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BYU Basketball Analyst Jonathan Tavernari joined @espnthefan to discuss what went down in BYU's NCAA Tournament loss: Q: How are you handling the loss—the one-and-done? Jonathan Tavernari: Well, I mean, you certainly expected them to play better. And I think, first and foremost, what Kevin Young said in the postgame press conference is true—yesterday was a microcosm of the entire season. Let’s not kid ourselves here. I saw you tweeting, I saw the thread with Elijah Bryant, and I will say this—Elijah’s breakdown of why BYU lost that game is spot on: 4-of-22 from three, gave up 14 offensive rebounds. That’s the game right there. But here’s the only thing—and I don’t want to say I disagree with Elijah, because I don’t—but maybe I’d frame it differently. If that was an exception—if that was the only time BYU lost because of lackadaisical effort on the glass and poor shooting—then we could say, “Hey, it was just one bad game.” But Ben, you and I have been doing this all year. How many times did BYU lose games because of lack of effort defensively, giving up offensive rebounds, and poor shooting? That wasn’t a one-time thing. That was the whole season. It even showed up in wins. So that’s what bothers me more than anything. This wasn’t an anomaly—this was a pattern. Ben Criddle: Yeah, and that’s where I think the frustration comes in. Jonathan Tavernari: Exactly. And for me, as a former player, I’m pretty bothered by it. Because let’s call it what it is—BYU basketball is operating at a very high level financially right now. That’s significant. You have the No. 1 player in the country, likely the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. You have all of that going for you. What more opportunity do you need? These guys had six weeks. Six weeks! If you’re a shooter—whether it’s Kostić, Mihailo, Dominique—why are you not in the gym every single day shooting 1,000 shots? This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I don’t understand not maximizing it. Because I did this for a living. As a catch-and-shoot guy, there are not many in BYU history who did it at a high level. Maybe Travis Hansen, maybe Chase Fischer—but I know what that role requires. If that’s your job—shoot and defend—how are you not doing that at a high level when your moment comes? That’s the part that’s hard for me to process. Full interview: spreaker.com/episode/3-20-2… 📸: @BYUMBB @BYUphoto