Reese Strickland
BYU Basketball is starting to see the down fall of Mark Pope accepting the Kentucky Basketball head coaching job. Three players have hit the transfer portal, no new coach or even candidates have been announced and the recruiting class is shaping out very well. Also how the Cougars will fair each year in the Big 12 with a new team and then how the program will continue to surprise each year with a new head coach and some new players.
Transfers
Aly Khalifa
Played one season for the Cougars after transferring from Charlotte. He played in 29 games this season for 564 minutes with 165 points, 107 rebounds, 115 assists, 18 blocks, and eight steals. This season he was really useful under the basket and was the big guy for most of it. Khalifa came off the bench and gave the Cougars the boost they needed to win games and get back into many of them. Louisville, Kentucky and returning to BYU are all in the cards for this Center. He made this announcement just days after entering the portal. His transfer will hurt the Cougars under the hoop and will give more teams a second chance at rebounds and more points. Those extra points under the hoop are what hurt the Cougars this past season and will continue to hurt them if they don’t keep a big guy under the hoop.
Dallin Hall
This past season was his second at BYU and under Pope. Hall played in 34 games during his first season and had 248 points, 65 rebounds, 108 assists, two blocks, and 24 steals. This past season he played in 34 games and had 307 points with 118 rebounds, 172 assists, one block, and 34 steals. Hall was a big part in why the Cougars went so far and proved everyone wrong. He was a big leader and put up many points late in order to keep the Cougars season going. Him transferring will hurt the Cougars and could be a big reason on why BYU isn’t successful this season. He has narrowed his list down to Creighton, Clemson, Cincinnati, Florida, Washington, Utah, Utah State and a return to BYU Basketball.
Photo: BYU Photo
Richie Saunders
Also a second year under Mark Pope and at BYU. Saunders played in 34 games during his first season and put up 186 points, with 81 rebounds, 28 assists, nine blocks, and 20 steals. During his second year he played in 34 games and had 328 points, 140 rebounds, six blocks, and 27 steals. Saunders was the ultimate off the bench guy and only started in three games as a Cougar. He would come off the bench after about five minutes of game time and spark BYU to point some major points on the board. He will be know for his three pointers that helped the Cougars to many wins. Saunders could be on the move to many places as he is still building his list of potential offers.
New coach
Chris Burgess
Utah assistant 2022 to current
BYU assistant 2019-2022
UVU assistant 2015-2019
Indiana Hills CC assistant 2014-2015
Salt Lake CC assistant 2014
Utah GA 2013-2014
Burgess is no stranger to BYU or to Provo he spent a few under Mark Pope as an assistant. He worked with Pope also at UVU so the coaching style wouldn’t change much and many of the players would stay at BYU. Burgess has ton of coaching experience none as a head coach but the change wouldn’t be huge coming to BYU because of what Pope left behind.
Barrett Peery
Texas Tech HC 2021-current
Portland State HC 2017-2021
Santa Clara Assistant 2016-2017
Arizona State Assistant 2014-2015
Indiana Hills CC HC 2011-2014
Utah Assistant 2008-2011
College of Southern Idaho HC (2005-2008), Assistant (2003-2005)
Portland State Assistant 2002-2003
SUU Assistant 1998-2002
UVU Assistant 1997-1998
Snow College Assistant 1996-1997
SUU GA 1995-1996
Peery would be one of the best options because of his many years of head coaching and what he has done as head coach over the years. His experience would keep the Cougars on the map as a Big 12 basketball school. Peery could also keep most of the players and get some transfers out of Texas Tech as well which would huge for BYU.
K.C. Beard
Houston Assistant 2014-current
Utah Jazz Video Intern 2013-2014
Canadian National Team Video Coordiator 2013
Portland Trailblazers Video Intern 2011-2013
Pacific Oregon Assistant 2011
West Texas AM Assistant 2009-2011
SMU Video Coordinator 2008-2009
This would be my last resort due to his lack of time on the floor. He has spent too many years in the booth doing video and not on the floor coaching up players. Beard would loose the Cougars more players than the fans could ever imagine.
Nick Robinson
BYU Assistant 2019-present
Seattle Assistant 2017-2019
SUU HC 2012-2016
LSU Assistant 2009-2012
William Jewell Assistant 2008-2009
Stanford Assistant 2006-2008
Robinson is in house as you can get right now. He has been with Pope since 2019 and has helped the Cougars to many wins. This would also be a win because he knows all these players and could keep them with BYU. He would also be great because their wouldn’t much change in personal across the Basketball world at BYU.
Kevin Young
Phoenix Suns Assistant 2020-present
Philadelphia Sixers HC (2018-2019) Assistant ( 2016-2019
Delaware 87ers HC 2014-2016
Iowa Wolverines HC 2011-2013
Utah Flash HC ( 2010-2011) Assistant ( 2008-2011)
Quincy Lewis
BYU Assistant 2015-present
Lone Peak High School HC 2003-2015
UVU Assistant 1997-2002
BYU Hawaii Assistant 1995-1997
BYU would get a huge win if he would take the job becuase he has been with the Cougars through two head coaches. He also like the other assistant coaches know these players and this staff so he could keep the players in house and keep the staff mostly the same. This would be a great option for BYU Basketball as head coach.
Cody Fueger
BYU Assistant 2019-present
UVU Assistant 2015-2019
BYU Directory of Basketball Operations 2013-2015
Utah State Director of Basketball Operations 2012-2013
UC Director of Basketball Operations 2011-2012
Louisiana Tech Director of Basketball Operations 2007-2011
Utah GA 2002-2007
Fueger would be an option for the Cougars but not a recommended one. He has been with the Cougars for some time but he hasn’t proven himself while being an assistant coach. I don’t think that he would keep many players and his work in the transfer portal wouldn’t get the Cougars very far. Fueger would be great for whoever comes along to be head coach but shouldn’t be considered for the job.
Overall Outlook
BYU Basketball is in a state of panic as they look to replace Head Coach Mark Pope who left the program to take the job at Kentucky. This puts many aspects of the team in question. BYU had a great first year in the Big 12 and it was looking like they would have another and many more to come with a great transition into the Big 12. The Cougars will now have to work their way up with a new coach and find a way to win with basically a whole new set of starters. Out of conference play there won’t be any big wins or upsets for a time dependent on who will be at head coach.
The player outlook of who will stay and build this team isn’t looking too bright unless the bench players and the incoming players have something up their sleeves that none of us have seen before. This will affect not only performance on the court but off the court as there probably won’t be as many service opportunities and fan interactions as there was with Coach Pope. Finally the outlook of the assistants could drastically change dependent on who they hire. If they hire in house many of the current ones will stay and continue to work to build the program in the same direction. If they bring in someone from the outside then it will change and BYU will loose more players to the transfer portal.
