BYU defies low expectations and overcomes slow start to become a team to watch in March Madness

By Canadian Press on March 17, 2025.

PROVO, Utah (AP) — There was little to reason to think BYU would be a Big 12 Conference contender — never mind a team that would wound up getting ranked — back in the preseason.

Then the Cougars lived down to expectations by losing four of their first six league games.

BYU eventually turned it around, winning 11 of 13 games to close the regular season, including eight in a row. The Cougars reached the Big 12 Tournament semifinals before falling to Houston. BYU drew a 6 seed in NCAA Tournament for a second straight season and will face 11 seed VCU in the first round on Thursday.

First-year coach Kevin Young said after the difficult start that his team became more patient, tougher and more resilient. The Cougars also simply executed better offensively.

“That’s where we’ve been able to move the needle,” Young said.

Off the court, robust investment from alumni donors — including Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club owner Ryan Smith — has helped BYU recruit top-shelf talent. The Cougars lured Richie Saunders and Dallin Hall back to Provo after both players entered the transfer portal when Mark Pope departed for Kentucky. Young and his staff also brought in possible NBA lottery pick Egor Demin and high-impact transfers Keba Keita (Utah) and Mawot Mag (Rutgers).

BYU scored its biggest recruiting win in the fall when it made national news by landing the school’s first consensus five-star recruit in AJ Dybantsa. He is projected to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.

Now the Cougars have to be just as successful in the NCAA Tournament. There doesn’t appear to be a lack of confidence in making it happen.

“I feel like everything is clicking at the right time,” forward Fousseyni Traore said. “I believe in this team. I think we can make a big run. We’re going to shock a lot of people. I do believe that.”

The Cougars have reached the Sweet 16 once since 1981, behind sharpshooting Jimmer Fredette in 2011. They have never made the Final Four in 31 previous tournament appearances. BYU players say they are in position to overcome that history of March failures.

“We feel like we’ve been one of the best teams in the country,” Young said. “We’ve beaten a lot of good basketball teams and that’s the great thing about playing in the Big 12. Night in and night out, you’re playing against some of the best teams in the country, so we feel like we’re battle tested.”

A lot of hopes rest on Saunders, who has gone from more of a role player to BYU’s primary scorer. He was named the Big 12’s most-improved player after averaging 16.0 points on 51.4% shooting up from 9.6 per game a year ago. The junior wing also shot 43.7% from 3-point range while making a team-high 69 3-pointers.

Saunders, an All-Big 12 first team selection, produces lots of scoring opportunities with relentless energy. He makes quick decisions, spaces the floor and attacks on closeouts, flustering defenders from one possession to the next.

“He doesn’t get deterred,” Young said. “He has an uncommon motor.”

Since joining the Big 12, BYU has earned a reputation for being a persistent perimeter threat. The Cougars made 10.6 3-pointers per game this season – leading the Big 12 and all power conference schools – and convert 37% of their total 3-point attempts.

BYU, however, isn’t one-dimensional. The Cougars regularly and successfully attacked the rim when outside shots didn’t fall for long stretches in home wins over West Virginia or Utah.

“Last year, when we’d have off-shooting nights – teams would really try to take the 3 away – we’d struggle a little bit,” Hall said. “I think this year, we’re a lot more dynamic. We have a lot of options.”

BYU’s depth and versatility also has helped the Cougars become a tough matchup for most defenses.

Young has employed an 11-man rotation in many games this season. No player averages more than 29 minutes per game and 10 clocked in with at least 11 minutes in each contest. Only Saunders and Demin average more than 10 points.

“We had a lot of guys that just stayed ready over the course of the year, which has been big for us,” guard Dawson Baker said. “We saw a lot of adjustments with playing time and different matchups and lineups. All of that has helped us find ways to win.”

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John Coon, The Associated Press