BYU basketball is a March Madness lock after their win over Arizona State
BYU basketball’s season didn’t begin in the way many had hoped or expected. The Cougars came out of the gates sluggish and plodding, as early conference losses to Utah and TCU paired perfectly with a crushing blowout at the hands of Providence in the non-conference.
BYU’s key players were slumping and Kevin Young’s new system had yet to click for his team. Demin and Catchings, the Cougars’ two rostered NBA prospects, couldn’t get rolling when the competition picked up. As a first-year head coach, Young wasn’t able to get his team to mesh from the jump, and for that reason, the postseason oracles deemed this program unworthy for NCAA Tournament consideration.
My how times have changed.
Hot on the trails of a five-game winning streak, the Cougars have taken down Kansas State, West Virginia, Kansas, Arizona, and Arizona State at the very moment they most needed a positivity boost. Criticized by many for lacking quality wins only a few weeks ago, BYU basketball is now the proud owner of four quad one designated contests and a pillar of offensive excellence as their past three contests have seen the Cougars average 92.6 games.
The Cougars exceeded the 90-point mark in each of those contests.
That positivity boost has certainly arrived, as Kevin Young’s team cracked the top 25 for the first time this season.
Their most recent win (a dominant road test against Arizona State) was the Cougars’ second double-digit win over the Sun Devils solidified their position in the world of college basketball, as they’re now being viewed as a lock for the big dance, regardless of the final three games on their schedule.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
The BYU Cougars are an NCAA Tournament 🔒
Our 6th lock out of the Big 12 and 29th lock overall, BYU now sits 20-8 (11-6) with four Quad 1 wins and buoyed by Top 25 predictive metrics. Cougars have been one of the hottest teams in the country, improving to 9-2… https://t.co/Jl9ZDgCoSr pic.twitter.com/9BRfbF7EXN
— JBR Bracketology (@JBRBracketology) February 27, 2025
With those final three games, however, BYU will need to deliver strong performances to boost their odds of securing a more favorable first-round matchup. Sunday play will likely have a negative impact on the Cougars’ seeding, but a road win against Iowa State (shake me if I’m dreaming) matched by affirming victories over West Virginia and Utah would send this squad soaring.
