But BYU’s 6-foot point guard came up big in Thursday’s 69-59 win over San Francisco, scoring 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line. The Gulfport, Miss., product by way of Florida’s Chipola College, also had two assists, two rebounds and two steals and did not commit a turnover in a season-high 34 minutes.
With a huge assist from Weber State transfer McKay Cannon, Hardnett is basically BYU’s replacement for Nick Emery, who withdrew from school a day before the opener. Hardnett doesn’t have Emery’s shooting ability, but he is more of a calming presence and has a greater ability to stay in front of opposing point guards.