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BYU basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 early preview

By Mike Phillips

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Cameron Pearson #15, Trevin Knell #21 and Taylor Maughan #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars react on the bench during the team's game against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the West Coast Conference basketball tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Gaels defeated the Cougars 51-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Cameron Pearson #15, Trevin Knell #21 and Taylor Maughan #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars react on the bench during the team's game against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the West Coast Conference basketball tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Gaels defeated the Cougars 51-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Connor Harding #44 of the Brigham Young Cougars (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

An early look at the 2020-2021 BYU roster

The fact that we didn’t get to see an NCAA Tournament has to sting especially hard for BYU, which will be hit very hard by graduation. The Cougars are going to lose seven seniors, including their top three scorers in Childs, Toolson and Haws.

The core of the BYU lineup will feature Barcello, Connor Harding and Kolby Lee, who will be expected to provide leadership entering their junior years. Freshman Trevin Knell, who got limited playing time on this year’s team, will also be asked to assume a bigger role.

Head coach Mark Pope will have his work cut out for him to fill all of those holes, and he has already landed one recruit in junior college transfer Spencer Johnson. The shooting guard should be ready to step in and play significant minutes right away for BYU.

Another area where Pope is expected to look to help fill out his roster is the transfer portal. BYU is showing interest in at least five players in the portal, including Pittsburgh’s Ryan Murphy, UNLV’s Jonah Antonio, and Utah’s Matthew Van Komen.

Junior guard Blaze Neild is also planning to transfer out of Provo so the Cougars will be a much different team next year. The type of talent Pope brings in will be the ultimate determinant in how well BYU will fare in the WCC next season and until the roster is assembled it is premature to speculate on how they will finish.

Next. Way-too-early Top 25 for 2020-2021. dark

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