NCAA Basketball: Ranking final 18 unbeaten teams for 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
6. BYU
The Cougars haven’t exactly met their own expectations in recent years, but this program has certainly turned a new leaf. Mark Pope’s squad actually finished below .500 in the WCC last year but joined the Big 12 in the offseason. Seemingly, that upgrade has really inspired this team who now sit in the national rankings after being picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 standings in the preseason.
The momentum on this new season really got going on the first Friday of the season with a home win over San Diego State. After two blowout wins at home over weaker foes, the Cougars then won the Vegas Showdown, blowout out Arizona State and then surviving NC State for a 6-0 start to the season.
This has been an extremely promising start to the season for a BYU squad that few had high hopes for this year. While they’ve yet to play a true road game, they’ve played efficient offense and some pretty great defense at times this season. This balanced and talented roster will certainly get tested in Big 12 play and also have a road game at rival Utah on December 9th. A litany of home games surrounds that contest, with the possibility of being undefeated when conference play begins in January.