BYU sports news

BYU forward Trent Plaisted has declared for the NBA draft, but has not hired an agent.

BYU small forward Lee Cummard also declared for the draft without hiring an agent.

The significance of them not hiring agents is that if they are not drafted, they can return to BYU for the next season. If a college player does hire an agent, they are not allowed to return to their team, even if they end up undrafted.

My quick take on each:

Plaisted has a ton of athleticism and little skill. How he's gone through at least six or seven years of organized basketball without learning how to shoot a jump shot is beyond me. That little shot he flips from his waist is not going to cut it in the NBA. A team might take a flyer on him and hope they can coach him into a great post player.

Cummard is long, quick, and plays great on both ends of the court. He weighs 170 pounds soaking wet, which is a concern for any team drafting him. On the other hand, Kevin Durant had a pretty good rookie season, and he's a stick, too. His jumper has great range, and his long arms bother opposing guards. I can see him going late in the first, early in the second.

But we'll have to see.

In other news, the NFL draft is today. That means Cougar fans were watching to see if the Miami Dolphins would draft a quarterback or not, because that's be a good sign about whether they trust former BYU QB, current Miami QB John Beck or not.

And Miami did, drafting Michigan quarterback Chad Henne in the second round.

Many BYU fans believe this means Beck is done. They view Miami's pick of Henne as a vote of no-confidence for the former Cougar.

I'm taking a more balanced view. While Beck was not spectacular last year in Miami, he was thrown into the fire with no running back, no offensive line, and few options to throw to. This hearkens back to Beck's first season with BYU, a season where the team went 4-8.

But by the time he was a senior, Beck was possibly the top quarterback in the NCAA, leading the Cougars to an 11-2 record, including a dominating win in the Las Vegas Bowl over Oregon. Beck was simply unstoppable that season, completing 70% of his passes for 3900 yards and 32 touchdowns, while throwing only eight interceptions.

Beck may lose the QB spot in Miami, but it will only be if Henne is very, very impressive.

All in all, it's a fairly interesting time for Cougar fans... at least as interesting as it can be with no college football or basketball to watch.