BYU basketball recruiting update: Younger Haws having standout year at Lone Peak

I would like to take this time out to formally thank Marty and Tiffanie Haws. If the reason isn't obvious, I'll spell it out: T.J. Haws is a stud. Tyler is obviously no scrub either, but you already knew that.

In case you missed it, the Haws clan had a pretty good week this week. TJ set a school record on Friday with 40 points against Westlake, before dropping a meager 37 to lead his team over rival American Fork on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Tyler went for 35 and 31 against Pepperdine and LMU respectively. If you can remember a better two-game stretch from any pair of siblings associated with BYU basketball, let me know.

As much as I would love to go on and on about Tyler's game, that's not what you clicked on this link for. This article is in the recruiting section, and as my homeboy Jalen Rose always says, I'm about giving the people what they want. So without further ado, allow me to gush a little more about the younger Haws so I can bring a smile to your face as we approach the long weekend:

TJ Haws could start for this year's Cougar squad. I could put him on a chartered flight to Santa Clara and and he would start tomorrow against the Broncos. Think about that. I like Skyler Halford as much as the next guy, but I think TJ would be a more natural fit at 2-guard alongside his bro at the 3. The kid can shoot. How do I know? Because I watched him hit seven 3-pointers on Tuesday in an atmosphere that might end up being twice as intense as anything BYU faces tonight. Don't scoff. The Cavemen threw everything they had at little Haws and the crowd could feel it. Every time the ball left his hands there was a kind of collective gasp in the arena and it didn't take long before we all expected every shot to go in. That doesn't happen too often, so forgive me if I'm drinking the Kool-Aid a little bit here but I think TJ Haws is gonna be special.

As far as a player comparison goes, there's no question that the Red Rifle (apologies to Andy Dalton) reminds me a bit of his older brother because his instincts are phenomenal. One of the things that makes Tyler great is the way he sees the floor and finds space in the defense where you wouldn't normally look. TJ has a comparable basketball IQ, but the rest of his game isn't all that similar which is why I like to compare him with another Cougar. Jonathan Tavernari. (And not just because their initials mirror one another) Yes, I know JT didn't play the 2-guard and admittedly, I wasn't really the biggest fan of his overall game. What I'm referring to in this comparison is the way Tavernari could heat up as fast as a microwave. In my years as a Cougar fan, I've only seen one other player (Jimmer) shoot the ball with as much bravado as JT and when TJ gets going, he has that same kind of swagger and fiery competitive streak. If you told me in 2007 that BYU could get a player with Tavernari's heat check ability, only he played smart and handled the ball like a point guard, I would have grinned ear to ear. Well, TJ Haws is that player. Keep smiling.

TJ and his Lone Peak team get the weekend off before hosting Pleasant Grove on Tuesday at 7pm.