Mark Pope Era At BYU Tips-Off With Roster Featuring Veteran Leadership

PROVO, Utah – 24/7 and relentless have been the mantra that BYU head coach Mark Pope and his staff have instilled since they were hired last spring.

Relentless is a fitting term for a program that had to navigate a difficult off-season that ranged from players leaving, season-ending injuries, and former players questioning the integrity of the new coaching staff.

Now it’s time to put all of that in the rearview mirror and start playing actual games.

BYU tips off the 2019-20 season against Cal State Fullerton Tuesday night at the Marriott Center in Provo. Pope and his staff realize his group has challenges in front of them but they also love the potential.

“This is a fascinating team because we have some clear limitations and deficits in terms of our size, there’s no doubt it,” said Pope on KSL’s Cougar Tracks. “We also have a veteran, seasoned group with some really special talent. I don’t think I’ve coached a team like this before. So this is going to be really fun to grow and see what we become.”

The fun begins tonight. Let’s take a quick look at some of the key personnel that you need to know heading into the season opener.

Yoeli Childs

Senior forward is one of the best frontcourt players in college basketball this season. But Cougar fans will have to wait to see Childs in his senior season. The former Bingham High star is suspended for the first nine games due to violation of the NCAA’s agent rules. Last season, Childs was a first-team All-West Coast Conference performer for BYU averaging a near double-double. Childs’ first game back will be December 4th against who else? Rival Utah.

#BYU basketball non-conference schedule has been released. Yoeli Child’s first game back from suspension will be against Utah.

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 6, 2019

TJ Haws

The last piece remaining from the “Lone Peak 3.” Haws enters his senior season at BYU looking to just win. TJ’s father, Marty, and older brother Tyler all experienced NCAA Tournament runs during their careers at BYU. Teej has yet to experience the taste of the Big Dance while in Provo.

#BYU guard TJ Haws was out tonight due to an illness.

Pope jokingly said Haws got sick taking candy last night from a home with Ute fans while trick-or-treating. 😂 🍬 🍭 @kslsports pic.twitter.com/fqQKlZcEIC

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 2, 2019

Last week, Haws was sidelined from BYU’s exhibition game against UT Tyler due to an illness. Pope jokingly said Haws got sick after taking candy from a Utah Ute fans house on Halloween. Jokes aside, Haws is now healthy and will be BYU’s starting point guard on opening night.

Jake Toolson

Familiar face Jake Toolson is back in his old stomping grounds. Toolson signed with BYU out of high school down in Arizona back in 2014, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then played a few seasons for Dave Rose and BYU before transferring to Utah Valley to play for Pope.

While at UVU, Toolson went from a rotation player to WAC Player of the Year last season. One of a select few players to shoot 50-percent from the field, 40-percent on three’s, and 90-percent from the foul line a season ago. Toolson’s a smooth operator who will be looked upon to fill the scoring void while Childs is out.

Alex Barcello

Arizona transfer guard received a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately this season for BYU. In the last two years at Sean Miller’s program down in Tucson, Barcello averaged two points per game in nine minutes of action per night. A bulldog of a guard, Barcello is expected to be in the starting lineup on opening night at shooting guard.

Pope said Alex Barcello will likely start tomorrow night against Cal State Fullerton. Starters will be similar to the lineup against UT Tyler with the biggest difference being TJ Haws getting inserted into the starting 5. #BYU

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 5, 2019

Dalton Nixon

Senior forward Dalton Nixon out of Orem has received a lot of praise from Pope and the staff for his willingness to make an impact on all areas of the game. Showed that versatility and grittiness in the exhibition win over UT-Tyler. Nixon is one of BYU’s biggest players on this year’s roster standing at 6-7.

#BYU forward Dalton Nixon remembers his freshman year experiencing the NCAA Tournament. Says he wants to get back and “do whatever it takes to get to next level.” @kslsports pic.twitter.com/jc7svTzHso

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 5, 2019

Quick Hits

Connor Harding: Can play any position from one to the four. The wild card player who can turn BYU’s expected good season into a special one.

Trevin Knell: Former Woods Cross High standout averaged 28 points per game his senior year of high school. Knell, signed with Cal out of high school, before withdrawing from his letter of intent after Cuonzo Martin took the Missouri job. Knell is one of the best shooters on this year’s team.

Zac Seljaas: Recovering from a foot injury he suffered in Italy. He’s a game-time decision for opening night. Prior to the injury, coaches were raving about Seljaas as one of the best players on the team.

Kolby Lee: Mark Pope hopes people will become “Kolbelievers” when watching Lee. He’s the tallest player on BYU’s roster that’s available to play standing at 6-9.

Blaze Nield: Preferred walk-on that is close friends with former Lone Peak star and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Frank Jackson. Nield is explosive at times, but the learning curve has been steep.

Taylor Maughan: Maughan is a walk-on who will see time this year as a backup center for the Cougars.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.