Winners of six-straight, the BYU Cougars are playing the best basketball among contending teams in the country — save for the 30-0 Kentucky Wildcats. By all accounts, BYU may still be a bubble team for the NCAA tournament, but if the recent string of victories carries over into the West Coast Conference tournament, the Cougars will be dancing in the field of 68.
BYU’s most recent win was of the upset variety, knocking off a Top 10 team in Gonzaga. With an overall record of 23-8, the Cougars have a current RPI of 37. Their only drawback could be the strength of schedule. Aside from Gonzaga, who they lost to earlier in the year in a previous home meeting by seven points, the Cougars have only faced two other ranked teams — Utah (a loss) and San Diego State (a loss). Boosting their RPI ranking was an early season victory over Stanford, which currently boasts a 56 RPI, but will likely miss the tournament. Fourteen of BYU’s wins are over teams which have an RPI of 151 or higher, eight of which are 200 or higher.
With its losses, BYU has only fallen by seven points or fewer. The biggest loss was the Dec. 27 defeat at home against Gonzaga (87-80) though it came back to beat the Zags, 73-70, on Feb. 28 to snap their 41-game home winning streak. The Utah and San Diego State defeats only cam by four and five points, respectively. Two losses also came in overtime.
What makes the Cougars stand out, though, is their fast-paced style of play. In a year when defense has dominated college basketball, BYU bucks the trend and focuses on a run-and-gun style. It averages 84 points per game, with Tyler Haws leading the way with an average of 21 points per game. Three other starters — Kyle Collinsowrth, Anson Winder and Chase Fischer — also average in double figure scoring each time out, all coming in around 13 points per game, making the offense versatile and lethal.
It all goes through Haws, who is one of the best pure point guards in the country. He scores a lot, yeah, but his ball-handling skills and court perception has turned the BYU offense into the most exciting around. Plus, with Collinsworth, the Cougars have an all-around ballhawk who has already set a record for most triple-doubles in a season.
BYU can punch its ticket directly with an outright WCC conference title. It was second in the league’s regular season to, who else, but Gonzaga. If the Cougars can top the Zags in the conference title game — they’re in. If they just make the conference title game — they’re in. Securing themselves in the NCAA tournament allows the Cougars to become that pesky team that just won’t seem to go away. The offense is rising and there’s not many teams out there that can stop it.
In his 10th season as head coach of the Cougars, Dave Rose has amassed a 250-86 record. Recently, he was resigned to a five-year deal that will keep him in Provo until at least 2020. He’s had a successful track record in postseason tournaments and this year should be no different. Though they were one-and-done in the NCAA tournament a year ago, the Cougars have made it in seven of the last eight campaigns. In 2011, BYU made it to the Sweet 16 behind the equally sweet-shooting of Jimmer Fredette, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. Haws could be this season’s Fredette and this season’s Cougars could be this season’s Cinderella if they do indeed get the call on Selection Sunday.