As i reported to you last year, BYU agreed to the midnight game at Long Beach because ESPN offered the quid pro quo that they would do a Marathon in 2016-2017 at the Marriott vs a good P-5 level team. Don't have the team name or if it will be P-5, but it will be a strong team to open the season at home.

Combine that with Colorado coming to the MC and another good OOC team i can't recall, and the home schedule looks good. Plus BYU has the USC game in LA, the Vegas tourney, and the Illinois game. Pretty cool.

Not sure the Utes would have increased the SOS that much if at all, though it would have been nice to clobber them. Don't see how they can be as good as last year. Moreover, if you buy into Pomeroy as i do, the Utes were #39 and outrageously overrated as a 3 seed last season and the 8th team in the nation in "Luck Factor," which was not discounted in their #39 final ranking. Had the Utes suffered the kind of tough luck the Cougars had to endure (#297), they would have been ranked much lower.

Due to a flight cancellation, LJ Rose's visit has been postponed until next week, but the prospects for signing him look good. Of course, LJ has not been to Provo yet so that has to go well. But looks like BYU is in a nice position with LJ. Not a slam dunk but looking good.

He's transferring from Houston. Once a Cougar, always a Cougar?

Looks like this might have been the plan for the final BYU scholarship.

He could be the best BYU role player at the guard line since Michael Loyd Jr.

Check out the guy's assist rate. He was #15 in the nation as a sophomore and #1 in conference. As a junior he played in only 19 games and was #29 and #2 in assist rate. That doesn't happen without considerable brains, leadership, and BB skill. Injuries kept him out last year.

His numbers tell us that he did play somewhat inefficiently in other areas so he may not be in the class of BYU's starting guard line. But he really hasn't been healthy since his sophomore year, and he is in much better condition than an RM.

LJ is a redshirt senior, originally recruited by a ranked program at Baylor, and then started when healthy at Houston as a sophomore and junior at PG.

If he is willing to join BYU as a role player, would he fill a void? No question. Could BYU do better for a 1 year grad transfer? Not likely.

Certainly the main risk is his health, having broken his foot (metatarsal) four times. Consensus high character guy and talented D-1 player.

LJ Rose's recent Twitter follows include Cougarnation.com and Elijah Bryant. Nice to see next season's projected starting PG reach out to a recruit who is a natural at his position with proven starter potential at a top 100 program.

My view is that this would be a great signee, subject to his good health. There are those who would say that the team needs a SF. But BYU has sufficient height and terrific guards. The GS Warriors today and the Bulls of the 1990s teach us that outstanding players fill all voids and are more important than having all the right position labels. IIRC, the Bulls had average centers and average PGs, just a few great players and a few good role players.

Consensus is that Alan Hamson will not play next year. Assume basketball is not in his future.

Speaking about Michael Loyd Jr, i'm told he is regularly attending Church in Las Vegas and close to baptism. That is very cool!