Sean Farnham talks BYU Hoops and the future of Jaxson Robinson on BYUSN

is Sean farum the elite ESPN college basketball analyst Sean great to have you back on the program I hope you're feeling good in March what's on your mind as we begin this conversation today I'm home like I'm home for the first time in 23 days like I walked in my wife said who is this strange man in my house uh and I was like honey it's me she's like who's who's honey uh my kids were like why is this guy offering to take me to school this morning it was really really strange um but I'm hoping af

ter you know another couple hours they might remember me now uh but no it's good to be back home uh it's been a heck of a ride all the way through champ week to uh selection Sunday then to uh obviously the first weekend of the NC tournament uh and a lot of a lot of unique storylines is is is unfortunately I thought it would be I thought it would be a lot of chalk uh getting into that second weekend it certainly is had had Kentucky beat Oakland and beat NC State it would have been the lowest tota

l overall seeds combined uh in the history of the tournament since it expanded to 64 uh that's how heavy we are on Chalk heading into the second week into this thing well cougar Nation still struggling with uh Duane and how that thing went down aren't you happy though that I didn't bring that up like right away like I didn't go there right away I kind of let I let you lead me there so like that that wasn't you know one of the things that stood out most today was on my mind well we're there now u

h so what happened uh look I I said this there's no chance they're going to win the game if they don't make more three-pointers than their opponent and they barely did I mean Hall hit a three late and that that gave him one extra three um and for BYU to be successful as we've seen all season long they have to be able to knock down shots they did not uh and you know for we we talked about it last week going into the game uh BYU was about a 100 spots better in total rebounding percentage than Duka

n those numbers did not reflect that way during the course of the game uh Duan was the more physical team uh and obviously that physicality was disruptive to overall flow for BYU at the offensive end I know a lot of BYU fans were saying talking about the officials and that's fine I I get that um but they they were not they got beat to the punch and and BYU's a physical basketball team too um but they got beat to the punch uh and and literally The Possession by possession that battle duain was th

e team that brought a little bit more fight and they won the game because of it period and you know if you can't do and the NCAA tournament is often this like if you can't do what you do really well can you still win uh you look at that Houston Texas A&M game uh that we saw over the weekend wild that was a game in which Houston it is has largely been predicated upon you know forcing turnovers Second Chance points all of those things their their level of aggressiveness got worse and worse as the

game went on because of how it was officiated but they didn't allow that to to stop them from winning the game they didn't allow that for for them to be like hey you know everybody our entire back court has foued out of the game now and overtime we we got no chance no instead they were like Hey we're still GNA find a way to win this game and they did uh and that's the markings of a team that's a one seek so and and look we see these games all the time in the NCAA tournament and you can go throug

h a lot of these first round upsets and we can point out things that did not go well for the higher seated team uh I think that BYU Falls in alignment with a lot of those other teams that lost in the opening round I'm pretty sure if you you know you told Auburn like hey you know you think you're losing to Yale they'd be like no we just won the SEC tournament what are you talking about but yet they did uh you go to Kentucky obviously you talk about Oakland and then be like no no we're goingon to

win that game and that was not the case uh Grand Canyon vers St Mary's that was a game that also was just very physical um not pretty to watch by any stretch of the imagination and Grand can is able to outlast St Mary's and they almost did it again to Alabama by the way that the next game I mean just there's a lot of effort on the floor just not a lot of achievement uh and that's that's why that game became a little bit more interesting down the stretch as well Sean I know you appreciate a good

meal and I have been comparing BYU season overall to a pretty good meal appetizers is the non-conference it was awesome the steak and sides and beverages were delicious and then dessert is this is this big 12 eats part two is that be Sean but frankly dessert was awful and for BYU dessert as in the postseason has been awful for a while so what do you feel is the key to helping BYU finish the meal off the right way and create a delicious dessert because it's been 12 years since BYU has won an NCAA

Tournament game in the first round and they just they just kind of seem to hit a stop late in the season when it matters most so how do you get over something like that uh more athleticism more size in particular more depth of size uh in the post uh that can lead to more production uh having a larger Variety in the way that you can score I think all those things kind of come to fruition uh in the NCA tournament the games in the NCA tournament always start to become lower possession games uh org

anically um because every possession matters a little bit more even if you're the fastest playing team in the country you get slowed down uh against opponents it's easier to slow you down than it is to speed you up so if you're BYU and you need flow and you need to play fast and you need to play out in transition and you need to find three so you need to hit those shots and and that's how you primarily score you need you need to develop other ways to do that um H D Hall is a very good point guar

d um do I think you need another ball handler that can aggressively attack and finish around the paint I do um you know I don't think obviously you need wings that can shoot you got plenty of those you got those for days um fous is a very productive player but he is undersized and you know that kind of showed up a little bit in that Duane game he did not shoot with any kind of efficiency from the field in that contest um Ali Khalifa is is a different kind of big that obviously stretches and goes

to the outside and you know you pass to all that's that's great but you need guys that you know who's your rim protector who's the Intimidator down on the block that's that's going to be blocking shots and protecting the basket if your guards get beat on the outside great question and that that that's where I think if if I was this staff right now I would be searching the transfer portal for somebody that's a quality shop blocker uh somebody that can do try to dominate the game 5 feet and in yo

u know I mean you look at other teams that had success in the NCAA tournament like a guy like infal Dante uh from Oregon absolutely you know I know they lost in their second round game but he was a monster around the basket his efficiency whether it was against Colorado in the Pack 12 championship and just like he he tried to hurt the rim every single time he caught the ball and he finished around the basket and I think that that's that's that's a component that is necessary uh for this BYU team

if you want to take that next step because you also have to look at the fact that this conference isn't going anywhere it's just getting better you know a lot of people right now are talking well the Big 12 only has two teams in the NCAA tournament field still no it doesn't it has Arizona in there too uh and and and they're a two- seat uh so technically speaking you have a one a two and a two still in there for the Big 12 so hit the pause button on the demise of the Big 12 right now um and so I

it's it's it's a grind and you need somebody that when your legs get tired as the season goes along which I thought that as the season went along we saw some inconsistencies in BYU's three-point shooting I think a little bit of that came from fatigue um and the style and how they played and and that's not that's normal you're going to have fatigue at the end of the season but where you see fatigue most is is often in your three-point shooting Sean farum ESPN college basketball analyst with us o

n BYU Sports Nation so right now as we visit there are 650 uh college kids in the transfer portal in just the first week does that number surprise you and as BYU go shopping for a a couple of the things that you just detailed are they in that group is are the answers in the transfer portal or they in recruiting high school kids uh they can be both let's start from the end and we work our way forward um I I think it can be both I think that the best staffs in the country are able to identify the

right pieces that fit what their needs are uh sometimes we you see schools just simply recruit based off of stars next to their names things like that I jack gki last time I checked didn't have any stars next to his name when he was a division two player at Hillsdale College I ask Kentucky how they feel about Mr gokki right now and they'll tell you they don't want to see that guy again um you know so you can find guys that make plays at any level you can find them division two you can find them

in the High School uh ranks you can find them from uh the transfer portal at other division one schools I think the opportunity that what BYU has to sell like any school does is visibility um success obviously with this year and and then the opportunity to to make an impact on a team I I think that's there and that's present with this roster and so I would anticipate that they will they will scour not just the The Freshman High School ranks but they will also look very strongly into the transfer

portal as you look at all these jobs that are kind of opened up uh Utah state Washington uh Stanford like all of Stanford is in is in the portal currently and there's a lot of really good players that played at Stanford um that that would fit very nicely uh in in the mix so I think that there's a lot of Talent there I think you just have to identify the right ones I mean you know we go back and look at the portal and go back a season ago and and see the biggest names in the transfer portal I'm

not sure cam Spencer was one of the names that we really rolled off the tongue I'm not I'm pretty sure Dalton connect wasn't a guy out of Northern Colorado that were were like yep these two guys are going to be two of the most impactful transfers in all of the country obviously cam Spencer at Yukon dton connect uh just did a phenomenal job at in the SEC this year at Tennessee actually average more points than Zack Edy in conference play uh for the Tennessee Volunteers so I I think that it's abou

t finding the right guy and I think sometimes we get so excited based on the name and the school in which they came from um but my full anticipation is this staff right now should be looking at size more than anything uh and then a backup point guard or or somebody that can maybe even challenge to be the lead guard of this team and Sean I feel like I should remind all BYU fans that Ali Khalifa was a transfer portal Edition and at times was just absolutely brilliant I know didn't play certainly u

p to his standard in the NCA Tournament game and you know throw in the fasting from Ramadan whatever but like he had he was awesome for BYU through the transfer portal and Jackson Robinson is another guy that Mark Pope went and found and took a chance on in the transfer portal and that is worked out speaking of Jackson I mean consensus average has him as a mid to late second round pick right now in the NBA Draft so in your opinion do you think he can improve his stock if he comes back and plays

another year in the Big 12 or is the iron hot right now and he needs to go I think that'll be determined over the process I I think that it's very easy to look at the mock drafts right now and try to project out where people are going to go uh but I think a lot of that's going to change this year based on how you go through your workouts um I was talking to an agent last night that feels like this draft is is really not one of the strongest drafts that we've seen uh in recent years and because o

f that there could be a lot of Mobility from a player that we right now seen as an early second round pick maybe going all the way up into the late teens early 20s of the first round based on how they work out for teams and what particular needs there are for teams I think Jackson Robinson has a lot of traits that NBA Scouts will absolutely love uh one being his ability to knock down shots but I think even more so his ability and willingness to all year long be the best player on the team uh but

yet come off the bench you know I mean he there were games where he just like oh yeah I'm coming off the bench that's fine like like usually you're the lead scorer you want the ball in your hands and you want to get it going right away and he didn't he didn't worry about that he knew his time would come and he knew his opportunity would be there and he stepped up for his team throughout the course of the year at a very high and Elite level and I think that's a personality makeup that's a mindse

t makeup that when you go to the NBA let's be honest most guys that get drafted in the NBA are not stars in the NBA they're not what they are are role players that have an opportunity to start to Excel and exceed in in their role and they kind of fill in the gaps amongst the stars that are on the roster and like while a lot of people may think that that's well why you're saying that you're limiting so many players go back and look at the drafts how many St Superstars how many stars are there in

every draft it's very few and far between so being a role player in the NBA as I think Fran for says you know what a role player in the NBA means you're a millionaire um so I I that's not a bad thing to be and I think Jackson Robinson is going to to fit in nicely uh at the next level so in a roundabout answer do I think he's ready now I do uh do I think he should go now that's dependent upon solely based on if a team's ready to commit to him I think that if he's a non firstr pick here is an oppo

rtunity to come back uh and make even a larger name for himself especially with the way that coach Pope coaches and how he's put him in a situation to be successful you can trust that uh and know that you're going to be on the big stage and have a lot of bright lights around you all right Sean to close out as uh and before we allow you to go and experience home and enjoy home cuz you're finally there I need to ask you about the idea and this is based on something Jimmer fet has talked about Jimm

er Jim fette going to the Olympics by the way US basketball let's go incredible incredible stuff there Jimmer Mania about to hit the World level but Jimmer has referenced his first two trips with his BYU teams to the NCA tournament both losses as needed learning experiences that kind of elevated BYU's Game and his game and motivated them to then make a run where they got to the second round and then his senior year they got to the Sweet 16 do you buy into that that a team like this from BYU this

year having gone through the bright lights of the NCA tournament and a big 12 season this that this can somehow Channel them to be better when it comes to next year and the tournament potential no because the roster turnover will be so high okay you think you think there'll be a big roster turnover okay I I just think I just think that that you're going to have so many new parts and new players and different roles that it changes I think college basketball is unique now uh and has even become a

little bit more unique but this is this is this year's story I talked about this uh with Yukon when I was on Scott Vel over the weekend Yukon is not the reigning defending Champions this is not the same Yukon team they're missing three or four players that were very important to their success a season ago this is a team that is trying to right now looks like a team that's trying to win a National Championship not defend one and so the standards of the program increase but the experiences don't

necessarily add up the same way that it used to in college basketball when guys stayed uh and had a lot of time uh you're adding at you know you're adding a guy that was a top 100 recruit a couple years ago comes into the program next year uh you know you're looking to add hopefully some size in the transfer portal whatnot that changes the whole entire locker room Dynamic um these are guys that that you'll count on that haven't uh played in an NCA Tournament game with BYU you haven't played thro

ugh the Big 12 all of that starts all over again like he I had somebody asked me yesterday so what's your thoughts on the early take on the Big 10 next year no idea what what are you talking about how could I how could I have any clue what it's going to look like Michigan just got a brand new coach Ohio State just hired debler who we thought was maybe going to be leaving and going to Pepperdine like then he then he does well in the interim basis and boom now he takes that job um Ruckers has two

of the top three players in the country coming in next year like I I got no idea what the big 10 is going to look like and by the way I got no idea what the big 12 is going to look like I will tell you this Kansas is even going to look close to what it looks like this year no I mean Bill self is going to be there's going to be some changes on that roster so as you look at this process it's really difficult to project out what next year's rosters will look like as far as who you are going against

and how they're playing one year success does not determine or lack of success in the naaa tournament mean that you're automatically going to have success in the following tournament because your matchup and everything there's no guarantee first of all that you even get back there and that that is the carrot that right now the most difficult part in college basketball is this this journey is over this book is closed we have to write a new book next year and those chapters begin actually right n

ow like if you're a player on BYU's roster and i' and I've been a first round bump before and we lost to Detroit Mercy my junior year yeah I was in the gym on Monday like we got like getting guys in there and saying hey we got to change this we're not we're not doing this again next year and that that pain of losing to Jimmer's point maybe this was what he was alluding to but that pain of losing it should be the motivation of getting in the gym and individually getting better during this spring

period collectively getting better working on chemistry off the floor that can allow you to find success the following year and there is the hope that was looking for Sean that is a beautiful way to end this conversation you've made us all feel better once again congratulations on a successful March um and I hope you have a little time off to to relax and just enjoy some games for once man thank you so much for the time yeah no time off I'll be back working on Thursday so it's it's all good fina

l four next week in Phoenix it'll be it's a great ride it's two more weeks uh but guys I appreciate you guys having me on each and every week uh been a great pleasure uh joining you talking about a very exciting and great basketball team and I would tell uh all your fans the disappointment of March it's real and and I get it and you should feel it and you shouldn't run from it but don't forget about the joys and the Elation of the journey that this team took you on throughout the course of the y

ear uh if I would have told you before the start of the year and and I did in November that they were going to win 11 games in conference play they they ended up actually winning 11 if you count the Big 12 tournament win over UCF but if I would have told you they were going to finish the year ahead of Kansas inside the Big 12 come on every BYU fan going where do I sign up for that if I told you you go into Allen Fieldhouse and you'd beat Kansas yeah every BYU fan would sign up for that uh if I t

old you you wearing a home uniform in the NCAA tournament every single BYU fan would have signed up for that so while the sting is real and it is not to be diminished and the Finish was not the way that everybody hoped for do not forget about the journey the ride that this group of individuals uh and how they represented BYU how hard they competed for BYU um and the joy that they brought throughout the course of the Year for all the fans uh should be celebrated towards those players as I look at

social media right now it's a big concern of mine about how when you lose how fan bases go after oh you didn't play well on this and we needed you to be better and no no no man you don't understand what these kids go through uh and what they put themselves through to get in that moment so I hope that all be while you fans that watch this pause just for a second second and be like you know what he's right that was a heck heck of a ride for us to go on ladies and gentlemen Sean farum thanks Sean

we appreciate the time man talk to you soon