Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: 10 teams hurt most by 2020 NCAA Tournament cancellation

By Matthew Travis

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Virginia Cavaliers fans cheer on their team against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Virginia Cavaliers fans cheer on their team against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 09: Trevin Knell #21, Taylor Maughan #13, Evan Troy #24, Blaze Nield #3 and Connor Harding #44 of the Brigham Young Cougars (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 09: Trevin Knell #21, Taylor Maughan #13, Evan Troy #24, Blaze Nield #3 and Connor Harding #44 of the Brigham Young Cougars (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

9. BYU

The Brigham Young Cougars were having a phenomenal 2019-20 season and were set to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. BYU isn’t known for their basketball pedigree but this season they changed the narrative.

The Cougars were an exceptional 24-8 this season with an 8-8 record against quad one and two opponents combined, including a win over Gonzaga who was ranked second in the nation at the time and was the Zags only conference loss of the season.

BYU was an incredible 13-1 at home this season and finished the year ranked ninth in the NET and 14th in the AP Poll. This was BYU’s best season in years and it appeared as if the Cougars had the opportunity to get their first tournament win since 2011.

The thing that makes the situation even worse for BYU is that each of the Cougars’ top-three scorers is seniors which means they will be a much different team next season and it’ll be very difficult for them to get back to this same position.

Without a single recruit in the ESPN top-100, it is very unlikely that BYU gets back to this same position in 2020-21, seeing they’re losing their top-three scorers.

BYU had one opportunity to make a run in the NCAA Tournament and it appeared as if they were well on their way to doing so this season, but it has been taken away from them without any fault of their own.

The Cougars next season will be a much different team and their non-conference schedule will be very telling of the team they will be.

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