By Jeff Faraudo
#WCChoops columnist | ARCHIVES
 
All of Alex Barcello’s best-known BYU teammates had moved on. Yoeli Childs, Jake Toolson and TJ Haws, who combined to score more than 42 points per game last season, were gone.
 
Barcello wasn’t worried. 
 
“We had an incredibly talented team last year. We had the same talented team this year . . . just different,” the Cougars’ senior guard said this week. “I thought it would take time for us to mesh together to build that chemistry, but we had a full roster with different weapons at every position.
 
“It’s a really good feeling when you see your teammates get a burst of confidence and start to grasp concepts. Our team last week on a road sweep was having a blast.”
 
And why not? After wins at Pacific and Loyola Marymount by a combined 45 points, BYU is 17-5, 8-3 and in second place in the West Coast Conference. With a NET ranking of No. 20, the Cougars are a virtual lock to go somewhere they haven’t been five years: The NCAA tournament.
 
While they are currently projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAAs by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Cougars began the season with big dreams, but lots of unanswered questions and even more newcomers. Coach Mark Pope, beginning his second season, brought in a long list of reinforcements: A pair of Division I transfers, another who sat out last year, two junior college players and a 6-foot-8 freshman from Texas with a distinctive head of curly blonde hair.
 
Assistant coach Chris Burgess, who has been alongside Pope since 2015 at Utah Valley, said there was no confusion about what the Cougars had in mind for this season. “The expectation was to win,” he said. “I don’t think you can be at BYU if you think it’s going to be a rebuilding year. That starts with coach Pope and our guys felt the same way.”
 
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. After starting 3-0, the Cougars lost by 26 points in a neutral-site game against USC. BYU was 5-2 after a home loss to Boise State, but Pope continued to coax his players with encouragement and relentless positivity.
 
Barcello, who transferred from Arizona two years ago, said everything trickles down from Pope’s leadership style. 
 
“It’s amazing the energy he brings every single day,” Barcello said. “He kind of sets the bar and everyone on our team strives to get there. He’s just a fun coach to play for.”
 
“His personality and his energy are super infectious,” Burgess added. “We talk with our guys about how we need to bring joy to this gym. In a nutshell, that’s who he is.”
 
The joy of winning was going to come through a different formula this season. Last year’s 24-8 squad relied on explosive scorers and 3-point shooting. This team rebounds and defends better, is more physical, has more depth and more versatility.
 
The parts began to fit together in an 18-point win over in-state rival Utah and a road victory against then-unbeaten San Diego State. Aside from two defeats to top-ranked Gonzaga, BYU has lost just once since Dec. 9.
 
The D-I transfers, guard Brandon Averette (Oklahoma State & Utah Valley) and 7-foot-3 Matt Haarms (Purdue) found immediate spots in the starting lineup. Junior center Richard Harward (Utah Valley) became a steady bench contributor.
 
JC arrivals Gideon George and Spencer Johnson created niches for themselves and returnees Trevin Knell, Kolby Lee and Connor Harding have combined for 33 starts and nearly 16 points per game.
 
Then there is freshman Caleb Lohner, who got a release from his signed letter-of-intent with Utah and joined the Cougars late last June, then immediately sheared enough off his mane to meet the school’s honor code for appearance.
 
The attention Lohner is getting these days stems from his improving play. Since joining the starting lineup four games ago, he is averaging 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds and shooting 68 percent from the field. “The kid has a chance to be a BYU great,” Burgess said.
 
Barcello remains the team leader but has willingly adjusted his approach as teammates begin to grow into more significant roles. “Alex is fine scoring 10 or 12 points and sharing the ball,” Burgess said.
 
“At this point, everyone has really accepted what they do best on this team,” Haarms told reporters last weekend. “I’ve been on a team where it’s been one guy and everyone’s supporting him. I feel like this team, every night it can be a different player.”
 
In fact, while Barcello leads BYU in scoring at 15.4 points per game, he is getting plenty of help these days. Amazingly, six different players have led the Cougars in scoring over the past six games.
 
Johnson led the way with 15 points off the bench at Pepperdine on Jan. 27. Then Averette went for 24 points in a win over Pacific and George had a career-best 19 against Portland. Barcello put up 20 vs. Gonzaga, Lohner scored a career-best 19 to lead the way in a rematch vs. Pacific before Haarms posted 21 vs. Loyola Marymount.
 
“That’s a team,” Pope said after the win at LMU on Saturday. “So many guys making significant contributions. What we can do together is really special. It’s way more special than what any of our guys can do individually . . . This is the core of who we are.”
 
The Cougars close out the regular season this week with a pair of home games, starting Thursday night against USF. Could BYU actually unveil a seventh consecutive different scoring leader?
 
“We just want to win the game,” Barcello said. But if it happened? Yep, just another source of joy for the Cougars.
 
LAST WEEK’S BIG THING: The BYU women (16-3, 12-2) beat defending regular-season champion Gonzaga and 2020 WCC tournament champ Portland last week to complete an unbeaten, nine-game home schedule. It’s the program’s first unbeaten home record in five seasons. The Cougars have won their past 16 games at the Marriott Center, dating back to January 2020.
 
THIS WEEK’S BIG THING: Pepperdine senior point guard Colbey Ross needs four assists Thursday against Loyola Marymount to become just the fourth Division I player to officially log career totals of at least 2,000 points, 800 assists and 400 rebounds. Ross (2,106-796-422) hopes to join Oregon State’s Gary Payton (2,172-938-480), Ohio’s D.J. Cooper (2,075-934-621) and Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas (2,195-833-528).
 
HIGGINS ENERGIZES TIGERS: The Pacific women beat San Diego 67-65 on Monday night for their fourth straight victory. Leading the way was senior Valerie Higgins, who had 27 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. During the Tigers’ four-game win streak, she is averaging 19.5 points, 11.5 points, 3.0 assists and 5.0 steals. Her 71 steals this season are second-most in the country.