BYU Men's Basketball: Win over BYU-Hawaii Shows Reasons for Optimism

So it was BYU versus BYU-Hawaii in a glorified exhibition game.  If BYU had made the same kind of mistakes in WCC conference play, we may have seen a different outcome. 

The Cougars had lulls where they couldn't rebound or score, but there were reasons for optimism in their 73-52 win over Hawaii Tuesday night.

Brandon Davies is the man.  With a career high 25 points, he played with his back to the basket, hit pretty jump shots and blocked everything near him. 

He should continue to develop as he commits fewer fouls and scores more.

Dave Rose finally figured out Brock Zylstra is not a point guard.  Craig Cusick is faster and more compact than Zylstra and showed he can bring the ball up the court as well as anyone. 

Zylstra was moved to the 2-guard, and the Cougars stopped turning the ball over the second they crossed midcourt.  Zylstra performed well at the 2-spot, and Cusick is emerging as the band-aid until Matt Carlino becomes eligible.

Noah Hartsock is still solid.  Always has been.  Always will be.  He blocked, he scored, he shared.  Hartsock is the glue this team needs and will continue to be as this Cougar team develops.

For the past few years, it seems that BYU has had a freshman emerge at the guard/forward hybrid position that Dave Rose likes using. 

First, it was Tyler Haws, then Kyle Collinsworth and now Demarcus Harrison has stepped in. 

If there was a stat for aesthetics, he would be at the top of the list—right behind Charles Abouo. 

Unfortunately, the statistics demand production.  He looks smooth and plays aggressively but can't seem to finish around the basket.  He also takes some unbalanced, optimistic shots. 

His predecessors looked like freshmen at times, as well, and both emerged as solid contributors as the years wore on. 

Harrison will do the same.  When his shots start falling, he will be a big part of this team.

It feels like the Cougars are on the verge of clicking.  And when they do, watch out.