Mark my words: this group of sophomores will lead this team to success in the next three years. These guys are talented, and if you made a couple of small position changes they could make a decent starting five. I don't think the five of them will ever start together (though four may) but this group represents the core of BYU basketball over the coming seasons.
Josh Sharp, F
Oh, what to do with Josh Sharp? I really like his scrappy style of play, and he seems to have a real good head for the game. He almost always is in the right place at the right time, but he simply does not look like he is going to see playing time on this squad. His offensive capabilities are severely limited: 39.1 percent shooting, 20 percent three point shooting, 60.9 percent from the free throw line. To go along with low percentages his decision making when the ball is in his hands is often quite worrisome. In all fairness, he was a freshman who had just returned home from his mission, so I do think he is capable of turning things around on the offensive end.
Defensively he does fairly well. I would never accuse him of being a shut-down defender, and I would never expect him to guard an opponents' best player, however he does his part, stays aggressive and plays with heart, which can go a long way in the college game.
But where can Coach Rose use him? The guard line is so stacked that Brock Zylstra, Stephen Rogers, and Tyler Haws will all likely be playing as wing in a three guard type lineup, so he won't see much playing time there. He is not built like a power forward, so it would be very tough for him to compete for playing time with Nate Austin, Agustin Ambrosino, and Chris Collinsworth. In my mind it appears that Sharp may be relegated to a Nick Martineau type role, playing just one or two minutes in the blowout games. If he can develop offensively, he could see some more playing time as a junior.
Anson Winder, G
Anson Winder's presence in this lineup, along with Craig Cusick, Matt Carlino, Tyler Haws, Brock Zylstra, Raul Delgado and an incoming freshman or two, may bring flashbacks to the 2009-2010 season. That roster included Jimmer Fredette, Jackson Emery, Tyler Haws, Charles Abouo, Mike Loyd Jr., Lamont Morgan Jr., and Jonathon Tavernari who all saw significant playing time playing at the guard position, often times in a three guard set. Those players were rotated out frequently, keeping fresh legs in the game without seeing a significant drop off in talent level - unless of course you take out Jimmer or Jackson, but each of these players could hold their own.
But back to Wiinder: he will certainly see playing time this upcoming season. He is a work horse on the defensive end of the ball. He has speed and defends with his feet. He has the potential to become the next lock down defender to replace Jackson Emery's prowess. Those are big shoes to fill, but I feel that he can do it to at least some degree.
Offensively he needs to become more consistent. He is a shooter, but when the team struggled behind the arc, so did he. The more consistent of a scorer he becomes, the more playing time he will see. He won't start this year, but he will almost certainly see playing time every game, especially when an opposing guard needs to be pressured.
Nate Austin, F
My favorite statistic of last season: Nate Austin averaged 8.4 fouls per 40 minutes played. Yeah... that's a problem. Nate has a tremendous upside - shooting touch with range, defense, ability to take a charge (I say take a charge because he doesn't just draw charges, he stands in and takes a beating for them) - but if he is thrust into the starting role I believe he will be, he needs to cut down on his foul trouble so that he can have an impact on the game.
I really love the aggressive style of play and passion that Nate Austin puts on display every time he steps on the court. Like I said, he is not afraid to step in and take a beating if it will benefit the team, and that is something that will pay dividends for the Cougars. He attacks the basket hard and he can step out and hit the occasional three with delicate touch. If he can add some back-to-the-basket post moves he will really be a problem for opposing defenses as they will have to adjust to stop two very versatile bigs in Austin and Brandon Davies.
Even if he doesn't develop into an overwhelming offensive threat, he will still play a large role on this team. BYU has plenty of scorers, so it would not be helpful for Nate to put up ten points a night, but it will be much more crucial for him to develop defensively. He is very good at defending in the post, but how good will he be against more versatile and quick power forwards? With him and Brandon Davies both on the floor I would not be at all surprised to see Coach Rose play even more zone than this past year when they played far above the normal amount since Rose came to town.
Again, look for Nate Austin to be an all around impact on the floor, but most importantly he needs to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble.
Matt Carlino, G
I know several people were frustrated with the play of Matt Carlino this past season. But seriously? The kid was a freshman, did we honestly expect him to come in and be just like Jimmer from the get go? He flashes a remarkable amount of potential and clearly gives Cougar Nation a lot to be excited about, but it is really too bad that unrealistic expectations of near perfection were placed on him last year to the point we forgot what he really was: a freshman.
Matt is an incredibly gifted point guard; he has excellent court vision and is a great passer. However, those two assets also result in some poor decisions on occasion as he has a tendency to get sped up a little bit and push the floor a little bit faster than needed, which results in a few turnovers along the way. Matt is also part of the scoring point guard generation, so sometimes he seemed to forget that he was mostly intended to be a pass first point. He will adjust to that and become an effective distributor, and he will cut down on the turnovers as the college game starts to slow down some for him.
In my mind, Matt Carlino is destined for stardom. Will he be the next Jimmer? No, probably not. But he is absolutely a gifted basketball player and he will become the key piece for the Cougars. He may never lead the team in scoring, he may never be a lock down defender, but he will become the point guard that Coach Rose needs to lead this Cougar squad to success.
Tyler Haws, G
You have no idea how excited I am. I was in Colorado as a missionary during Haws' freshman season, so I have yet to see him play. I have heard nothing but good things, and I have watched replays of a couple of the games he played in, and those praises certainly seem to be justified.
Haws just returned home from his mission a week or two ago and I would imagine he has hit the basketball court every day so far. One thing I have learned in my research about him is that he had a fantastic work ethic, and I don't think a mission will have changed that. He should provide a real scoring spark and make an immediate impact on next year's squad. His mid-range game is quite impressive, and that active streak of 48 straight made free throws is outstanding. If he can become a little more consistent from behind the arc (he shot 36.8 percent as a freshman) to go along with his remarkable 49.8 percent shooting overall he could quickly become the focus of opposing defenses, freeing up the depth around him to do some real damage.
I expect Tyler Haws to start and become the star of this team along with Brandon Davies. I also expect that within the next couple of years the Cougar offense will work mostly through him.
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