NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Penn State soaring, LSU falls

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 04: Jamari Wheeler #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a call in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin Center on February 4, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 27: Haws of the Cougars drives. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

. . . BYU Cougars. 25. player. 540

BYU stays checked into the rankings at No. 25 this week after back-to-back wins over Portland and San Francisco. The team met expectations with these performances and it’s hard to argue with their inclusion in the rankings. All efficiency metrics flat-out love the Cougars this season and this is largely due to their elite offense. With Yoeli Childs leading the way, BYU can be nearly impossible to stop on that end of the floor.

Gonzaga is the clear-cut favorite at the top of the WCC but it is not alone as a team that could make a deep run. BYU’s defense remains a concern but its offense can score on anyone. Childs can score both inside and out while being surrounded by a group of superb 3-point shooters. This offense epitomizes the modern era and everyone on the roster understands their roles. Jake Toolson, most notably, is the secondary star for the team alongside Childs.

Looking ahead, BYU looks destined to be an NCAA Tournament at-large team. The Cougars have a strong record and elite efficiency metrics as they should be pegged as a single-digit seed.

As a result of their high level of play to this point in the year, every college basketball fan should circle Feb. 22nd on their schedule: Gonzaga at BYU.

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