The nation’s top 3-point shooting team just got a little better.
The BYU Cougars, who moved up three spots to No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll on Monday, already lead the NCAA in making 12.8 triples per game.
Now enters Dawson Baker.
The UC Irvine transfer had missed most of the season with a foot injury before making his debut against Georgia State on Dec. 16. Last week, Baker doubled his workload, logging 18 minutes in a win over Bellarmine. He also shot 2 for 4 from behind the arc.
“The thing I love about this team is that when we don’t make shots, we keep shooting,” Baker said after the 101-59 victory over the Knights. “It was a great team win and it’s fun to get out there and get some extended minutes and have an impact on the game.”
The Cougars made 16 3-pointers in the win over Bellarmine, the seventh-highest tally in program history.
Baker, a career 37 percent shooter from distance who averaged 15.3 points per game last season at Irvine, said his play — and his foot — remains a “work in progress.”
“We’re trying to be hopeful about my foot and how it’s going. Hopefully just playing through it that it will hopefully just get to 100 percent,” he said. “But we’re not there yet. So it’s a process of you know, figuring out with doctors what to do and keep trying to stay at it and stay hopeful.”
Utah women drop a spot
A big win over Weber State didn’t do much to impress the voters, as the Utes fell one spot to No. 12.
Utah beat the Wildcats, 89-36, in the team’s only contest last week.
Up next: a road game against No. 8 Colorado on Saturday.
Season debut
A West Virginia judge’s ruling, followed by an NCAA stipulation, has opened the door for two-time transfers still waiting on waivers to unexpectedly play this season.
At Utah, guard Deivon Smith made his season debut two weekends ago against Utah Valley.
BYU, meanwhile, waited until Friday to get freshman guard Marcus Adams Jr. on the court. Adams signed with Kansas out of high school and then left for Gonzaga, never playing a game for either school, before ultimately transferring to BYU last fall.
The guard had two points, two rebounds and an assist in his debut for the Cougars.
“I loved that he was absolutely fearless on the offensive end,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “I like young guys that are fearless. This is a high school senior right now who is on his third school in six months, and he got the surprise call that he was going to be able to play this year. He walked out on the court with eight minutes left in front of 15,000 fans for the first time in his life. For him to walk out there and be fearless is really great. He’s going to have a great future. He’s got a lot of growing to do and he’s going to do it. He’s really blessed to be around these players and to learn how to be a pro from these guys.”
Up next
Conference play begins for most programs across the state.
Thursday
Weber MBB vs. Montana, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Friday
Utah MBB vs. Washington State, 6:30 p.m.(Pac-12 Network)
Weber WBB at Montana, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
UVU MBB at Boise State, 7 p.m. (Mountain West Network)
Saturday
Utah Tech WBB at Florida International, 11 a.m. (ESPN+)
Utah WBB at Colorado, 1 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
USU WBB at UNLV, 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Weber MBB vs. Montana State, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
SUU WBB at UTEP, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BYU WBB at TCU, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Utah Tech MBB vs. Florida International, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
BYU MBB vs. Wyoming, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
SUU MBB vs. Antelope Valley, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday
Weber WBB at Montana State, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Utah MBB vs. Washington, 4 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
