Cougs on Cougs: Parting thoughts on BYU Basketball’s 2017-18 season

It’s episode 104 of Cougars on Cougars, and Jess and Mary start with some big news — Jess is moving to Cincinnati, OH after her husband received a great job offer from the University of Cincinnati. What does this mean for the show? That is yet to be determined. The format will definitely be changing. Jess and Mary are grateful to all of their viewers who have been with them up to this point and ask for patience during this transitional time as Jess and her family make their cross-country move!

The ladies’ first segment is Coaching from the Couch, where they discuss BYU’s 86-83 loss to Stanford in the first round of the NIT. The score actually makes the game seem closer than it was for most of the second half, with the Cougars being down as many as 14 points to The Cardinal in California. What do Coach Tyler and Coach Blanchard think went right and wrong? Coach Tyler was disappointed by poor three-point shooting (you may notice that this has been a theme for Couch Coaching this year — the Cougs were 6-27 from distance against Stanford) and Coach Blanchard is bummed that BYU lost by just three points and missed six free throws. On the flip side, the coaches were glad that BYU did get themselves back into the game, had good bench play from some unexpected sources, and that Coach Rose got a technical. Yeah, technicals can be good sometimes — this one sparked the comeback for the Cougars, Coach Blanchard thinks.

After couch coaching, the basketball talk continues in a 3 Things segment. What 3 Things do Jess and Mary hope for in BYU Basketball’s offseason? Well, Mary would like to avoid a typical ‘mass exodus’ from the team. Both Jess and Mary think keeping the core of this young BYU Basketball as stable as possible would be a huge help for the program (don’t leave us, Yo, Eli, TJ, ‘Shire). Jess wants to see some major, innovative changes on the offensive side of the ball after a lackluster season in that department, and both Jess and Mary are really hoping to see some serious senior leadership emerge on this squad. BYU Basketball needs the likes of Elijah Bryant, especially. What are your hopes for the offseason? Where do changes really need to happen, or what do you hope stays the same? You can leave your input in the comments.

Finally, Talk of the Town addresses some big basketball news (don’t worry, some football talk is coming up in a moment), like Associate Head Coach Heath Schroyer accepting the head coaching gig at McNeese State. Also, poor Dalton Nixon underwent surgery for a shoulder injury, and Zac Seljaas is engaged. Also, this article on Jimmer is really worth your time. NBA teams, call him, please!

Okay, now finally some football talk, because spring ball is still going strong! It’s a little bit of old news at this point, but Jess and Mary are still excited about the addition of Dylan Collie to the BYU Football squad — cue ‘Coming Home’ by P. Diddy. It’s great to have a Collie back on the squad, and an experienced receiver is always a welcomed addition. New Offensive Line Coach Ryan Pugh showed some serious commitment during the first full pad practice, showing up mere hours after the birth of his baby. And speaking of new additions, there’s a fierce looking Cougar that’s been put up outside of BYU’s locker room at LaVell Edwards Stadium. If the football team can play as ferocious as that new cougar looks, they’ll be in great shape.

Jess and Mary will likely be back with a new show sometime next week, but if not, they’ll keep you posted on their social media accounts on what their future will look like. Again, thanks to all of you who have read the articles, watched the show, participated in it, etc. It’s been a great run that the ladies hope to keep going as soon as possible. May you always stay loyal to the white and blue.

About the Show

Cougars on Cougars is a weekly YouTube show in which Jess and Mary, two “dyed in the wool, true blue, through and through” BYU fans discuss the happenings of BYU football and basketball on—and off—the field and court.

Find us on social media:

Cougars on Cougars: @cougsoncougs

Jess Tyler: @everydayjess

Mary Blanchard: @marydblanchard

Facebook: Facebook.com/cougsoncougs

Email: CougsonCougs@gmail.com