Players Who Will Have the Greatest Impact at BYU in the Post-Jimmer Era
The sun has set on Jimmer Fredette's career at BYU.
The nation's leading scorer and his senior guard sidekick Jackson Emery rode into a sunset that included a trip for BYU to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1981.
Both Fredette and Emery have firmly ensconced their legacies at BYU, breaking nearly all of Danny Ainge’s records along the way.
But even with the departure of arguably the most productive backcourt in BYU history, the future is bright at BYU thanks to a combination of returning underclassmen and a talented incoming recruiting class.
Who will make the biggest impact on the Cougars next season?
Stephen Rogers
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Stephen Rogers may end up having the most incremental impact on the Cougars next season.
This year the 6'8" JC All-American from Mesa Community College showed flashes of brilliance for BYU, particularly late in the season.
But after scoring 21.3 points per game and shooting 43 percent from three-point range at MCC, Rogers came off the bench for Dave Rose all year and looked very uncomfortable playing against the increased athleticism of the Division I game.
In his second season with BYU expect Rogers to adjust to the speed of the game, particularly in the WCC.
He is a shooter and will get many more opportunities to fire away with the departure of Fredette.
Matt Carlino
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The 6'2" lefty point guard Matt Carlino will have an immediate impact for the Cougars—that is as soon as he is eligible to play for the Cougars.
Carlino transferred from UCLA midway through last season and isn’t expected to be eligible for Dave Rose until the end of fall semester, about the time WCC play begins.
He brings a much more traditional point guard role to the Marriott Center than what fans are used to seeing the past three years.
Carlino is not the kind of point guard who will put up Jimmer-like numbers, but he is sure to contend for the starting point guard position with Anson Winder and Nick Marineau as soon as he is eligible, and may very well take over the position as floor general by the end of next season.
Carlino can distribute the ball effectively and does have good shooting range if needed.
DaMarcus Harrison
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Christ School South Carolina shooting guard DaMarcus Harrison turned down the likes of Wisconsin, Clemson, Marquette and Florida State to play for BYU.
The 6'5" Harrison is expected to compete immediately for the starting shooting guard position at BYU.
And yet his athleticism and ball-handling capabilities give Dave Rose the option of using him at both the point guard and small forward position if needed.
Harrison could develop into an elite scorer for BYU during the coming years, replacing the bevy of scoring provided by Jimmer during the last two seasons.
During last summer’s AAU National Championships, Harrison used a combination of long distance three-point shots and slashing drives in the paint on his way to 20 points.
Signing this top 100 recruit is a testament to Rose’s ability to recruit the highest touted prep athletes who belong to the LDS Church, which in the past have chosen to play for more prominent NCAA teams.
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Charles Abouo
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Expect Charles Abouo to take on a permanent starting role for Dave Rose next season.
Built like a linebacker, Abouo will give BYU some much needed muscle at either the small forward or shooting guard position.
Abouo’s most incremental impact is less likely to be on offense than it is on defense and in his ability to rebound.
He averaged 4.8 rebounds per game this year, but with the departure of Kyle Collinsworth for a LDS mission, Abouo will need to pick up the slack left from the freshman Collinsworth, who stepped up in a big way for BYU, leading the team in rebounds after the Brandon Davies suspension.
Abouo played last summer for the Ivory Coast national team during the FIBA World Championships and there were many questions at the beginning of this year as to whether his time playing competitively during the summer might have impacted his play for BYU.
As a senior next year, Abouo will be given plenty of opportunity to silence critics as he will be looked to as one of the team’s leaders.
Chris Collinsworth
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BYU’s front court took a significant hit early this season when it lost 6'9", 235 pound forward Chris Collinsworth in his first year returning from an LDS mission.
Playing injury-free next season along Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies will give BYU the size it needs to compete in the post and win the rebounding battle.
Expect the Cougars to have more depth in the front court than it has in recent years with 6'10" James Anderson returning for his senior season and 6'10" Isaac Neilson joining BYU after returning from a mission.
Together with a long 6'8" Stephen Rogers and Charles Abouo’s size as a small forward, BYU should have a strong rebounding team next year.
Brandon Davies
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The player that will have the most potential and impact for BYU next season will be Brandon Davies.
His end-of-year suspension for violating the BYU Honor Code received nearly as much attention nationally as Jimmer Fredette’s scoring range.
The question still remains as to whether Davies will be made eligible by the university in time for the beginning of next season.
Many have speculated that his suspension could last through fall semester next year, in which case BYU would be without Davies and Carlino until the start of conference play.
Davies has made significant strides in his game both as a freshman and a sophomore and, assuming he can block out the mental frustrations from his suspension, could begin to garner national attention again next spring, but this time for his contributions on the court.
Davies averaged just over 11 points and 6 rebounds per game this season, but will be the leading scoring and rebounding threat for BYU next season.
Expect Davies to return strong, averaging up to 18 points and 7 rebounds per game.
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