You know that phrase about one game does not a season make. Throw it out the window. Because when it comes to BYU's first-round NCAA tournament game against Texas A&M, one game does indeed a season make for the Cougars.
Win and the 2007-08 season is looked at as a step forward for the program. Lose and the 27 previous wins suddenly seem all for naught.
Yes, BYU repeated as Mountain West champs, tied the school record for regular-season wins and played some great basketball, but another first-round ousting will be the thing fans and media remember most.
It's been 15 years since BYU won a tourney game. And the Cougars hold the record for most NCAA tourney visits without a Final Four appearance.
Ouch.
The good news for Cougars fans, if BYU beats the Aggies and somehow gets past top-seeded UCLA, the road to the Final Four isn't all that tough. The Nos. 2-6 seeds in the West are the weakest in the field. No. 2 Duke could even fall to 3-point bombing Belmont and Xavier, UConn, Drake and Purdue and all beatable. None are markedly better than BYU. In fact, BYU may be the third-best team in the West Region behind UCLA and Duke.
But first things first, namely a first-round win. It's a tough draw against a tough team from a tough conference. But Texas A&M is beatable. And BYU needs to beat them. For the program to move in the right direction, improve its national image and future NCAA seeding and give fans something to celebrate in March, this game is paramount.
If the Cougars win Thursday (and Saturday), the euphoria will help carry fans through the boring summer months until football two-a-days begin.
And that's something we all need.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Recipe for the Sweet 16
What'll it take to get BYU beyond the first-round NCAA oustings that have afflicted the Cougars in each tourney trip since 1993?
Here's a few key ingredients.
1. A good seed. If BYU can land a No. 6 seed, the Cougars could very likely make it to the second week of the Big Dance. A 7-10 seed means one-and-done or a possible first-round win followed by a weekend loss.
2. Avoiding Arizona. If the Arizona Wildcats are paired with BYU in the first round, watch out. The Cats are the type of quick slashing team that gives BYU major trouble (see the two San Diego State games). If BYU can draw an Illinois State, St. Mary's, Davidson or similar mid-major in Round 1, it should give them more confidence than playing a mid-level big-name school like Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky or Texas A&M.
3. The X Factor. If BYU lands a No. 6 seed and sits next to No. 3 Xavier on the bracket, welcome to the Sweet 16. Xavier is clearly the best three-seed matchup for the Cougars. BYU should have beaten the Musketeers in last year's first-round and the revenge factor may put the Cougars over the top.
4. The difference maker: JT for 3. If Jonathan Tavernari makes shots in the tourney, BYU advances. If he clanking up bricks, it'll be the same old story as Lee Cummard and the up-and-down Trent Plaisted won't be enough to win two games.
5. A little luck. The small breaks will make the difference as tourney games are always close. But the Cougars are living right, Magic Happens.
Here's a few key ingredients.
1. A good seed. If BYU can land a No. 6 seed, the Cougars could very likely make it to the second week of the Big Dance. A 7-10 seed means one-and-done or a possible first-round win followed by a weekend loss.
2. Avoiding Arizona. If the Arizona Wildcats are paired with BYU in the first round, watch out. The Cats are the type of quick slashing team that gives BYU major trouble (see the two San Diego State games). If BYU can draw an Illinois State, St. Mary's, Davidson or similar mid-major in Round 1, it should give them more confidence than playing a mid-level big-name school like Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky or Texas A&M.
3. The X Factor. If BYU lands a No. 6 seed and sits next to No. 3 Xavier on the bracket, welcome to the Sweet 16. Xavier is clearly the best three-seed matchup for the Cougars. BYU should have beaten the Musketeers in last year's first-round and the revenge factor may put the Cougars over the top.
4. The difference maker: JT for 3. If Jonathan Tavernari makes shots in the tourney, BYU advances. If he clanking up bricks, it'll be the same old story as Lee Cummard and the up-and-down Trent Plaisted won't be enough to win two games.
5. A little luck. The small breaks will make the difference as tourney games are always close. But the Cougars are living right, Magic Happens.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
What will Selection Sunday bring?
Last season, the Mountain West's two best teams reached the conference title game. Host UNLV and BYU played an outstanding championship contest, ultimately won by the Rebels. UNLV was 28-6. BYU was 24-8. ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected both with great NCAA seeds. The Rebels were being talked about as a No. 5 seed. BYU as a 6 or 7.
Then the CBS Selection Show began. When UNLV rolled across as a No. 7, shock showed on the Rebels' faces. And BYU's hopes of a good seed were instantly dashed. Minutes later, the Cougars scrolled across as a No. 8 seed facing No. 8 Xavier.
Will this year bring more of the same? Once again, BYU and UNLV are the MWC's two best teams. Both are projected as tournament teams. Lunardi has BYU as a No. 6 and UNLV as an 11.
If the teams reach the MWC tourney title game again, will they be duly rewarded? One can only hope.
If BYU finishes 28-6 and lands lower than a No. 6, it'll be travishamockery. A six seed gives the Cougars a great chance to win one and very possibly two games in the Big Dance. Any lower (or higher, depending on how you look at it) and it's likely another first-round disappointment or at best, one-and-done.
For the record, I think the upsets of Championship Week will leave only two MWC teams in the NCAA field. Certainly one of those will be BYU, but whether the committee honors the Cougars' solid RPI, national ranking and outstanding record remains to be seen.
The Travis Hansen-led Cougars of 2002-03 had a solid record, a great RPI and hopes of a single-digit seed. They wound up a No. 12 and lost a close game to defending national champ Connecticut. A year later, a similar record and RPI left BYU as a No. 12 facing defending champ Syracuse.
The committee has a history of underseeding BYU by four or five spots. One can only hope this year will be different.
Then the CBS Selection Show began. When UNLV rolled across as a No. 7, shock showed on the Rebels' faces. And BYU's hopes of a good seed were instantly dashed. Minutes later, the Cougars scrolled across as a No. 8 seed facing No. 8 Xavier.
Will this year bring more of the same? Once again, BYU and UNLV are the MWC's two best teams. Both are projected as tournament teams. Lunardi has BYU as a No. 6 and UNLV as an 11.
If the teams reach the MWC tourney title game again, will they be duly rewarded? One can only hope.
If BYU finishes 28-6 and lands lower than a No. 6, it'll be travishamockery. A six seed gives the Cougars a great chance to win one and very possibly two games in the Big Dance. Any lower (or higher, depending on how you look at it) and it's likely another first-round disappointment or at best, one-and-done.
For the record, I think the upsets of Championship Week will leave only two MWC teams in the NCAA field. Certainly one of those will be BYU, but whether the committee honors the Cougars' solid RPI, national ranking and outstanding record remains to be seen.
The Travis Hansen-led Cougars of 2002-03 had a solid record, a great RPI and hopes of a single-digit seed. They wound up a No. 12 and lost a close game to defending national champ Connecticut. A year later, a similar record and RPI left BYU as a No. 12 facing defending champ Syracuse.
The committee has a history of underseeding BYU by four or five spots. One can only hope this year will be different.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Some new lingo for BYU hoops
A new word is suddenly part of the BYU basketball vocabulary. It's being thrown around often these days, as if it's use isn't foreign to the Cougar cagers.
Twice in the last week, BYU starters uttered the word in postgame comments.
The word?
April.
BYU basketball and April. In the same sentence.
Yes, the Cougars believe they'll be playing in April. And that means one of two things: Making the NCAA Final Four or making the NIT Final Four. And you know which one the Cougars mean.
Jonathan Tavernari and Sam Burgess believe. They're the recent culprits of dropping "playing well in April" into everyday conversations. They think it can happen.
Do you?
It's OK if you're not convinced. After all, this is a program that hasn't won a single NCAA game since 1993. But if BYU can win out and garner at No. 6 seed, it's conceivable to see the Cougars reach the Sweet 16. From there, anything can happen.
So in honor of the Cougars looking to a bright new future that includes April, The CougarZone is looking to the past. Through the Final Four, we offer you the chance to vote for you favorite Cougar greats of the last 20 years or so. At all five positions, pick your favorite. It's not necessarily the best the player at each spot, just your personal fave.
So vote. And believe.
BYU and April. Sounds like a winning combination.
Twice in the last week, BYU starters uttered the word in postgame comments.
The word?
April.
BYU basketball and April. In the same sentence.
Yes, the Cougars believe they'll be playing in April. And that means one of two things: Making the NCAA Final Four or making the NIT Final Four. And you know which one the Cougars mean.
Jonathan Tavernari and Sam Burgess believe. They're the recent culprits of dropping "playing well in April" into everyday conversations. They think it can happen.
Do you?
It's OK if you're not convinced. After all, this is a program that hasn't won a single NCAA game since 1993. But if BYU can win out and garner at No. 6 seed, it's conceivable to see the Cougars reach the Sweet 16. From there, anything can happen.
So in honor of the Cougars looking to a bright new future that includes April, The CougarZone is looking to the past. Through the Final Four, we offer you the chance to vote for you favorite Cougar greats of the last 20 years or so. At all five positions, pick your favorite. It's not necessarily the best the player at each spot, just your personal fave.
So vote. And believe.
BYU and April. Sounds like a winning combination.
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