how many new players he's had to assimilate into his program, and adapt the system accordingly. In a season of COVID, leading to all sorts of cancelled practices, cancelled OOC games against lesser teams, cancelled midseason mini-tournaments, cancelled off-the-court team-bonding activities, etc., it is extremely difficult to get a roster with a lot of new players to play well together. Look no further then at how bad teams that rely heavily on one-and-dones have performed this season. Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Louisville, Michigan State, etc. are all out of the top 25 for the first time in decades.

BYU had to replace 3 senior starters and 5 seniors total from last year's 8 man rotation. Two of this year's starters and three main bench players weren't even on the roster last year. BYU definitely took their early season lumps in their losses to USC and Boise State while trying to figure out how all the new personnel fit together, particularly on the offensive side of the court. In some ways, it still isn't pretty, still very much a work in progress. But you can see BYU's players and coaches growing together in their understanding of each other as the season wears on. In spite of all those challenges, BYU is sitting at a respectable 12-3 record, with almost all of their metrics in the top 40, which is typically what you need to earn an at-large bid to the tournament. I still think there are ways for this team to get even better together, and hopefully crack the top 25 by season's end.

This team plays a very different style with a very different roster than last year, but they're nearly as effective in spite of all that. Just a tremendous testament to Pope and the assistants' coaching, as well as the character of the players in the locker room.