Busting Brackets
Fansided

BYU Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Cougars

By Tristan Freeman

SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 25: The BYU Cougars celebrate their 79-71 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 25, 2017 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 25: The BYU Cougars celebrate their 79-71 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 25, 2017 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Head coach Dave Rose of the Brigham Young Cougars claps during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Saint Mary’s won 81-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Head coach Dave Rose of the Brigham Young Cougars claps during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Saint Mary’s won 81-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Key Conference Games

Dec. 30 – Saint Mary’s

Jan. 25 – @ Saint Mary’s

Feb. 3 – @ Gonzaga

Feb. 15 – @ Pepperdine

Feb. 24 – Gonzaga

With BYU being the third team in the hierarchy of the conference, it’s obvious that the four games against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga will be highlighted for the Cougars.

Gonzaga and BYU have had an interesting series as of late. They split the last six regular season games. The team will have played ten games before facing the Zags so they’ll have an idea of where they stand in the conference by then.

Saint Mary’s not only swept BYU in all three games last season but picked them apart in the pick-and-roll offense. With the Gaels having one of their best teams ever coming in, there’s a chance they can extend the winning streak this year unless BYU can figure out a way to stop their slow attack.

One sneaky game to look out for is at Pepperdine. The Waves have shockingly defeated Byu four years in a row in Malibu, each time damaging their resume numbers. If BYU has any chance to make some noise this year, beating Pepperdine is a must.