2014-15 preseason prospectus

2014-15 Preseason Prospectus

BYU basketball enters the 2014-15 season with eight returning letterwinners, including seven with starting experience. Headlining the returners are a pair of All-West Coast Conference First Team honorees in senior Tyler Haws and junior Kyle Collinsworth. Haws led the WCC in scoring and was the league’s player of the year while Collinsworth was BYU’s leader in rebounds and assists last season.

Also returning are seniors Nate Austin, Skyler Halford, Josh Sharp and Anson Winder and sophomores Frank Bartley IV and Luke Worthington. Combined those six have a total of 108 career starts. BYU’s experienced core will be bolstered by a talented group of newcomers that includes six freshmen and a pair of transfers.

Since Dave Rose took over the program in 2005, the Cougars have averaged 26 wins and have earned a postseason bid in nine-straight seasons. Last season the Cougars finished 23-12 overall and second in the WCC at 13-5. BYU received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed. It was the program’s seventh trip to the NCAA tournament in the last eight seasons.

Experienced and talented backcourt

First-team All-WCC honorees Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth anchor a BYU backcourt that includes four players with starting experience. Haws, a senior and an AP Honorable Mention All-American and the 2014 WCC Player of the Year, was first in the league and sixth in the nation in scoring after averaging 23.2 points per game. Collinsworth, a junior, is a versatile point guard who led the team in rebounding and assists and was second in scoring and steals last season.

Other returning backcourt players with starting experience are seniors Anson Winder and Skyler Halford. Winder started the last seven games of the 2013-14 season and averaged 12.1 points per game during that stretch. Halford started 13 games throughout the season and averaged 7.0 points and hit 29 threes.

Sophomore Frank Bartley IV also returns to bolster a deep backcourt. Bartley displayed a varied skill set as he posted season highs of 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.

Junior Chase Fischer leads a talented group of newcomers in the backcourt. Fischer came to BYU last fall after transferring from Wake Forest but had to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. He will be a welcome addition to the rotation thanks to his excellent outside shooting and scoring ability.

Freshman Jordan Chatman, son of BYU great Jeff Chatman, comes to BYU fresh off a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taiwan. The Vancouver, Washington, native is a versatile player with the ability to play on the wing and at the point.

Jake Toolson comes to BYU from Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He was one of the top scorers in the state as he averaged 27.3 points per game as a senior and finished his high school career with 2,007 career points. Jordan Ellis, a junior, will be on the roster after spending last season as a member of the practice squad. He brings a steady presence to the point guard position.

Depth and size define BYU frontcourt

Returning frontcourt players include senior Nate Austin, who started all 35 games last season, senior Josh Sharp and sophomore Luke Worthington. Austin was second on the team in rebounding and first in blocks while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Worthington and Sharp started three games apiece and provided valuable contributions on the defensive end. Sharp also shot a team-best 63.0 percent from the field.

The frontcourt’s depth will be expanded in 2014-15 as Rose has added six post players to the three returners. Sophomore Jamal Aytes and freshman Isaac Neilson have been with the program since January 2014 – Aytes transferred midseason from UNLV and Neilson enrolled at BYU after returning from a two-year LDS mission in Alabama in December 2013.

Aytes adds strength, rebounding and an all-around offensive game that features a strong mid-range shot and the ability to score with his back to the basket. Neilson was a prolific shot blocker in high school and has an excellent shooting touch that extends to the 3-point line.

True freshmen Ryan Andrus and Dalton Nixon are local products from American Fork and Orem, respectively. Andrus led American Fork High School to the 4A state semifinals while averaging 15 points and eight rebounds. Nixon averaged 20 points and eight rebounds while leading Orem to the 4A state title game.

Freshman Corbin Kaufusi is a surprise addition to the roster. The Provo, Utah, native originally signed to play football for the Cougars. After growing several inches while serving a two-year mission in Korea, Kaufusi chose basketball this summer. He brings a strong and athletic 6-foot-10 frame to BYU’s frontcourt.

BYU also welcomes Utah State transfer Kyle Davis, who started 27 games and averaged 9.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Aggies last season. One of his best games in 2013-14 came against BYU when he had 16 points and nine rebounds at EnergySolutions Arena. He will sit out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA transfer rules.