NCAA Basketball: Virginia Tech, BYU, Baylor and Tennessee headline Mailbag
By Bryan Mauro
3. Which mid-major team not named Gonzaga can make an elite eight run? – Tristan Freeman (@hoopsnut351)
My first reaction would have been Winthrop or Drake however both of those teams have looked extremely vulnerable the last few weeks. Loyola-Chicago has a great team and is projecting better than the Rambler team who made a run to the final four a few seasons ago, but there is no guarantee that Loyola even makes the NCAA tournament. For the purpose of this question, I am going to stick with a team that is likely a lock to make the NCAA tournament.
The BYU Cougars are a team that has a great chance to make a run to the elite eight. Wait? Another team from the West Coast Conference has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Yes, that conference is one of the better mid-major conferences in the country and the Cougars are the second-best team in that conference.
BYU has been on the up and up since new head coach Mark Pope took over two seasons ago they play a style that lets the Cougars take a make a ton of threes. That style is played by a ton of teams this year and isn’t the reason that BYU is a sleeper to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
The Cougars are one of the tallest and most experienced teams in the country. BYU lost a ton last year but has an all-conference type player in point guard Alex Barcello. He is also one of the best shooters in the country as well. Utah Valley transfer Brandon Averette has been a great second option on the offensive end for BYU. The frontcourt is led by 7’3” Purdue transfer Matt Haarms and when he is teamed up with Richard Harward in the frontcourt they make it tough on opposing offenses.
Wing Gideon George is one of the best defenders in the entire country and there have been numerous games this season in which he has changed with his play on the defensive end. There are not many teams in the entire country, nor teams who will qualify for the tournament who have a defender capable of doing what George can do.
It is easy to say who makes a deep run in the NCAA tournament without seeing any of the matchups but BYU has the depth and experience to give any team they face a game and they are never out of it with their ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor. Watch out for the Cougars in a few weeks.