Busting Brackets
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BYU Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Cougars

By Tristan Freeman

SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 25: The BYU Cougars celebrate their 79-71 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 25, 2017 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 25: The BYU Cougars celebrate their 79-71 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 25, 2017 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 04: Steven Beo
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 04: Steven Beo /

Reserves

Injuries to seniors L.J. Rose and Kyle Davis depleted the bench last season. It left former walk-ons Steven Beo, Colby Leifson, and Davin Guinn to provide scoring as reserves. The backup big was Corbin Kaufusi, who joined the team in December after playing with the football team.

The production overall was little to none, which left the margin of error for the starters at very little. With a number of returned missionaries as well as junior transfer commits, here’s a look at the bench players looking to make an impact.

SO Zac Seljaas

The 6’7″ wing can play multiple positions and shoot at a high level. He shot over 50% from distance and should provide some consistent scoring off the bench. One concern for Zac is a lingering shoulder issue that caused him to leave his mission early.

SO Jashir Hardnet

The 6’0″ junior college transfer from Chipola College will be the backup for T.J. Haws at the point guard position. His athleticism will be a nice change for a team that lacked the ability to keep up with guards last year.

SO Dalton Nixon, SO Ryan Andrus, and JR Luke Worthington

These three will return after completing their respective two-year missions. Nixon is a 6’7″ wing who can shoot some while Andrus and Worthington are both prototypical bigs. With Mika gone, any of these guys could step up and get meaningful minutes.

While the guys on the bench this year are more talented than last year’s, a combination of mission rust and injury concerns will have some impact on the team.