Will Hardy, Ryan Smith Courtside At BYU Basketball Game
Dec 11, 2024, 8:25 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz looks on during the second half of a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Delta Center on November 30, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah— There is a flare of pro basketball courtside as Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy and owner Ryan Smith are on hand to see BYU take on Fresno State.
BYU (6-2) is hosting the Mountain West’s Fresno State Bulldogs at the Mariott Center on Wednesday, December 11.
Always great to see Coach Hardy pic.twitter.com/KOBBf7g3pV
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 12, 2024
Smith’s influence has paid dividends after the Cougar’s men’s basketball program landed its first five-star recruit in AJ Dybantsa earlier in the week. A senior at Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, Dybantsa is the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class.
RELATED: BYU Coach Kevin Young On AJ Dybantsa: ‘Generational Talent’
The 36-year-old Hardy is in his third season leading the Jazz through a rebuild. Despite unloading All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell ahead of his first season, Hardy fielded a surprisingly competitive Jazz team in the early months of his first two seasons. Draft pick considerations and injury caused Hardy to go 68-96 in his first two years as head coach.
The Cougars are well on their way to a blowout win over the Bulldogs. Trevin Knell’s 18 points on 4-of-6 from deep leads four BYU players in double-figures.
BYU’s defense has limited the Bulldogs to 36.4 percent shooting and 34.6 percent from three.
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