Mark Pope has chosen to dance with the fickle beat that is three-point variance. The Cougars live by the three and therefore, they often die by the three. BYU attempts the second-most threes of any team in the country at 32.2 a game and 41.1% of their points come from behind the arc.
So, if BYU is knocking down their shots from outside, their first-round opponent could be buried in an avalanche. If not, then the Cougars don’t have any other answers and that was the case against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals.
Besides the three-point shot, BYU had a secret weapon in their 10-8 campaign in Big 12 play. While Colorado is better known for its elevation, Provo sits at 4,551 feet above sea level and is a tough environment for visiting teams. BYU went a stellar 16-2 at home, but only 3-7 on the road. Last I checked, they won’t be playing their first-round game at the Marriot Center.