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PROVO — BYU basketball is struggling.
Led by Richie Saunders' game-high 26 points, BYU struggled down the stretch of a 71-67 Saturday to TCU at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, falling to 1-3 in Big 12 play.
It's the third consecutive loss for the Cougars (10-5, 1-3 Big 12), who tinkered with a change in the starting lineup before Dallin Hall had 6 points and a team-best six assists off the bench against the Horned Frogs.
Tinkering and adjusting isn't something head coach Kevin Young is afraid to do in his first season with BYU. The former Phoenix Suns top assistant is constantly asking himself one question as he tries to figure out college basketball: Are we on the right path? Finding the right path includes figuring out the right players in the right combinations at the right times, while also schematically installing a defined style of play.
But the other part of finding the right path involves keeping the team's current struggles in perspective, he told the media Monday afternoon.
"I'm not saying this to try to make myself feel better," Young said. "But we're probably one turnover away from beating Ole Miss. We're probably one made-three away from beating Texas Tech at home, who went on and probably should've beat Iowa State. You're one turnover away from getting a good road win at TCU — and all of a sudden you're 3-1 in the Big 12 and beat a good SEC team in November. But we're not; we're on the other side of that.
"This league is tough," he added of the Big 12. "Nothing's given to us. But it is very fragile. I think we need to keep that in perspective, while also addressing what we need to get better."
The Cougars are back home Tuesday to host Oklahoma State (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+) before hitting the road Saturday at in-state rival Utah.
"We're still a work in progress, and I know that's a hard thing to say 15 games into the year," Young said. "But that's just where we are."
Meanwhile, BYU women's basketball fell to 1-4 to open Big 12 play after a 92-65 loss to No. 12 Kansas State over the weekend. But freshman Delaney Gibb continued to earn top honors amongst underclassmen in the conference.
Gibb was named to Big 12 freshman of the week for the fourth time this season after averaging 17.0 points, 4.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in a split with the Wildcats and Houston. The native of Raymond, Alberta, had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in an 89-75 win over Houston before scoring 18 with seven rebounds against the Wildcats.
Gibb's fourth weekly honor — and her third in the last four weeks — is the most weekly freshman honors in a season in BYU women's basketball history. She currently leads all freshman in the conference with 16.56 points per game on .475 shooting to go along with a league-high 3.81 assists per game.
The Cougars have a mid-week bye this week before traveling to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST on ESPN+.
