Early on in BYU’s loss to Alabama, it appeared that BYU had what it took. They were running better offense and getting easier shots. Alabama was getting some open threes but hitting everything. While the Cougars hoped the Crimson Tide would cool down, that time never came. Alabama put up a whopping 113 points in the win Thursday. BYU’s defense wasn’t great, but Alabama would have beaten any team in the country shooting like that. However, there is more to this game than just a loss. Many people gave the Cougars a chance because of their offense, which still scored 88 points. However, if you look at how things have gone for Kevin Young in his first year, they look very similar to exactly what happened to Alabama when Nate Oats first took Alabama to the next level.
BYU is the Next Alabama: Their Time is Coming
Elite Offense, Subpar Defense
Nate Oats took over in 2019 for the Crimson Tide. In two of his first three seasons, Alabama had a bad defense compared to their elite offense. They paid for that with losses as a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. Alabama’s defensive efficiency ranked 114th in 19-20 and 92nd in 21-22. Oats has since figured out occasionally how to improve defensively, but it hasn’t been that pretty at times the last couple of seasons. It even put them at risk this season against Robert Morris.
BYU’s loss to Alabama came from those same problems. Kevin Young has struggled in the same way that Oats did. Entering the game against Alabama, BYU had the 72nd-ranked defensive efficiency. For his first year as a head coach in college, Young was able to put together a very successful season, even outdoing what Oats did. However, only if he finds a way to play stronger defense will he make progress in March (and potentially play in April)
Defense Travels, Shooting Doesn’t (Usually)
In BYU’s loss to Alabama, the Crimson Tide hit 25 threes. That doesn’t happen in college–ever. But Alabama has continuously been eliminated in the NCAA Tournament because they went cold from three. When they fall in love with the three and aren’t hitting them, the Crimson Tide struggle to beat NCAA Tournament teams. However, they’ve slowly evolved (outside of Thursday night) into an offense that doesn’t rely on threes. They’ve found ways to get to the basket when necessary to keep their offense elite even without the shooting.
BYU focused so much on three-point shooting to get them to the Sweet Sixteen. They averaged 10.7 threes per game, ranked 10th in the NCAA this season. The Cougars relied on shooting that let them down against Alabama, as they only shot 6-30 from three. They managed to score 88 points because they stayed aggressive and attacked the rim. That’s a good sign, but it proves all the more that shooting doesn’t travel. Defense travels better than anything else. Alabama may struggle defensively at times, but they still ranked 29th in defensive efficiency this season.
The Last Word
BYU isn’t going anywhere. They have the number one overall recruit, AJ Dybantsa, coming in the fall. He will bring NBA-level talent to a team that has proven they can win. Kevin Young will learn how to coach the importance of both sides of the ball. It’s impossible to deny the similarities between Alabama from three or four years ago to BYU today. BYU’s loss to Alabama will sting, but it’s only the start of a journey. It may take a couple of years, but don’t be surprised if BYU finds themselves making Final Four runs in a few years. Alabama has the talent to win it all right now, but BYU’s time is coming. Just wait and see.
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