I’m still getting used to football in March (at my last job, I was fully emerged in college softball at this time), but on Monday BYU started spring practice.
When I started this job less than six months ago, the football season was already underway. In fact, I towed a U-Haul to Provo for 15+ hours from Tucson, unloaded everything that night, unpacked just about everything the following day and then started this new job, with the BYU-USC game as my first assignment. It was kind of a whirlwind way to start this new gig, but I wanted to make myself available to start covering games as soon as possible.
However, I will admit, it was kind of hard jumping into a season that had already started, especially because it was with a team I had little to no knowledge of. So, now that spring football has begun, I’m so excited to get the chance to cover a full season. As everyone always says, the season doesn’t start when it’s time for the first game — it starts in the offseason.
Hopefully I can use this time to continue bettering my relationships with coaches and players that will help me better cover the Cougars in the fall. Also, it helps just having any type of familiarity — like noticing that Zayne Anderson has really slimmed down (he’s down 22 lbs).
I’m interested in seeing how the QB battle between Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall and Baylor Romney plays out, if there will be any breakout stars at running back or wide receiver that could bode well for the Cougars’ offense and to get my first look at those newcomers. And even some old faces that I didn’t work with last year — I’m looking at you, Neil Pau’u.
And, if we're lucky, see that BYU has learned from last year's mistakes and grown when the spring football game comes around at the end of the month.
BYU’s first basketball couple
Move over, Hollywood — there’s a new power couple. And they’re in Provo.
Has anyone been seeing how adorable BYU basketball darlings Connor Harding and Paisley Johnson have been since they started dating a year ago? Well, on Tuesday, Connor got down on one knee and surprised Paisley with an engagement.
While there have been plenty of married couples through different sports at BYU, I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first time that a current men’s basketball player and current women’s basketball player have gotten together and tie the knot.
Even Paisley was surprised about being the first BYU basketball couple.
And while Connor still managed to surprise her when he did with an engagement, the couple had already been making wedding plans. Paisley will finish up the season with Johnson on the back of her jersey, but will rock a Harding jersey next season.
Even though their relationship was long in comparison to most BYU relationships, the engagement will be short-lived, with a May 1 wedding date already in the books.
After that, BYU will see two Hardings playing in the Marriott Center.
“I’m excited for the teams to be, like, ‘who’s Harding?,’” Paisley said.
More thoughts
• On Thursday, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that BYU forward Yoeli Childs is one of five finalists for the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. The winner will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, April 10.
The other four finalists are Obi Toppin (Dayton), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Jalen Smith (Maryland) and Reggie Perry (Mississippi State).
Childs is averaging 22.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 58.6% from the field and 48.8% from the 3-point range. A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and two-time WCC Player of the Week, Childs has posted seven double-double and scored 20-plus points 11 times.
• The West Coast Conference released conference honors on Tuesday, and BYU cleaned up. On the men’s team, Yoeli Childs, TJ Haws and Jake Toolson all made the All-WCC First Team. Toolson was also named the All-WCC Newcomer of the Year – the first BYU player to ever win the award.
On the women’s team, Brenna Chase Drollinger and Paisley Johnson were named to the All-WCC First team and Sara Hamson was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year.
• For a second consecutive year, BYU coach Ed Eyestone was named the 2020 MPSF Indoor Track and Field Men's Coach of the Year, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation announced on Tuesday. Eyestone led the Cougar men to their second-straight MPSF Championship, backed by four individual titles and four top-three placements.
• There can only be one No. 1 — and right now, in men’s volleyball, that’s Hawaii. The No. 2 Cougars will have what could possibly be their biggest matches of the season Thursday and Friday when they face off against the top-ranked Rainbow Warriors. BYU has yet to lose a match this season and are looking to close out the season undefeated, but the trip to Honolulu could surely try to disrupt that.
Other voices
• Mitch Harper of KSL Sports was able to break down the BYU spring football roster and noted who’s added or lost weight and who’s new or gone from last year’s roster.
• Scared about the new coronavirus? Are you traveling to Las Vegas for any of the conference tournaments? Well, Deseret News columnist Dick Harmon takes a look at how the COVID-19 could affect tourney games in the City of Sin over the next couple of weeks.
• NBC Sports considers BYU a mid-major Cinderella team due to the Cougars’ ability to score with any team and “is also among the most experienced teams in the country and have a proven superstar in Yoeli Childs, who is starting to heat up after dealing with a suspension and an injury earlier in the season.”