The Cougars started slow against UCF, were torched from 3-point range and had plenty else go wrong against the Knights
NEW: Try Article AudioNEW: Try Article AudioAudio quality:|Skip back 15 secondsPlay audioSkip forward 15 seconds00:0000:00Decrease playback rate1.0xIncrease playback rate00:00/00:00Skip back 15 secondsPlay audioSkip forward 15 seconds-0.5x0.6x0.7x0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.3x1.4x1.5x1.6x1.7x1.8x1.9x2.0x2.1x2.2x2.3x2.4x2.5x2.6x2.7x2.8x2.9x3.0x+UCF’s 97-84 upset over BYU Tuesday night was as deflating a setback as the Cougars have experienced in years.
But many of the most extreme elements of the embarrassing result weren’t unfamiliar at all.
In recent outings, especially after defeating No. 6 Iowa State, BYU had seemingly buried some of its worst previous habits. Even without Richie Saunders, the Cougars appeared to be figuring things out and gaining momentum for the season’s stretch run.
Such belief quickly evaporated against UCF — quite literally.
The story for most of the season has been BYU’s consistent and puzzling pattern of stumbling out the gate and needing to rally in order to win, or at least make the final score more respectable.
It had been a while since the Cougars’ last slow start, only for them to lay their biggest egg by far to open Tuesday.
“Really, (intensity is) where Rob and AJ have to grow. They don’t have it in them naturally to be hair-on-fire type guys, but I think when you’re not naturally that way and you’re not naturally a vocal leader, I think you have to learn how to lead sometimes.”— BYU coach Kevin Young
BYU trailed 14-4 after less than four minutes, prompting Kevin Young to call his first timeout before the first commercial break.
The timeout didn’t make a difference. The Cougars went into halftime having sunk into a 24-point hole, then allowed a 12-0 UCF run to start the second half and pump the deficit up to 36.
“I thought we had a lot of momentum coming off the heels of a good win the other night, and just didn’t expect that kind of start,” Young said on BYU’s postgame radio show. “... Really disappointed in our approach to start the game.
“... I thought we looked tired. I thought we looked disinterested.”
Such an apparent lack of interest could be observed on the defensive end, where BYU surrendered 97 UCF points at an average of 1.31 points per possession.
Not since Utah Valley dropped 114 points back in 2016 had the Cougars allowed such an opposing scoring outburst at the Marriott Center.
Losing 99-92 at Oklahoma State earlier this month felt like rock bottom for BYU’s defense, but allowing 97 points at home to a team playing without its leading scorer is clearly the much more frightening result.
“We were sleepwalking out there, so I won’t pretend to pinpoint it,” Young told reporters of the defensive performance. “I didn’t expect that in the slightest. Super disappointed in our guys, super disappointed in myself and our coaches. Just was a night that was not good all around. There was just every breakdown you could possibly imagine.”
UCF scored 44 points in the paint and 19 in transition. The Knights made five of their first six 3-pointers and had another stretch where they sank eight of nine.
BYU’s perimeter defense struggles have been well documented, with the Cougars allowing a Big 12-worst 38.6% opposing 3-point percentage in conference play.
For comparison, Saunders was shooting 37.6% from long distance prior to his torn ACL. Thus, BYU’s opponents turn into an even better version of the First Team All-Big 12 talent Saunders when they shoot triples against the Cougars.
UCF, however, practically became prime Steph Curry or Klay Thompson by shooting 58% from 3 against BYU.
The Knights’ 3-point explosion was notable in that so many of their looks were wide open. According to Young, he was only satisfied with “probably two” of BYU’s attempts to contest outside shots.
“You’ve got to make teams miss. I just thought our contests were soft,” Young said. “When you let a team like (UCF), who they have talent clearly, and you let a team get comfortable, man, that’s the worst thing you can do, and that was the case tonight.”
BYU’s offense wasn’t much better, scoring just 28 points before halftime at an average of 0.78 points per possession.
AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III were clearly frustrated in the opening period, combining for just 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting.
Transition offense has been an underratedly crucial aspect for BYU this season — entering Tuesday, the Cougars were averaging 14.8 fast-break points in each Big 12 win, while just 8.0 in conference losses.
