1. Very good win by BYU. They are learning how to play without Baxter and Harward. Knell and Erickson are getting more minutes, and Traore, Lohner, and George are having to step up and handle things inside. I’m still concerned about teams that have a really skilled big man, but BYU is adjusting.

2. BYU was 19/22 from the FT line (86%). Traore & Barcello were a combined 15/15 from the FT line. There have been games earlier this season where BYU didn’t shoot FTs well. But, tonight they did, and it was a huge difference in the game because USU was a horrible 9/20 (45%) from the charity stripe.

3. BYU had 5 rebounds more than USU, which was big for a BYU team without Baxter and Harward who were their top 2 big men when the season started.

4. Bean had 16 points in the first half, but only 4 in the 2nd half. But Horvath stepped up in the 2nd half to pick up some of the slack.

5. After getting up 20, BYU seemed to get a little careless and lose a bit of their focus. They let USU get back into the game (they got as close as 7 a couple of times), but were able to hold them off, and won by in the end won by 11.

• Barcello. Not his best scoring game, but he has such a calming influence on the team, especially on offense, when he’s in the game. And he’s money from the FT line—7/7 in tonight’s game. He demands a lot of attention which frees up some of his teammates.

• Knell. It was so good to see some 3s from him go down. As I’ve said before, he will be crucial to BYU’s success. When he’s shooting well teams have to pay attention to him and can’t double other guys like Barcello as much. I was really impressed with his two drives into the key for mid-range jumpers. He is getting more and more comfortable playing defense and letting the game come to him offensively.

• Lohner. Maybe the stat of the night: Lohner was 0/0 from the 3-point line. It’s clear his role has changed a bit and his primary focus will be inside. He had 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. I really feel like he’ll get better and better with his inside offensive game as time goes on. Great to see him getting the ball inside and then passing to the open man outside. Played great, tough defense as always.

• Lucas. He fills up the stats sheet: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. So glad we have him. When he and Barcello are on the floor together good things happen. He had too many turnovers (5), and missed the front-end of a 1-and-1 down the stretch, but overall a great game.

• Knight. He hit a big 3, and also had 2 rebounds and 3 assists. And he was one of the main guys guarding Bean. Drove into traffic in the lane and turned it over a couple of times. I feel like he’s still trying to figure out his place on this team. He’s obviously got a lot of skill and athleticism. He just needs to let the game come to him a bit more offensively and not force things.

• Johnson. Hit a couple of big 3s (3/4 from 3). He is becoming a consistent scoring threat which is important. Always plays tough defense. Sets the tone for the team defensively. Also had 2 boards and an assist.

• George. Great game for Gideon coming off a bad case of the flu and losing 12 pounds. He was the primary defensive person on Bean, especially in the 2nd half when Bean only got 4 points. Also led the team in rebounds with 7. So good to have him back. No way BYU loses to UVU if George was able to play that game.

• Erickson. He’s getting more minutes. Looks more and more comfortable on the court. Makes good passes. Has good court sense. So good to see him hit a 3. He’ll be an important rotation guy as the season moves forward.

• Traore. Wow! What a game! Down the stretch when USU was making a run he hit FTs (8/8 in the game), sealed his guy and made a key bucket inside, and grabbed a couple of rebounds. He looks so comfortable, so under control, and so confident, especially for a freshman. He’ll have his ups and downs, as he continues to learn and progress, but he was so good tonight.

6. It will be fun to watch this team continue to develop. Having to do that without Baxter and Harward is so disappointing. But the team is showing they’re up to the challenge. They’ll be a different team, but they can still be very good. If they continue to play tough defense, rebound, and hit outside shots, they should be able to compete with most teams.

7. I still think this team’s potential is less than it was before the loss of their 2 big men, but this will still end up being a very good team. Hopefully, they can get Atiki some consistent minutes so he can continue his development. I suspect he’ll be needed in the weeks and months to come.

8. BYU just keeps winning. The UVU game was a big-time aberration. Many on the team being sick, losing Baxter, and not having George created the perfect storm in a negative sense. Hopefully, tonight will be the start of better outside shooting for the team. There won’t be many easy games for BYU this season, but they are learning to win tough, physical games, and to make the plays down the stretch to pull out victories. It’s going to be a lot of fun watching this team for the next 4 months!

Go Cougars!