After BYU lost to Arizona State last November, a number of controversies popped up.
For one, ASU fans stormed the field prematurely before BYU’s final heave. One student was inside the Cougars’ medical tent for the last play.
Then, it appeared an ASU employee leaked a video of senior Tyler Batty’s halftime speech.
And from BYU’s side, a rumor started that safety Crew Wakley gave out BYU’s game plan to ASU.
Well, Wakley at least addressed that part, denying it ever happened.
Wakely said he often watched film with former NFL and BYU player Dallin Leavitt. Leavitt is the brother of ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt. But Wakley never watched BYU film with Dallin, he said. So there was no chance Dallin Leavitt could slide BYU’s game plan to the Sun Devils. He didn’t know it.
“Once a week I would go over to his house and we’d watch film on the team I was going to play that week,” Wakley said on the Loyal Cougars Podcast. “Everything we watched was Kansas State. We are looking at Baylor. We are looking at the opponents. Never once did we watch any BYU film.”
At least that rumor is put to rest from a crazy day in Tempe.
The Big Thing
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars guard Dallin Hall (30) as BYU hosts Oklahoma State, NCAA basketball in Provo on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
When Dallin Hall came back to BYU last summer, I’m not sure he envisioned this.
Hall had been the focal point of BYU’s offense since he arrived in Provo two years ago. As a freshman he wrestled away a starting spot from a veteran. And as a sophomore he led the Cougars to an NCAA Tournament berth. BYU had great playmakers like Jaxson Robinson and Aly Khalifa, but it was Hall’s team.
Now, that isn’t the case.
Since head coach Kevin Young came in, it feels like Hall is still searching for his role on offense. Playing alongside Egor Demin, a potential NBA lottery pick, the ball-dominant Hall has shied away from looking for his shot. He hasn’t been getting downhill to the basket either, something that made him a great facilitator last year.
It was made obvious against Arizona. Maybe for the first time all season, Hall looked like the 2024 version. He kept attacking the rim and took 10 shots. It was a reminder of what BYU’s been missing this year.
“That’s the Dallin we want. He’s been reserved, for lack of a better term, for parts of the season. I love seeing that out of him,” Young said. “If we can bottle that up and continue to pull that out of him, that will pay huge dividends for us.”
But it might not be that easy. Against Cincinnati the next game, Hall was back to taking just three shots. Overall, he is averaging under five shots a game. Last year, he was close to 7.5.
BYU needs the old Hall back if it’s going to make a run in March.
“My coaches have been on me a lot. My teammates have been on me a lot. Being assertive. That doesn’t necessarily mean shooting it, but getting downhill and making those reads,” Hall said. “I think I’m working on that mindset more. Growing in that space. Felt like I made some improvement there [against Arizona].”
Fourth Down
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