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Provo • Although he watched his team go 4-0 in Spain in August and worked with it in limited spurts before and after that European trip, BYU basketball coach Dave Rose is finally getting to become fully acquainted with his club full of newcomers this month.
So far, so good, but with plenty to work on, the 11-year head coach said after Wednesday's practice at the Marriott Center.
"We get really good, hard, competitive days from some of these guys, and then the next couple days it is a little bit different," Rose said, talking about the freshmen and sophomores and not the four upperclassmen: Kyle Collinsworth, Chase Fischer, Nate Austin and Kyle Davis.
"That will be the key: the consistency from these less-experienced guys, how quickly they can jump aboard, because we need them," Rose continued.
Ten players have departed from last year's team that went 25-10 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, most notably seniors Tyler Haws, Anson Winder, Josh Sharp and Skyler Halford, but Rose said new seniors Collinsworth, Fischer and Austin, who got his year back after missing most of 2014-15 with hamstring and back injuries, "have been tremendous" so far in bringing the younger guys along.
"They have prepared all summer for their senior years, and it shows," Rose said, adding that Utah State transfer Davis, the only junior on the roster, is also playing as well as expected.
Davis, a 6-foot-8 forward, said defense has been a priority in the early practices.
"That is one of our big desires, to be a better defensive team," he said. "… We have this thing called 'guard your guy.' There's just more personal accountability, being responsible for who you are guarding, and not giving up a bucket to your guy."
Aytes easing in
UNLV transfer Jamal Aytes, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who sat out last year with an ankle injury, is being eased into action, Rose said.
Aytes practiced on Monday and Tuesday, but mostly just watched the scrimmaging on Wednesday when media members were allowed to view the workout.
"He is doing well," Rose said. "We are hoping that he can get to be an every-day guy here pretty soon."
Briefly
Alan Hamson, the 7-foot-2, 210-pound freshman walk-on who returned in August from an LDS Church mission to Ventura, Calif., has not practiced with the team yet but can be seen on the sidelines riding the stationary bike, jumping rope and running ladders. Rose said Hamson will start practicing in two weeks, "and then we will have an idea of what he can do." ... Collinsworth is one of 20 watch list finalists for the 2016 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. … The public can view the team for the first time on Oct. 23 at the annual Boom Shakalaka Basketball Showcase at 7 p.m. at the newly renovated Marriott Center. … The Blue-White instrasquad scrimmage is set for Oct. 28.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Key dates
At the Marriott Center, Provo
Oct. 23 • Annual Boom Shakalaka Basketball Showcase, 7 p.m.
Oct. 28 • Cougar Tipoff Intrasquad Scrimmage, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 • vs. Arizona Christian (Exhibition), 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 7 • vs. Alaska Nanooks (Exhibition), 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 13 • Opener vs. Utah Valley University, 7 p.m.