LEARN AND GO FORWARD
BYU suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday, Nov. 28, with a 96-85 overtime loss to No. 23 Ole Miss on the opening day of the Rady Children’s Invitational. The loss ended BYU’s 13-game winning streak in November and extended Ole Miss’ non-conference winning streak to 19 games.

BYU was outscored 40.6-48.4 for the first time this season as they were held under 50.0 percent from the field for the first time since the season opener against Central Arkansas. They also turned the ball over a season-high 17 times, resulting in a 23-point deficit on the Rebels’ turnovers. The Cougars also outrebounded for the first time, with Ole Miss scoring 12 second-chance points, eight fewer than they had allowed in the last five games combined.

BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Entering Friday’s contest against NC State, Fousseyni Traore is shooting 61.2 percent for his career, making him one of six active NCAA Division I players shooting over 60.0 percent from the field (minimum 400 FG).

UNreal hammer! 😱 Fousseyni Traore threw it! @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/3EvAXuHJEs

– FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 29, 2024

With his 16-point performance against No. 23 Ole Miss, Traore tied for 43rd on the all-time scoring list with 1,109 points.

I’m starting to assert myself
Canon catches scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time in his career after setting a career-high against No. 23 Ole Miss. 12 of his 17 points came in the first 20 minutes when he shot 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

. @kanoncatchers FEASTIN’ on Thanksgiving.

4/4 from deep.

📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/xFgCZDDb6f

— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 28, 2024

The 6-foot-10 forward finished the game with five three-pointers, tied for eighth in a game by a freshman in program history. In six games as a Cougar, Catchings ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.

MAKE A NAME FOR YOURSELF
With four assists in Thursday’s setback against Ole Miss, junior Dallin Hall moved to No. 20 on the all-time list, passing former All-American Alex Barcello (2019-22).

In 70 career games, including 53 starts, the Plain City native has 289 assists, leaving him 11 shy of becoming the 19th player in program history with 300 or more career assists. He has recorded three or more assists in 28 consecutive games, including a career-high 12 dimes in BYU’s win over West Virginia on February 3, 2024.

The 6-foot-4 guard also has a knack for handling the ball, as his 2.49:1 is the second-highest in program history (minimum 50 games played and 3.0 assists per game).