NCAA Basketball: Arizona, UConn, Marquette, Baylor all fall in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
15. BYU (11-1)
When looking at their entire season to this point, it’s easy to be excited at BYU. They’ve proven themselves capable, with that home win over San Diego State in the opening week certainly the catalyst for their success. A road loss against Utah earlier in December is acceptable, as the Cougars haven’t slipped up anywhere else.
There was certainly no slip this past week, as the Cougars had perhaps their best offensive performance in the season in a 101-59 home win over Bellarmine. In what was one of the Knights’ worst games since joining D1, BYU got 14 points apiece from Spencer Johnson, Trevin Knell, and Richie Saunders in a balanced offensive attack, with the Cougars shooting 58% from the field.
Most didn’t expect this kind of season from the Cougars, who will shortly begin their first season in the Big 12. Conference play will pose a significant challenge compared to their nonconference slate or recent life in the WCC, but there are few complaints right now. The metrics look good, BYU plays a strong, balanced offense, and the Cougars have just Wyoming between them and their genesis in the Big 12.