BYU basketball: Cold-shooting Tavernari still closing on 3-point record

PROVO — Sometime in the next few weeks, possibly next week, BYU senior forward Jonathan Tavernari will become the Cougars' all-time leader in 3-point shots made.

He currently sits at 205, eight behind all-time leader Mark Bigelow. And if Tavernari can reach that mark in his next 11 tries, he'll also do it just as quickly as Bigelow accomplished the feat, in 549 attempts.

So far this season, however, Tavernari is struggling to make shots — especially from 3-point range. In two games he's made only 7-of-30 shots and only 3-of-14 from behind the arch.

"He's a confident guy and we have a lot of confidence in him," BYU coach Dave Rose said on his expectation that Tavernari's shooting slump won't last long.

However, fans at the Marriott Center are already restless and have vocalized their displeasure with the cold shooting and some of Tavernari's shot selection.

"But that's part of the deal, and he's just got to work through it ... JT's been really, really good for us the past three years, and he's going to be really, really good for us this year too," Rose said.

Tavernari's teammates don't seem too worried as well about the cold start continuing.

"Once JT gets into his rhythm, he'll be fine," Cougar guard Jackson Emery said.

Emery knows how Tavernari feels because he started the season making only three of his first 18 field-goal attempts, before drilling 5-of-8 from 3-point range on Tuesday against Idaho State.

"It's a good sign to see him shoot with confidence and be successful, because he's a really good shooter," Rose said of Emery's 19-point game against the Bengals. "I know he was frustrated a little bit in the exhibition games and our first game, but tonight he broke out and that was good."

Rose said it's a good sign that the Cougars can win as easily as they have in the first two games, when one or two of their main players are struggling offensively.

"That shows a little bit of the character and depth of our team," he said.

The Cougars have been picked up by the bench play of Brandon Davies, Michael Loyd Jr., Tyler Haws and Noah Hartsock.

Davies has been active on the boards and shown good offensive skills around the basket, while Haws has also provided good minutes every time Rose has called his number.