Cougar Links: Mark Pope holds BYU basketball roundtable; Childs not coming back

Let’s check in with the latest news bits around BYU sports, starting with lots to chew on regarding BYU basketball.

Yoeli Childs not returning to BYU

While the hire of Mark Pope may have seemed to leave a door cracked open that all-WCC first-teamer Yoeli Childs might return to BYU for his final year of eligibility, Jeff Goodman reports that won’t be the case.

BYU basketball ‘dreaming big’ with ‘monumental task’

The Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News and Daily Herald all published stories this evening resulting from a sit-down roundtable with Mark Pope. Click on each outlet’s name for their report — seems to be some good, early insight into where Pope is at with the program. Highlighted in those pieces:

• The lost scholarship penalty due to Nick Emery’s infractions was served last season, meaning BYU will have a full 13 this year (important when you’re burning two of them on transfers who must sit)
• Pope “danced round” questions regarding Yoeli Childs, though the DNews quoted him as saying Childs is “really committed to pursuing this” (going pro)
• BYU is trying to get home games with “blue bloods” like UCLA, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State etc., even if it means a 2-for-1 contract
• Pope talks about the 27-hour trip to West Africa for a 90-minute recruiting visit. While he of course couldn’t specify, that trip was to visit Wasatch Academy’s Mady Sissoko

BYU’s OL coach once offered Zion Williamson a football scholarship

That’s a nice little anecdote there. Always Be Crootin!

BYU baseball is hitting, like, ALL the home runs

Brock Hale works out.

BYU softball starts NCAA regionals play tonight!

Because BYU doesn’t play on Sundays, the Stillwater regional at Oklahoma State begins tonight. The Cougars are up against it, beginning with the seeded host.