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Provo • There are several reasons why BYU's basketball team has lost three of its last four games after a promising 4-0 start, but the biggest culprit is one the Cougars have been unaccustomed to seeing recently.
It is poor 3-point shooting.
Although there is still a ton of basketball yet to be played, the 5-3 Cougars could be the worst 3-point shooting team in Dave Rose's 12 years, and possibly the worst since the 1996-97 team that went a miserable 1-25 and shot 26.1 percent from downtown. Having played four of its eight games away from the Marriott Center, including two in NBA arenas and two in a venue mostly used for events other than basketball, BYU is shooting 29.1 percent from beyond the arc in 2016-17.
That ranks the Cougars 322nd out of 347 Division I college basketball teams in the country.
"Well, I am surprised, but I understand [why they've struggled]," Rose said. "I understand that sometimes younger guys just need a little more time, a little more patience."
The Cougars return to the Marriott Center on Wednesday night, where they will face 2-5 Weber State at 7 p.m. four days after shooting 21 percent (5 of 23) from long range in a 91-84 loss to USC at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Utah Valley's arena record of 18 treys probably won't be in jeopardy. The Wildcats shot 22.2 percent from deep (6 of 27) in a 57-55 home loss to Denver on Saturday and have shot worse than 30 percent from 3-point range this season.
Rose said before the season the Cougars wouldn't rely on the 3-point shot this season as much as in the past because of a beefed-up inside presence with returned missionary Eric Mika and freshman Yoeli Childs in the mix. But the constant misfires have been perplexing, all the same.
"This is a good time for us to kind of regroup a little bit and find ourselves as far as what this team is really good at, and what we can try to work on, what we can do more of to be more efficient," Rose said. "I think [shooting fewer 3-pointers] is one of them. We need to play more of a power game than maybe a finesse game and not shoot it as much as we do."
At least the Cougars have realized their ineffectiveness from long range. They have attempted only 165, which ranks them 179th in 3-point attempts. They are tied for 263rd with 48 makes, and tied for 280th in 3-pointers per game, 6.0.
A 38-percent 3-point shooter last year, sophomore Nick Emery is hitting at just 34 percent so far in 2016-17. Fellow Lone Peak product TJ Haws is also shooting 34 percent (13 of 38) and Houston transfer L.J. Rose is a frosty 5 of 18 (27.8 percent). Elon transfer Elijah Bryant was just 1 of 16 (6.3 percent) before missing the last three games with soreness in a surgically repaired knee.
"I think lots of shooters go through these types of things and it is about keeping a shooter's mentality and continuing to get shots up before and after practice, just trying to catch your rhythm back," Haws said. "I think the biggest thing for us right now is to have confidence from the 3-point line and continue to shoot and keep that shooter's mentality."
Clearly, the Cougars miss Chase Fischer and Zac Seljaas, after Fischer graduated and Seljaas left on a church mission to Iowa. Fischer, now playing in Italy, made 215 of 553 3-point attempts (39 percent) in two years and Seljaas shot 50 percent (68 of 136) last year to boost the team's percentage to 38 percent.
"The majority of the shots are pretty good shots — shots that we want," Rose said. "I think that with the way that our big guys are playing, I just feel like we need to get that ball inside a little bit quicker and more often. Maybe working inside out might give the guys a little more confidence. It is an easier shot when it comes out from the post."
Rose said he "really likes" Weber State's team, which will be looking to get its first-ever win in Provo, having gone 0-20 at the Marriott Center. BYU has won the last 13 meeting between the instate foes, including all 11 in Rose's tenure.
Three of the Wildcats' five losses have been by two points or fewer, making them 349th in the country in the KenPom Luck rankings.
Weber State's Jeremy Senglin "is as good of an offensive player there is on the West Coast as far as his ability to shoot threes and drive it and get to the free throw line," Rose said.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Weber State
P At the Marriott Center, Provo
Tipoff • 7 p.m. MT
TV • BYUtv Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU 5-3, Weber State 2-5
Series history • BYU leads 31-10
Last meeting • BYU 73, Weber State 68 (Dec. 5, 2015)
About the Wildcats • They are coming off a 57-55 home loss to Denver and have dropped three games by a total of five points. Their wins came against Antelope Valley and UC Davis. … Jeremy Senglin leads them with an 18.3 scoring average, and the only other player averaging in double figure is Cody John (10.0).
About the Cougars • Eric Mika scored a career-high 29 points in Saturday's 91-84 loss to USC and is averaging 20.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, both team highs. The sophomore is shooting 79.7 percent from the free-throw line. … Kyle Davis shoots a team-best 61.7 percent from the field and returned from a knee injury to notch 10 points and five rebounds against the Trojans.