Newark, NJ -utahns on Byu’s list has weak memories from the last time Cougars made Sweet 16, 2010-11 team led by Jimmer Fredette.
“I was probably in school watching them, trying to sneak it on my phone and tried to set,” said North Salt Lake Native Trevin Knell Wednesday.
Byu has matched that performance in Kevin Young’s first season as coach. Now the sixth-seeded cougars are preparing for second-seeded Alabama, a rising basketball power in their own right, in the eastern region of the semi-finals on Thursday.
Young, who comes from Salt Lake City, took the BYU job last spring after building a resume in the G League and as a NBA assistant. He wants Cougars (26-9) to be a main destination for developing players into professional talent.
His days that make a preliminary pushing for Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns have proven to be another built -in advantage.
“I have referred to many of these game plans often with our coaching staff and with our players,” Young said. “I think when you can say,” this is how we stopped Dame Lillard “or” this is how we stopped anyone “, it gives them bright eyes and they listen a little more.”
One of Cougar’s main tasks Thursday will stop Mark Sars, the two-o’clock All-American guard as an average of 18.6 points and 5.0 assists to lead Alabama.
Crimson Tide (27-8) has reached its third straight Sweet 16 and their fourth in five years, and Sears has played 12 NCAA tournament games between Ohio (2021) and Alabama.
He is the engine of an Alabama crime that is ranked as no. 1 in Division I in both points (90.8 ppg) and Tempo (Per Kenpom.com).
“We have practiced getting the readings to go 100 percent and go fast, and now just do the right readings,” Sears said. “We always play by creating benefits. So when we play so fast we will probably create an advantage within six seconds.”
Sears had 22 points and 10 assists against Robert Morris in the first round, and six players made in double numbers in Alabama’s second round over Saint Mary’s.
If Alabama’s crime is known for speed, Byu’s characteristics are efficiency. Cougars ranks top-30 in 3-point percent (37.3 percent) and top-10 on 2 points (58.4 percent).
“We can’t give them simple three,” Sears said. “Simple three is that they just shoot a three, rock you to sleep, just on the face. And we have to do a good job with it and we have to try to limit rotations as much as possible.”
Richie Saunders leads cougars with 16.3 ppg and shoots 43.1 percent from the bow, and he got a team high 25 in their victory 91-89 over Wisconsin in the second round. But another seven byu players publish between 6.9 and 10.5 points per competition.
Alabama coach Nate Oats said that Byu runs one of the more modern crimes in the sport, and he supplemented Young for his success year 1. Oats know something about being a hotshot trainer on the rise, from turning Buffalo into an often tournament team into his consistent success with Alabama, including one last four last year.
With a heavy investment in athletics, Byu builds in that direction. The players also enjoy having access to a program legend such as Fredette.
“I’ve talked to Jimmer a ton,” Knell said. “He has given me lots of help, lots of advice for the first two rounds, and then I called him again on Monday and he gave me some advice that went into Sweet 16.
“Jimmer, he won two matches in Denver and then Sweet 16, so it’s fun to write our story but also play that story too.”
-Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
