Gonzaga 90, BYU 57#BYUhoops #GoCougs
📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/qKViybDYNw
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 6, 2022
The Zags lead the country in field goal percentage making 54 percent of their shots.
The Cougars are turning the ball over too much, making it hard to get their defense set.
It’s not realistic for this BYU team to become a good shooting overnight, so they need to get back to playing great defense if they want any chance at earning an at-large NCAA tournament bid.
3. BYU basketball student section impressive
It’s hard to find any positives from another blowout loss to Gonzaga, but I was very impressed the energy provided by the BYU student section.
The “ROC” has steadily improved over the years, and now they are truly one of the best student sections in the country.
The BEST student section in the NATION❕❕ pic.twitter.com/UDGcHtJRRK
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 5, 2022
Most BYU fans stayed for the entire game when there was very little to cheer for.
It’s going to be fun watching this crowd against a Big 12 basketball schedule in the future.
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.
