What does BYU Basketball look like without Elijah Bryant?

BYU Basketball: What does the roster look like for 2018-19 without Elijah Bryant?

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Head coach Dave Rose of the Brigham Young Cougars yells to his players during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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Who is the starting shooting guard?

There are a number of potential options for the off-guard, with the top being Nick Emery. He averaged nearly 15 ppg in his first couple of seasons while shooting nearly 40% from three-point range. When on, Emery can be a prolific scorer, including a 36 point performance against Utah Valley.

Of course, he hasn’t officially been declared “back” with BYU. And even if he does, there’s still a pending situation with the NCAA regarding possible impermissible benefits that happened allegedly before his absence.

If for some reason Emery doesn’t suit up for the Cougars next season, then it’ll be a repeat of the Hardnett-Haws combination. But that would also underscore a gigantic weakness for the team as well.

In that scenario, that would leave just three guards on the roster (Hardnett, Haws, and Cannon), while everyone else playing a forward position. That’s not a good balance for a team to have, with an injury from any of them having devastating effects.

With Bryant’s departure along with Emery’s uncertainty, BYU has to find some extra help on the perimeter, either via the grad transfer route or more likely Junior College. The Cougars have never had to worry about having great guard play, yet this could be a weak point of the team next year.