Speaker 1: They'll come Backness of marches right around the corner, and
the Cougars are.
Speaker 2: In the metal of it.
Speaker 3: It's time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports.
Speaker 2: With Ben Cribbins.
Speaker 4: Welcome back Cougar Sports TWEO three nine ninety eight point
three ESPN the Fan. I've been for the broadcasting live
from our batterwellth Studios Batterwealth dot com. Get on a
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Speaker 5: He wants to support you as well. Hit him up
call today.
Speaker 4: All right, we're gonna get into some college basketball BYU basketball,
specifically recapping the BYU U n C exhibition game. What
we learned, what we liked, what we disliked what we
wanted to see improved upon, and the reality is setting
in that Aj is obviously the real deal and Rob
Wright is very much the real deal. Richie coming into
his own, finding his spacing, finding his spot, finding his
role within the offense is going to be intriguing something
to watch early on in the season as well as
the rotation. We're gonna break it all down with a
former BYU great international superstar bucket Getter as well. And
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All right, let's get out to the hotline welcome to
the six foot eight, two hundred and thirty five pound
baller shot collar at a Brazil and Bishop Gorman.
Speaker 5: We got Jonathan Tepinard. What's up JT. I.
Speaker 1: You know, I'm getting my weekly fix of uplifting today.
So it's always a cherishable moment, my friend. I'm the
most wonderful time of the year. Basketball season is happening.
We have a basketball game next week being critical, so
it's exciting.
Speaker 2: It's an exciting time to be a BYU fan.
Speaker 4: It is, indeed, and BYU got a win in an
exhibition game at the Delta Center, and we saw a
lot of good things, a lot of great things from
this BYU basketball roster. I want to break it all
down with you here, the good, the bad, the beautiful,
the ugly. What did you like about the performance of
the seventy eight seventy six win over in North Carolina?
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's you know I again, let's go back to
what I we did.
Speaker 2: No, maybe, and maybe Ron, we can.
Speaker 1: Kind of formulate days as the season goes on.
Speaker 2: I would love for us to do that. But the good,
the bad, and the ugly, or maybe Benny, if you
want to do it in a different way.
Speaker 6: But I think that way it gives us, gives the
fans something for us to kind of.
Speaker 2: Like focus on. I don't know what you guys do.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it's to me, it's the good, the bad,
the beautiful, the ugly, right like, And I think you
know they it just you want to get the spectrum
because you know, all good coaches are going to highlight
great playmaking, great execution, but also they got to focus
on the things that need to be improved upon it
or to stay consistent and continue winning.
Speaker 5: So I think that's what we focus on.
Speaker 1: Perfect Well, let's just go with the good, the bad,
the beautiful, and the ugly.
Speaker 2: Let's go with the good.
Speaker 1: Richie came back to life now again, you know, it
is blesshem me if I say something negative about Richie.
Speaker 2: But when I mentioned Richie coming back to life.
Speaker 1: What I mean by that is the ball moved a
little bit better. There was a little bit more ball movement,
the flow of the often it was a little bit better.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: There are still a lot of situations where there's a
lot of isolation, a lot of one person going to
work and the other four standing one.
Speaker 2: Because AJ is beyond.
Speaker 1: Special, we're going to talk more about that here in
a minute two. Because rob you know Robert right the
third is able to create uh something out of nothing,
which is really really special. But Richie was much more assertive, right,
I mean, you know, knocked down some shots, wasn't in
a better rhythm, And so I think, you know.
Speaker 2: Richie is a very unselfish guy. That's that's him by nature. Ben.
Speaker 1: You know, I'm privileged that I get to know him.
I've gotten to know him for a very long time.
I know his family, his dad is someone that I
admire a lot. But to me, the good we're gonna
go with Richie, you know, slowly finding his rhythm, which
to me is really good. The bad, I would say, is,
you know, when Keva gets out as of today is
a little bit of a what do we go from here?
Speaker 2: Because Keva is a.
Speaker 1: Monster on on the block and inside the paint reminds
me a little bit Ben of Ben Wallace, if you
remember him from the Pistons right cleaning the board, uh
defensive anchor right the moment he steps out.
Speaker 2: In my view, two things need to happen.
Speaker 1: Either Xavion becomes someone that you can rely consistently, or
you have to bring in Kadeen and or Dominique, you know,
for them to be able to compliment Canar Davis. And
what I mean by that is you're gonna beat him
up by having you know, two or three guys that
you know are they They are built like Charles Abuo
and they are a low block presence like being a
young you know, not necessarily on offense. But then at
that point you're gonna let and you're gonna let Robert write,
or you're gonna let Richie be able to create things
on offense.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: So, to me, the bed is how can we have
a smooth transition going from Keba because if you remember
Ben last year, you would go from Keba to Fos
and that felt incredible, like the team kept going.
Speaker 2: That was the same type of flow.
Speaker 1: Now you were playing in a different perspective, but it
was still headed in that direction.
Speaker 2: And so to me, that's the bed. The beautiful to
me is.
Speaker 1: You know again, I'm a I'm a euro Ball type
of guy, right so past past and past, but it
is difficult for you not to say that the beautiful
is aj.
Speaker 2: De Bonsa right now.
Speaker 1: And the reason why I say that is because it
never an it'sy history. And yesterday I spent about an
hour and a half studying YU basketball history.
Speaker 2: I can tell you things.
Speaker 1: Been data to even when before they joined a weck
in the ninth thirties, when DYU basketball is considered independent,
never by U basketball has had a player like a
Jane DEBONSA jimm Er is the closest thing that comes
to it in terms of you was his offensive proudness,
pro wessness, however you say it in English, what AJ
does as a freshman, as a true freshman, as someone
that was in high school six months ago, it is
unheard of. It is difficult enough for you not to
think AJ is going to be one of the top
two or three picks in a draft.
Speaker 2: It's not. It's not the consensus number one.
Speaker 1: His understanding of the game, his fuel for the game,
his reading of the game, his basketball IQ, the way
he moves, he does a lot of things right that
it is crazy to think he's only eighteen years old.
And so the beautiful will go to AJ and the
ugly I will probably say that Devin Young again, like
is this ugly or is this a sense of urgency?
But the ugly is Kevin is going to have to
figure out his rotations sooner rather than later, or he's
gonna have to let Richie and Robert Wright AJ, Ritchie
and Robert Wright played thirty five minutes a game somehow.
And the reason why I say that is because either
he's going to figure out a way to get you know,
those those break those big three to score sixty or
more points every game, or someone else is going to
have to step up.
Speaker 5: It's that's the truth of the matter. I just came.
Speaker 1: You know, I expected a little bit more out of Alexey.
Speaker 2: I'm not seeing that right now.
Speaker 1: I expected a little bit more of the guys.
Speaker 2: Coming out of the bench. I'm not seeing that now.
So what I mean is either those guys step up.
Speaker 1: Or Kevin Young is going to have to figure out
away for his three big you know, his three main
players on offense to get each twenty plus a game
to make sure that BYU wins basketball games.
Speaker 4: Let's discuss AJ Devonsa for a minute. Eighteen points six
or thirteen from the field, eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals.
He was also really he was nice on the defensive
side of the ball. Obviously, transition scoring was nice. He's
high energy. Would you like to see more playmaking distribution
from AJ or are you more concerned about shooting efficiency,
getting the right shots for AJ, shot creation for himself?
Speaker 5: Which one of your most concerned about right now?
Speaker 1: I what I would probably say, and this is going
to be it's actually neither or neither.
Speaker 2: Ranking you say both boys that you said, I.
Speaker 1: Would actually say, people need to know and learn how
to play with a superstar and dayto no Ben and I,
you know, it's interesting Sen Merriw is having a heck
of an NBA season right now, and you know I was.
I was foolish to say, hey, you know Jimmer, and
I don't mean that, you know, in college making the comparison,
say Jimmer is better than Sam and all of that,
and Sam's having an amazing NBA care sind Merrow has
been able to adapt from being ball dominant and playing
with the ball in college to be a complementary piece
around a superstar, and guys in this scene are going
to have to figure out a way to do that.
One of the reasons why I believe that Mahilo is
getting early looks is because it is less difficult for
Europeans to be the ones to move without the ball,
because that's just part of the game.
Speaker 2: Right You usually get a.
Speaker 1: Customed to play with an American who's going to be
ball dominant, and you move without the ball and you
are a spot up shooter, which is what you know,
what we're seeing right now, Mohilo usually being the first
sub coming in right away.
Speaker 2: But Richie's going to have to do.
Speaker 1: A little bit better job of adapting to play with
AJ and moving without the ball as AJ is attacking.
Speaker 2: It's not an easy team to do, right.
Speaker 1: This is where I think maybe a Brody Kosblowski might
be able to benefit, you know, because Brod he is
a natural a natural born shooter. And Brody actually did
that with his Utah Prospects team, you know, when he
won back to back Adidas three SSB Championships. And so
I would actually say that AJ doing what AJ does.
You're not going to change that AJ plays well without
the ball.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: Case in point, Ben, as you mentioned a couple of
weeks ago before the Nebraska exhibition game, AJ was an
international success when he was playing with Team USA in
Feba and he was rebounding off the ball, he was
attacking the rim for tip for you know for put
back tip dunks, and so to me, it's actually, you know,
none of the two points that you mentioned is creating
better shots a J or AJ shooting better shots. I
think it's actually the people playing with AJ. They need
to space the floor better to give him more space
and to make themselves available for a shot because AJ
is not.
Speaker 2: A selfish player.
Speaker 1: Ben he actually he actually dishes the ball well, but
you have to be in a position to do it.
Speaker 5: I love that breakdown.
Speaker 4: Kiva Cata was a b sixteen points, ten rebounds, eighteen offensive.
He also had two steals and that game winning block.
He was perfect from the charity stripe. And you mentioned
when he's off the court, you know, hey, who's going
to be that guy to fill those shoes? That still
maybe a question mark for this BYU Cougar basketball team.
How many minutes a game can we put Keba? Keep
Keba on the floor as long as he's not getting
into foul trouble.
Speaker 2: Do you think.
Speaker 1: If for him to be effective and maximize his potential,
if you cannot play him more than twenty eight twenty
definitely no more than thirty minutes, that should be the top.
I think if you can play Keba twenty eight twenty
nine minutes. You're going to get him at like a
priesting crystal clear, Like you're got.
Speaker 2: To maximize everything about him, you know.
Speaker 1: And that's because we you know, foul trouble and free
throws at the end of the games. You know, maybe
they do a hacker Keba, right. We don't know, but
to me, at twenty eight twenty nine minutes a game
would be perfect for him.
Speaker 4: I like that break down. Jonathan Tavanari here on ESPN
The Fan. This segment brought to you by Odion Men'swearodion
Menswear dot com utilize that Cridal fifteen coupon code to
get fifteen percent off your order online. A couple other
things here. I did notice the amount of turnovers. Look
unc is the real deal. They're a top twenty five team.
They may be a Final four team for all we
know right now. BYU forced nineteen turnovers in this game.
And one of the priorities of the offseason was elevating
the defensive playmaking ability, the lengthy athleticism on the perimeter,
and up to this point, it seems like it's been done.
It's been executed. Any concerns in relation to the defensive
efforts thus far, the defensive schemes, the defensive personnel none.
Speaker 1: Defensively, this team has been great. I even thought last
year defensively the team was great. I didn't think there
was an issue with you know, the drive lines or
anything like that. And I think I said as much.
Ron correct me if I'm wrong, But I wasn't negative
or said that was bad after the Nebraska game when
it comes to defense, Am I correct?
Speaker 3: Yes, we had said that if you're gonna play three
point perimeter defense like that, you're not gonna make it
out even the first round of the tournament.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Well, and that's the thing, right, And so defensively, I
think the team is solid. I think you know, the
way that they're guarding, it's great. Here's the thing, then,
when you have five athletes on the court, and I
do mean athletes in terms of their physical abilities, you're
gonna be okay, right and uh, and that's what by
U has right now. And so but again, Keva, being
on defense is a big thing.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: When Xavion came in, defensively, we kind of dropped a
little bit, and so I think causing them any turnovers,
lots of steels, lots of reflections. I think it's a
great thing, you know how Again, and I'm gonna die
on this hill. Are they going to figure out what
is the best?
Speaker 2: Okay I said not rhythm flow?
Speaker 6: Yeah, maybe rhythm and flow off playing a j off,
playing Robert Wright and playing.
Speaker 2: And playing Richie right, And maybe I would even add
to that.
Speaker 1: I even add to that Keba and the guide to me, Ben,
that's going to be a key off the bench. To me,
it's gonna be Alexe right. If it's not Alexey, then
it's gonna be Baker. And so because there is gonna
have to be someone when Robert Wright is not in
that is gonna have to not necessarily create a play,
but it's gonna have to at least deperman.
Speaker 2: The flow of the game. Oh, I'm gonna get the ball.
I'm gonna get the ball to a j here. We're
gonna run display for Rick pat right.
Speaker 1: And so those two need become the five most important players,
you know, Robert Wright, AJ, Richie Deba and then to
me either Aleksee or Baker because Baker is able to
bring the ball up and play some point guard if
you needed my.
Speaker 4: Guy Jonathan devn are breaking down this BYU men's basketball
team and their win in their exhibition match at the
Delta Center. Do you take anything away from a neutral setting?
Speaker 2: Right?
Speaker 4: I know it wasn't a sold out crowd. Those were
highly priced tickets and it looked like it was a
bit empty there at the Delta Center. But those that
had the funds, the filthy lucre to spend on an
exhibition they got what they they paid for because it
was an entertaining one. Anything to take away from a
neutral setting here in that win, a little bit more
credibility given that it was up in Salt Lake.
Speaker 5: What do you think?
Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely, way more credibility.
Speaker 1: I mean, amazing game, amazing atmosphere again because it is
you know, it was a football game. It's you know, sorry,
because it was on doing football season at the beginning.
I don't know the answer to this, but maybe the
rock and the rock passes didn't apply. I'm not one
hundred percent sure, right, And so I get it right,
about half of the half of the half of.
Speaker 2: The Delta Center was completely empty.
Speaker 1: And I had multiple people there they said, yeah, there's
about half of it, and it's an exhibition game.
Speaker 2: Right, it doesn't count.
Speaker 1: However, there is a difference then between you know, you're
playing an exhibition game at the Delta Center against North
Carolina and you're playing a home game at the Marriott
Center again you know, North Dakota State Christian Community College.
You know what I'm saying, Like, it's there's a massive difference.
And so to me, it's one of those things you
take the good with the bad, the bad with the good,
and at the end of the day, it was a
test to make sure that by U is better prepared
for the upcoming season.
Speaker 4: Jonathan Tallinari here on esp and the Fan talking some
by U basketball and uh uh, is there anyone that
stepped up in this game from a personnel standpoint that
you'd like to highlight that that maybe we're still kind
of in that eval.
Speaker 5: Mode of of what the role will be.
Speaker 4: Obviously this this game was led by AJ and Keba,
but from like an individual effort or execution standpoint, anybody
that you'd like to highlight and a specific skill set
that they provided in this game.
Speaker 1: Well, you know, let's let's just look I mean something
that you guys pointed out.
Speaker 2: Let's just look at the box court.
Speaker 1: You know when you look at Keeba Keeta and he
was four to four from the free throw line, when
has that happened last year?
Speaker 2: Really nice? INDI you know what I mean?
Speaker 5: The tournament was the last time that Keba.
Speaker 3: Because Keba and fus or six and nine in the
first athlete.
Speaker 4: You can tell that these guys are individually, like they're
getting coached up at an individual level in practice and
getting additional reps. We all know what Richie puts in
the work, but what we don't always see is that
Keba maybe is going with their developmental coach. Maybe it's Burgess,
maybe it's now forgetting his name, who's the individual development
guy that came from.
Speaker 2: The G League.
Speaker 5: Yeah, so it's like phenomenal by the way.
Speaker 4: Yeah, so like he could be working on the mechanics,
on the hand placement, on the rhythm, on the operational
approach that CABA's taking to standardize his movements to get
him into homeostasis so he can hit consistently from the
charity stripe. We don't know that, but it's great to
see the fruits early on that they're hitting early. To me, right,
they're hitting early, and that that's a really good point there, JT.
I appreciate you bringing up Caba being perfect from the line.
Speaker 3: Just to add on to that, Ben JT would agree
with this. Remember Trevin Hill's Floyd in the WCC like
never went down, like stop taking that shot. Once Kevin
Young's staff came in, it was like Trevor was automatic
with that floater, like inside the paint. Their points became
the elegly rich rich that floater that fall the staff.
It didn't you you can't miss that.
Speaker 4: I don't think Richie had it in his back prior
to a k Y coming to town because and then
all of a sudden, he's just hitting that floater from
like twenty feet like he's like hitting the floater, you know,
from extended elbow.
Speaker 5: I'm like, where did that come from?
Speaker 1: So listen, I don't want to pull a Kendrick Perkins
here on Tacheen credited for.
Speaker 2: For job for John Moran's Notoriety Man.
Speaker 7: But but but but before all of the staff was
in place and everything was organized as it was this
past summer, something happened less.
Speaker 1: Summer Boys that you know, there was somebody down there
in Provo working a lot with Trevin Neill and a
couple of other guys, you know, spending a lot of
time with them, working on a.
Speaker 2: Lot of these shots. Oh geez, I don't know if
somebody remember his name. Do you know, guy? Do you
guys know what I'm talking about? Come on listen again again.
Speaker 1: The credit go all to these guys, right, But we
worked a ton on that on the summertime, especially with Travin.
I would say, Traving, look, you like to shoot the
stupid shoot this little stupid shot, this floater by.
Speaker 2: All means do it. But if you're going to do it,
do it well.
Speaker 1: And he worked on it a lot, like we would
do sects of the twenties and thirties where he would
go on a run. And so it's all about work, right,
It's putting into work and seeing their results, you know.
So I would say, you know, kebus free throw definitely
was something that caught my attention. Robert Wright. Five assists,
but you know.
Speaker 6: Kind of going with the good, the bad, the beautiful,
the outherly Ben I will say this, it is a
little bit concerning right now, the les of three point
shooting for this YU team.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I was just gonna bring you guys five of
twenty five. Rob was out for four, Carrard was what
one of four? I need to see better, uh, better
efficiency from me? Hilo Bucketviitch too. He's a ten year town.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Ben, they are fifteen for fifty six from the
three point line in the last two games.
Speaker 2: That's Dodo And.
Speaker 1: So that that and again this goes this goes to
a lot. And you know, like I said this obviously,
you know I was on the show a lot last year.
It wasn't very official like it is this year, which
I appreciate you working with me. I love our relationship,
ben Ron, You're the absolutely best.
Speaker 2: But guys, I said it all along last.
Speaker 1: Year, Trevin down needs to be on the starting lineup
because you need to open up the floor and you
need to create a wide open looks. And this year,
what I'm gonna call out is I'm gonna call out Richie,
I'm gonna call out Robert Right, I'm gonna call out aj,
I'm gonna call out Mahilo, I'm gonna call all Canard, Alexey,
Brody Baker, anybody that comes in their basketball IQ reading
off the floor to be able to actually knock down
shots by spacing the floor and understanding that when you
play with a superstar.
Speaker 2: What you need to do.
Speaker 1: You need to figure out a way to give them
a line of pass to make you know, so they
can give you the ball so.
Speaker 2: You can shoot.
Speaker 1: We need to do the team needs to be better
at that because fifteen for fifty six guys, it is
beyond abysmal.
Speaker 2: That is not very good at all. And you know that.
Speaker 1: To me, those are the two highlights of the of
the exhibition games. And so hoping that the YU team
figures out a way to solve these problems, you know, yesterday,
because it can become an achilles heel to them.
Speaker 4: Jonathan Debernard, Ladies and gentlemen, JT for three, follow him
on X and always tune in on Tuesdays. He pontificates
los palabras uh del brasileiro.
Speaker 5: We appreciate you, love you, thanks so much, j.
Speaker 1: T always and forever. Grokos. Then do you know that
what the word pontificate comes.
Speaker 4: From the etymology of pontific card I think it's a
Latin based term. To Atlanta is yeah, it's a Latin
term for laboration.
Speaker 2: And who is the pontifacts?
Speaker 5: Is that is that a oh? Yeah, yeah, it is right. Yeah,
the pontifacticism.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2: My friend.
Speaker 1: So I guess I am the new Pope of by
U Basketball.
Speaker 2: Let's go.
Speaker 5: We needed one.
Speaker 4: We need a new pope for for b a US Basketball.
We lost the other pope to Filthy Luca.
Speaker 2: Yes, we lost, we lost the fake pope. We got
the real one back.
Speaker 4: Let's go, Pontificator, the Pontifacts of Brigham.
Speaker 5: Thanks so much, brother, appreciate you, love.
Speaker 2: You big care of by Byte they go.
Speaker 5: That segment was brought.
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Speaker 5: Let's take a brief time out. We'll be back.
Speaker 4: It's a Tuesday, October twenty eighth edition of Cougar sports
here on one of three nine ninety eight point three