BYU loses to Florida in an overtime heartbreaker in the NCAA sweet 16. Add Comment    Mar 25, 2011

As the clocked ticket to zero and BYU took a heartbreaker loss to Florida in overtime, you could feel Jimmer mania slipping away.  You could see in every BYU fans face something great leaving their hearts.  A season of highs with Jimmers great shooting, a team delivering on a three seed in the NCAA tournament, and a media spectacle on one man and his team, stronger than anything ever seen here in Utah.  Then you take the lows of a loss to a team that BYU, you could say, should have won, a season of even a greater loss of their big man Brandon Davies, who would have been the difference maker in the Florida, and possibly helped BYU make a trip the elite eight.

One has to ask, was BYU simply too hard on themselves and the team letting Brandon Davies go?  Did BYU send a message to Coach Rose, telling him that his team was of no value to the school by sending them to the lowly West Coast Conference?  Did Jimmer do enough this season to really earn himself a top ten pick in next years draft?  Does Brandon think it is time to go north with is coach?

So many questions and the answers are too tough.  I have to congratulate BYU on a great season, but most likely that last of its kind.   Kudos to BY for sticking to their beliefs and making sure that you live the rules even when it comes to an athlete and could ruin a season.   Congratulations to Jimmer on a tremendous effort and Coach Rose for coaching further than even I expected in a tournament without then big man.

So what does the future look like?  Jimmer will go pro; he will most likely be drafted in the second round.  He is good, but the game against Florida, showed his weakness, showed what I told everyone about a long time agohe is good, but as you get to a higher level of athlete, he will not perform as well.  Yes, he had a lot of points, but you better after shooting 29 times.  Coach Rose, welcome to the PAC-12!  I am sure BYU will miss you, but they do not care about their program nor do they care about you.  So your best bet to avoid feeling like a JC college coach again would be to go north and take a shot in the PAC-12 coaching at BYU.  Brandon, it only makes sense for you to follow coach.  No honor code to deal with, a team that will compete in two years, and a chance to get that NBA contract a good look.

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Jeremy Vick