No defense
Lack of leadership
Players not moving on offense
Poor team chemistry

Based on what I have seen this season, there's a lot of truth this time in the CB crazy talk. Rose went from "irritable" after ACU to "volcanic" last night. I don't envy Spencer's job. Inserting Emery into the starting lineup was in part a message to the upperclassmen that they aren't leading. They have been playing for themselves. "Look at my new skill!" Turnover. Brick. Air ball. Cutting Shaw, Hartsock, and Calvert out of the rotation this early against a team like MVSU smacked a bit of desperation.

It looked to me like Fischer was trying to get back to what he did best last year which was catch and shoot quickly and confidently. He only did one dribble drive under the backboard that I saw. But he is fighting a mental block that is preventing him from shooting in rhythm. He is pump faking when there is no defender there. He is taking a dribble and stepping back into his shot. He is pivoting and then shooting. It's really weird. I wonder if he is missing Pope who spent a lot of time running him through his shooting drills. He needs to get back into that routine until he can just let it fly. Getting him untracked will make a lot of other pieces fit into place.

Collinsworth got back to doing what he does best at the end of the game with a couple of simple drives where defenders bounce off him. It is amazing how easy he makes that look. Rose gives his best players a very long leash. I wonder if he has been shortening it. I would love for KC to move over occasionally to the wing and work a two-man game with Kaufusi. KC could have the baseline whenever he wanted it. Nursing a sore knee, I really don't think it is in the team's best interest having him bring the ball up the court every time. And I wonder if the knee tendonitis is in part due to working on more elevation on his jump shot. He is jumping much higher on his shot.

I don't think this team should play man defense for long stretches and the guards need to work harder in the zone. They could be a very good zone defensive team if the commitment was there.

Rose seemed surprised inserting Toolson and Austin in the lineup in the first half killed the momentum. Toolson's shoulders visibly slumped after a turnover-turnover-missed three-missed flurry. And Nate was in for long stretches in the second half with no impact. In fact, MVSU reeled BYU in with Austin on the court. What impact was Austin giving BYU that merited 19 minutes last night? Or was that just frustration over Kaufusi's second half? Sucked having to watch that play with Hartsock and Shaw sitting.

Emery looked like the best player on the team in the first half. One turnover in 34 minutes for a true freshman is awesome. And he got BYU off to the start Rose was hoping for. When he went cold in the second half, it seemed to have an impact on the entire offense. Could a freshman really be having that big of an impact? Whether or not his shot is going, his defense and calming effect with the ball in his hands should keep him on the floor.

Hopefully, last night was finally the wake up call needed for these guys to start playing together. The talent is there. They just need to become a team.