Bracketology 2021: BYU, Purdue and Saint Louis among biggest winners

BYU

After a horrid performance against USC and a close loss to Boise State, the Cougars really got their NCAA Tournament standing back on track with their performance this week. Less than a week removed from an 18-point win over in-state rival Utah, the Cougars traveled to southern California and got a big road upset win over San Diego State.

Against the Aztecs, the Cougars controlled the game throughout, using long-range shooting to build their lead as large as 17, and holding on late during San Diego State’s late surge. Alex Barcello (18.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) continues to shine for the Cougars, leading the team with 22 points in the win. BYU made just 30% of their 3-pointers, but it felt like a lot more, as they came at opportune times, including Brandon Averette’s dagger in the final minute.

It’s pretty obvious that Gonzaga is the heavy favorite in the WCC, but beyond the Bulldogs, this could be an extremely competitive and exciting race in the conference. With this win, BYU asserts themselves among that second-tier again and should compete with Saint Mary’s to be Gonzaga’s runner-up. That being said, the Cougars did upset Gonzaga last season, so it’s not impossible to say it happens again.

All things considered, BYU’s big win firmly works their way back into consideration on the bracket. If they can play like this down the stretch in conference play, they could find themselves in the Tournament, even without another upset of Gonzaga.