BYU starts basketball season with Cougar Tip-Off

Wednesday was the first real chance to see the 2014-2015 Cougar basketball team in action. It was also one of the final chances for players to make a bid for playing time before non-conference games begin.

Two 20-minute scrimmages were played, and teams were reorganized at the half, so there was no real final score or team stats.

Fan favorite Tyler Haws provided the most scoring out of everyone, and unless I missed one, he went 4/4 from beyond the arc, which was a point of emphasis in his off-season workouts.

Wake Forest transfer Chase Fischer had an impressive game, showing his range on several long 3-pointers. However, he is not just a shooter. He took it hard to the rim several times and showed good passing vision while doing it. His game is extremely similar to Matt Carlino, but less volatile.

Frank Bartley IV ran the point for most of the time that he was in, and looked comfortable doing so. He was especially capable on the defensive end, using his athleticism to grab some steals and shut down passing lanes.

The Cougars frontcourt seems much stronger than last year, and showed us some new faces. Freshman Isaac Neilson was the surprise of the night, he has great court awareness and a surprisingly good shooting stroke given his 6-foot-11 frame. He stepped out and made a 3-pointer and had several other mid-range jumpers from around the elbow. 6-foot-10 freshman Corbin Kaufusi is easily the most athletic big man on the roster. He seems a little less refined compared to Neilson, but he showed that he could defend smaller forwards if called upon. Luke Worthington had some good offensive moments, scoring several baskets from the low post.

Nate Austin, Kyle Collinsworth and Jamal Aytes did not play due to lingering injuries.