Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: 10 Preseason Mid-majors to watch for 2018-19

By Tristan Freeman

BOISE, ID - MARCH 17: The Gonzaga Bulldogs bench reacts during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID - MARCH 17: The Gonzaga Bulldogs bench reacts during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Elijah Bryant
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Elijah Bryant /

BYU Cougars

2017-19 results: First Round of NIT

Key losses: None

Key returnees: JR Yoeli Childs (17.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg)  – SR Elijah Bryant (18.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg) – JR TJ Haws (11.7 ppg and 4.2 apg)

Key incoming players: FR Gavin Baxter (No. 100 ranked recruit from the class of 2016 – served two-year Mormon mission) – JR Nick Emery (13.1 ppg in 2016-17 with BYU before leaving school)

On any given night this past season, Dave Rose had only two scorers that would contribute on a given night, with TJ Haws being wildly inconsistent as the third option. After that, no one scored more than six points a night.

That should change with the likely return of shooting guard Nick Emery, along with an athletic forward in Gavin Baxter. The Cougars will as athletic as they’ve been in a while, which should help them on both ends of the court.

Problem is that it doesn’t solve two important positional issues – point guard and center. Jashire Hardnett and Luke Worthington aren’t starters on an NCAA Tournament team, yet there aren’t any alternatives on the projected roster.

BYU looks to be the main contender to Gonzaga in the WCC, but there is a huge gap between the two programs. It’ll take a few Cougars to have big seasons to change that.

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