So now that the Jimmer show has officially come to an end, what's next for the BYU basketball team? There is no way the Cougars can replace a once-in-a-lifetime player like Fredette. But BYU fans biggest concern may be whether they have to find a guy to replace Dave Rose.
Rose's name will certainly be mentioned with several head coaching vacancies, but I don't think he is going anywhere. Despite entering the weaker West Coast Conference, Rose has built a foundation and a tradition at BYU that I just don't think he's ready to leave just yet.
But if Rose stays, he'll have his work cut out for him in order to keep BYU among the nation's elite. Not only does he lose the greatest player in school history, but also his best defender in Jackson Emery. Emery's shooting, leadership and of course his ability to defend will be sorely missed.
Kyle Collinsworth, who showed a lot of development towards the end of the season, will begin serving a 2-year LDS mission, while senior forward Logan Magnusson is graduating.
Another huge question in Provo is the future of Brandon Davies. He's still in school despite being suspended from the basketball team for violating the honor code. He is expected to return to the team next year, but will he be the same? Nobody can imagine the kind of scrutiny Davies has had to deal with over the last month. If he does return, he'll have to deal with it all over again. Will that kind of attention affect his game? We shall see.
BYU is bringing in a highly regarded recruit in DeMarcus Harrison. A 6-5 guard from South Carolina, Harrison is considered to be one of the top-10 shooting guards in the country, and he should be a big contributor right away.
As for the returners, Noah Hartsock, Charles Abouo, Stephen Rogers and James Anderson will be relied on to provide experience and leadership. Chris Collinsworth should be fully healed from a foot injury that sidelined him for most of this past season.
So, if Davies comes back and Harrison lives up to the hype, BYU should still be pretty good next season, certainly good enough to contend for the WCC title. But another run to the Sweet 16 looks to be a few years away. Will Rose have the patience to fend off big money offers and stay? That will be the biggest key to the future of the program.
