Scouting BYU - Cyclones face No. 20 Cougars in Provo

[Connor_Ferguson]

Scouting BYU - No. 24 Iowa State faces off with the No. 20 Cougars Tuesday in Provo.

@jacksonpence06 gets you ready.

Scouting No. 20 BYU - Cyclones face Cougars in Provo Tuesday

Jan 13, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars center Aly Khalifa (50) guard Trevin Knell (21) and UCF Knights forward Ibrahima Diallo (11) look for the rebound during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports No. 24 Iowa State (13-3,

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[NENick]

This will be a tough task, considering BYU's strength, 3-point offense, has been a Cyclone defensive weakness. When I stated that a 6-1 was possible, this was the L, not at OU.

 

[CyCoug]

Additional scouting, BYU’s best big (Traore) hurt his ankle in late November and has been very limited since.

Ali Khalifa came into the season out of shape but has picked up the slack with a totally different style of play. Facilitating with excellent passing but limited athletically. He did have 17 points and was crucial at UCF.

Jaxson Robinson was averaging 16 points before conference season, but seems hurt and off. Averaging about 7 in conference.

Other than that, there are any number of players who might score between 5-27 points depending on the night. Trevin Knell is shooting almost 50% from 3 in conference and had 9 three pointers against Cincinnati, but hasn’t replicated since.

From watching multiple games from each team. ISU has the advantage athletically in the paint and is stronger at the PG position. BYU has the potential to shoot ISU out of the gym, but this is not a given. In the two conference losses, the teams shut down ball movement and threw them out of sync.

 

[ClonerJams]

I have a bad feeling BYU is going to get hot from 3; that's a tough environment. Life on the road in the big 12 is unforgiving.

 

[Clone95]

I hope BYU being excited about the prospect of hitting a bunch of 3s against us works out as well as it does for ISU football when we think we’ll run wild against bad rushing defenses.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I’m going to stay up until 2:00am and then yell “IT’S GAMEDAY IN PROVO!” and then go to sleep.

 

[heitclone]

We don't let teams shoot in the paint and they want to shoot from outside the paint, seems like the type of team that we struggle against. We'll need to play really good offensively to win.

 

[Cycsk]

Any BYU fans on here who remember Melvin Ejim flipping the bird? Do you (or did you ever) care about it?

 

[cyclone82]

Seems like the type of team we have struggled to defend. Probably not a good idea to play our typical double team trapping style of defense tonight…. They’ll likely shoot 35 threes and hit at at 40-50% clip

 

[Pope]

This will be a tough task, considering BYU's strength, 3-point offense, has been a Cyclone defensive weakness. When I stated that a 6-1 was possible, this was the L, not at OU.

Well then I hope you're as wrong about the BYU game as you were about the OU game.

 

[Pope]

Just about every team that plays a TJ coached Iowa State team for the first time goes through an initial shock period where our defense pretty much takes them completely out of their offense and they settle for a contested perimeter shot if they don't turn it over first. Sometimes the other team settles in after the first or second media timeout and sometimes they never settle in.

I think there are two keys. One is how long it will take BYU to settle in against our defense, and the other is how well we can score inside. I'm expecting us to have success in the paint and, if we do, it should free up some wide open 3s. Hopefully, we can make at least 35% of them.

 

[EnkAMania]

BYU is shooting

Just about every team that plays a TJ coached Iowa State team for the first time goes through an initial shock period where our defense pretty much takes them completely out of their offense and they settle for a contested perimeter shot if they don't turn it over first. Sometimes the other team settles in after the first or second media timeout and sometimes they never settle in.

I think there are two keys. One is how long it will take BYU to settle in against our defense, and the other is how well we can score inside. I'm expecting us to have success in the paint and, if we do, it should free up some wide open 3s. Hopefully, we can make at least 35% of them.

We definitely need to hit 3's. We're 19.6% in conference play.

 

[Pope]

BYU is shooting

We definitely need to hit 3's. We're 19.6% in conference play.

Yep, that's pretty poor for sure and yet we're 2-1. I agree with TJs philosophy. Establish your presence inside the paint first. The best 3 point shots are when the ball is passed from inside out.

 

[bawbie]

Just about every team that plays a TJ coached Iowa State team for the first time goes through an initial shock period where our defense pretty much takes them completely out of their offense and they settle for a contested perimeter shot if they don't turn it over first. Sometimes the other team settles in after the first or second media timeout and sometimes they never settle in.

I think there are two keys. One is how long it will take BYU to settle in against our defense, and the other is how well we can score inside. I'm expecting us to have success in the paint and, if we do, it should free up some wide open 3s. Hopefully, we can make at least 35% of them.

Agreed - and as I mentioned in the game thread, they haven't played a defense anywhere as good as us. The best defense they've played, Cincinnati, caused them all sorts of problems.

But, for this team, everything steps from energy and intensity, especially on defense. If we have A-level energy, then we force turnovers and disrupt shots on close outs. If we don't (see OU game), we are a half-step slow and don't get the turnovers, loose balls, etc and the rotations are just slow enough to allow good shots.

Translating that A-level energy to a road game has been missing so far, hopefully they bring it tonight

 

[VeloClone]

Scouting BYU - No. 24 Iowa State faces off with the No. 20 Cougars Tuesday in Provo.

@jacksonpence06 gets you ready.

Scouting No. 20 BYU - Cyclones face Cougars in Provo Tuesday

Jan 13, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars center Aly Khalifa (50) guard Trevin Knell (21) and UCF Knights forward Ibrahima Diallo (11) look for the rebound during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports No. 24 Iowa State (13-3,

cyclonefanatic.com

Note for the author: When two teams are tied at the top of the standings the next teams are tied for third place not second. The top two teams are taking the 1st and 2nd spots.

Think of it this way, if that stands to the end of the season who is going to have the first and second seed in the conference tournament? It won't be any of those teams behind the two tied for first.

 

[Cloned4Life]

Yep, that's pretty poor for sure and yet we're 2-1. I agree with TJs philosophy. Establish your presence inside the paint first. The best 3 point shots are when the ball is passed from inside out.

Agree, and we’ve been getting really good looks from 3 too. Let’s hope that continues! Nervous/excited for this one tonight.

 

[Connor_Ferguson]

Note for the author: When two teams are tied at the top of the standings the next teams are tied for third place not second. The top two teams are taking the 1st and 2nd spots.

Think of it this way, if that stands to the end of the season who is going to have the first and second seed in the conference tournament? It won't be any of those teams behind the two tied for first.

Nope, this was my fault. I edited this and forgot that both Baylor and Tech were still undefeated. Just cloudy in my brain after getting back from Tulsa. It's fixed now.

 

[CyclonimusPrime]

I don't like this matchup for ISU. I would take BYU plus the points. Hope I'm wrong, just have a bad feeling our defense gets lit up from 3 tonight.