BYU entered the season with Final Four aspirations. Now, they are struggling to find their place. The Cougars are slumping at the worst possible time. They have lost four straight games out of their last six. Out of those same last games, four of their losses have been against ranked opponents. Outside of a win over 20th-ranked Clemson, BYU has struggled to build a résumé that matches its preseason expectations.

Saturday night, the 8th-ranked Houston Cougars defeated the 16th-ranked BYU Cougars in a hard-fought defensive battle. Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking second nationally by allowing just 61.6 points per game.

One of the biggest issues has been a lack of bench depth. BYU ranks among the lowest bench-scoring teams in all of college basketball, averaging just 12.4 points per game. On Saturday night, the Cougars scored only five bench points. That lack of production may be BYU’s biggest problem as it forces starters to avoid poor shooting nights and stay out of foul trouble.

Another major concern has been BYU’s slow starts. The Cougars have struggled in the first half of games, ranking among the worst first-half teams in college basketball. However, they have shown the ability to adjust, being one of the best second-half teams in the country by averaging 47 points after halftime.

BYU now heads to Waco, Texas, to face the Baylor Bears on Tuesday night before returning home on Saturday to take on the Colorado Buffaloes.

Fans are curious to see if BYU will step up and bounce back into the national title contender many believed they could be.