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BYU Basketball: Is Mark Pope the right fit for the Cougars?

By Tristan Freeman

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Mark Pope of the Utah Valley Wolverines reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Mark Pope of the Utah Valley Wolverines reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – NOVEMBER 10: Mark Pope the head coach of the Utah Valley Wolverines gives instructions to his team in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on November 10, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – NOVEMBER 10: Mark Pope the head coach of the Utah Valley Wolverines gives instructions to his team in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on November 10, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Pros to having Pope on the staff

Ability to bring in transfers

With no recruiting base or program prestige to speak of, Coach Pope has had to use transfers to have enough talent to compete in the WAC. Players such as Brandon Randolph (Xavier), Kenneth Ogbe (Utah), Isaac Neilson (BYU) and Akolda Manyang (Oklahoma) were instrumental in having the Wolverines finish in the top half of the conference. The 47-year old has connections not only at the D-1 level but also with Junior Colleges.

Due to the school’s Honor Code and religious affiliations with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), BYU’s talent pool is much less than other programs and has to be real creative in how they bring in really good players outside of Utah and Idaho. Considering that the Cougars will lose several seniors at the end of next year, Pope can immediately bring in talent to prevent the team from falling down the WCC ladder.

Familiarity with the WCC

It can be difficult playing in a conference where there is such a heavyweight as Gonzaga, while the league itself is normally 1-2 bids. Saint Mary’s traditionally been that other team to get a bid if the WCC gets multiple, which puts BYU on the outside looking in. They’ve had issues winning games against the lesser teams in the league, which hurts their at-large resumes at the end. Then there’s the fact that the Cougars can’t win the WCC Tournament in Vegas to get the autobid.

Assuming BYU has the talent to compete, it would be a seamless transition for Pope, who has been in the WCC as an assistant. The WAC is structured very similar to the WCC, with a favorite in New Mexico State and a bunch of “NET” bombs in the bottom half. Both leagues coincidently play in the Orleans Arena in Vegas for their conference tournaments. There’s a mindset needed to play well in a one-bid league while still having aspirations to make the NCAA Tournament. It’s true that Pope hasn’t made the Big Dance yet on his own but with a better roster, could end that skid.