These are just my opinions and everyone is free to disagree with them.

Haws – He is the glue to the team and is a pure shooter. He has some weaknesses on defense but without him on offense we would be a much worse team. He is money at the free throw line and down the stretch of a close game that is critical. My only real complaint is that at crunch time in a close game he has not hit the game winners.

Collinsworth – I believe he is the best overall player on the team and if he could develop an outside shot he would play in the NBA. He is a big physical guard that can get to the rim. Last night they mentioned that he shot over 10K free throws over the summer and he raised his percentage by almost 20 points. That is a huge increase. I know that many think he might leave early but without that outside shot he will not make it at the NBA level. If he spent the summer doing the same thing and improved his shooting his stock would rise a great deal.

Winder – What can you say about a guy that is now a senior and is giving huge production to the team. He is the best we have at taking the ball to the rim off the dribble. His outside shot has improved. I think Anson is a testimony to what hard work will do to improve your overall game.

Fischer – When he is hot he is hot. When not we suffer. He is an average ball handler but can shoot the ball. I think Rose was sending a message to him last night by not starting him. Sometimes he forces the three ball and last night he seemed to take better shots where he was set up.

Kaufusi – I had and still have great hope for him. Nobody knew he existed until late last summer when he was playing pick up games with the team. It is not that he has bad hands but in my opinion it is his habit of bringing the ball down and allowing players around him to grab at it. He is the only real shot blocker we have on the team and the one player in the middle that opponents might think they have to alter their shot as they come to the rim. He will have a full off-season to work on his post game and next year will tell whether he is going to be a player or just someone with a lot of potential that was never fulfilled.

Halford – I have been very critical of him and while he shows flashes of brilliance he then shows the same moments of out of control play. He seems to be going just a little to fast for even himself. On defense he has a habit of picking up the ball handler to early and allowing the dribbler to get by him. This results in either a foul by Halford or putting out big men in a difficult position. He needs to realize that there are point guards that are quicker than him and giving them that much room to get by him puts the entire defense at a disadvantage.

Neilsen – We have to remember that he is a freshman and he shows signs of promise. Of the big men he has the most fluid outside shot and I remember the early analysis of him was that he could play a stretch four if needed. He hustles and has made some good defensive plays. His offense around the basket needs to see major improvement.

Worthington – I thought he would really improve this season and in many ways he has regressed. He has no offensive game at this level that causes any defensive scheme to account for him. He looks to be in better shape, runs the court well, plays big body defense but still gets exposed by an athletic post player. He has a redshirt year available and quite frankly I would talk to him about using it and transferring to a school where he would get more minutes.

Bartley – Last night was the probably the best game Frank has played in quite some time. He seemed more under control and made the pass instead of just putting his head down and driving to the basket. He is one of the better defensive players on the team. I think both he and Rose will have to have a long talk about his role and future with the team. He is another that has a red shirt year available and that discussion might lead him to transfer. I think this is a 50/50 proposition.

Nixon – He got the start last night because Collinsworth could not go. Rose could not go with that small a lineup. I would have preferred to see Neilsen start. He seems to have lost all confidence in his shot and did not even rebound the ball last night. He is heading off on a mission (assumption on my part) and I am not sure where he fits when he gets back. He is to slow to play small forward and not physical enough to play power forward.

Toolsen – Highly touted as a bomber coming out of high school. Had some issues on his mission and came home early. Kudos to him for paying his own way this year when BYU did not have a scholarship available. Next year will be the year of decision for him. Nick Emery will be back and he is also a three point shooter. The following year T.J. Haws will be back. Toolsen will have to establish himself as a contributor next season or he will get lost in the shuffle.

Andrus – Yes, he had a good game last night but it was against Santa Clara, the only team with a worse front-court than ours. Against all of our big guys a 6’6” forward was scoring. His free throw shot is fluid and he makes them. Long term the question is where does he fit in the BYU lineup. He is mission bound next season and when he gets back Mika will be a junior and Dastrop a sophomore. Kaufusi and Neilsen, assuming they improve, will be seniors. He is not physically strong enough to play the post against a guy like Waldow or Karnowski. They would move him right off the blocks. Can he gain the weight and strength to play the five? His body does not look like one that will ever have those dimensions.

If you look at our big men as a group you have to shake your head. Why do all of them lack any real post game. I think one reason might be was they were tall in HS and could get away without having to develop that level of their game. Even Mika was learning last year. I also believe that where they play growing up has some impact on how they play. You don't see as much playground ball out west as you do in the east. Many of these games are played half court and are very physical. High school age kids play in games against much older players and learn how to play physical. In the west, in my experience, most of the kids play full court games and are far less physical. If you watch the play of post players in the Big East you see this style of play and quickly realize these kids have been playing in the low blocks for a long time.

These are just my opinions, as I stated, and I welcome any discussion of why you might disagree. I am looking past just this season and to the future. There are some good players on missions right now and we have the inside track on some other good players. But I think that you have to make tough decisions as a head coach and once you realize a player is not going to improve enough to make you a better team you have to let go and use that scholarship on someone that might help you get better.