BYU Basketball: Cougars take massive hit with Yoeli Childs suspension

Yoeli Childs return was supposed to lead BYU Basketball to the 2020 NCAA Tournament. But could an early suspension derail those hopes?

When new BYU Basketball head coach Mark Pope arrived back with the program, there has been a slow wave of good news regarding the players joining the roster. The Cougars landed WAC Player of the Year Jake Toolson along with sit-out transfer forwards Richard Harward and Wyatt Lowell before getting the best news of all – having All-WCC big man Yoeli Childs back after he initially entered the 2019 NBA Draft.

Childs was one of the best players on the west coast, averaging a team-leading 21.2 ppg and 9.7 rpg. He scored in double figures in all but one game a season ago, including dropping 31 points in three straight games against in-state opponents. After Dave Rose retired, the Cougars were expected to have to replace his production after he opted to go pro early. But a last-minute decision in late May of him coming back fully brought back aspirations of making the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

However, the process of Childs’ return has not only come under scrutiny but has been now punished by the NCAA. He earlier signed with an agent and had gone completely through the pre-NBA Draft process. But new recent rules had allowed underclassmen to work with agents before the deadline without losing their college eligibility. Unfortunately for the Cougar forward, there were mistakes involving paperwork that caused Childs’ status to be in question. The program and player have been aware of this pending decision, with the NCAA choosing to suspend him for the first nine games of the 2019-20 season.

There’s little need for me to discuss the absurdity of this news when bigger programs have seen their assistant coaches get convicted in federal trials. But in regards to just BYU Basketball, it’s a devastating development for their hopes of dancing next season. That’s because what the Cougars do in the non-conference has a huge impact on their overall resume.

As a program playing in a mid-major conference dominated by Gonzaga, BYU all but likely has to get an at-large bid to make the NCAA Tournament. There are some high-profile matchups in their non-conference already announced (not fully released yet) that include road games at Houston, Boise State and the Maui Invitational in November. It’s also a possibility that he could miss games against Nevada, San Diego State Utah and Utah State.

Can the rest of the team survive Childs’ absence against better competition? It’s a stretch for sure, with seniors TJ Haws and Jake Toolson going to be asked to provide most of the scoring load. Role players Jesse Wade and Zac Seljaas will need to do a lot, while all pressure will be on sophomore forward Gavin Baxter to emerge early on. There’s already a lack of frontcourt depth on the roster coming into the season and with Childs out, expect a lot of small-ball from BYU to start the season.

Both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are preseason top-25 teams and will be formidable in the WCC next season. The Cougars will be tough once Childs comes back but will have to navigate the non-conference without their best player. Depending on how things go before he returns, BYU might be dealing with another automatic bid situation in March. The season hasn’t even started yet and this program already is behind the eight ball compared to their WCC rivals.