1 / 9
BYU’s Egor Demin (3) attempts a 3-point shot in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Courtesy BYU Photo
2 / 9
The BYU men’s basketball team breaks a huddle during practice at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Courtesy BYU Photo
3 / 9
Courtesy BYU Photo
4 / 9
Former BYU star Jimmer Fredette (in white) looks up at the scoreboard during the BYU-Wisconsin men’s basketball NCAA Tournament game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Courtesy BYU Photo
5 / 9
Brigham Young forward Richie Saunders, foreground, collects the ball as Virginia Commonwealth forward Luke Bamgboye (9) pursues during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver.
David Zalubowski, AP Photo
6 / 9
BYU guard Trevin Knell, left, is congratulated by teammates after making a basket against Virginia Commonwealth during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver.
David Zalubowski, AP Photo
7 / 9
BYU’s Fousseyni Traore (45) takes a shot against VCU in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Courtesy BYU Photo
8 / 9
BYU’s Trevin Knell (right) and Mawot Mag fight for the ball with VCU’s Max Shulga in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Courtesy BYU Photo
9 / 9
Former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette poses with Cosmo the Cougars before the start of an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
❮ ❯
BYU’s Egor Demin (3) attempts a 3-point shot in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
The BYU men’s basketball team breaks a huddle during practice at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young gives instructions in a time out against Wisconsin in a second-round NCAA Tournament game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Former BYU star Jimmer Fredette (in white) looks up at the scoreboard during the BYU-Wisconsin men’s basketball NCAA Tournament game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Brigham Young forward Richie Saunders, foreground, collects the ball as Virginia Commonwealth forward Luke Bamgboye (9) pursues during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver.
BYU guard Trevin Knell, left, is congratulated by teammates after making a basket against Virginia Commonwealth during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver.
BYU’s Fousseyni Traore (45) takes a shot against VCU in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
BYU’s Trevin Knell (right) and Mawot Mag fight for the ball with VCU’s Max Shulga in an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette poses with Cosmo the Cougars before the start of an NCAA first round men’s basketball game at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd give their opinions on the hot BYU sports topics this week:
1. What surprised you most about BYU men’s basketball’s wins over VCU and Wisconsin in their first two NCAA tournament games?
DICKSON: Let me start by saying nothing really surprises me in the NCAA Tournament. I’ve seen it all. Literally, anything can happen.
That being said, I think Kevin Young getting two tournament wins first time out is a bit surprising. I knew Young would be a good tactician and game coach, but he really raised that level in the wins against VCU and Wisconsin. His play calling has been brilliant, and at times, brilliantly executed.
I’ve heard a ton of coaches and players say they don’t try to do anything differently in the NCAA Tournament, but I think that’s kind of just rhetoric. Young said he made it point to tell his players their level of focus needed to be raised when it’s tournament time. Everything comes at you a little faster and it just takes greater focus to get things done.
So far, he’s pushing all the right button.
LLOYD: Darnell makes a great point in lauding the job done by BYU head coach Kevin Young and his staff at getting the Cougars prepared, which has been a huge component to the team’s success.
That has led to what has surprised me the most and that is how well BYU controlled both games. No team in the NCAA tournament is truly a bad team and many felt like both the Rams and the Badgers were above-average opponents.
But the reality is the Cougars never really let either VCU or Wisconsin seize the momentum. Yes, the Rams led early and were close for much of the first half and the Badgers made that big run to make it exciting late, but BYU trailed for just over six-and-a-half minutes total in the two games.
That shows me even more maturity and confidence from this Cougar squad than I expected, since they were able to answer every run in both of their NCAA contests. We saw BYU get blasted a few times during the regular season but so far the Cougars have been the team in charge in the Big Dance, which is impressive.
2. Why are the Cougars having postseason success this year when it has been almost non-existent ever since Jimmer Fredette finished his career in Provo?
LLOYD: For whatever reason — and there were probably multiple factors — BYU simply hasn’t been able to handle the pressure of the big stage since 2011.
Part of it was lack of experience, since only five Cougar teams during that span (2012, 2014, 2015, 2021 and 2024) earned the chance to play in the NCAA tournament. This is only the second time BYU has reached it in back-to-back years and having many players who have been there certainly helps.
Another issue has been matchups, which always come into play. The Duquesne team that held on to upset BYU last March was able exploit some of the limitations the Cougars had inside. The UCLA team that defeated BYU in 2021 shot really well and ended up going all the way to the Final Four.
And then there is the challenge of being tested, which was harder in a smaller league like the West Coast Conference than it is in the Big 12. The venues, the atmospheres, the number of times facing quality opponents, it all is part of the equation.
Clearly the Cougars have been able to handle the obstacles of the NCAA Tournament better this year. BYU hopes that’s a sign of things to come but still has to prove it.
DICKSON: That’s a great question. I would look at a couple of key issues. One was Gonzaga. Jimmer beat the ‘Zags to get to the Sweet 16 in 2011 and in the next 12 years, the Cougars never beat that team from Spokane in a game that really mattered (ie., the MWC Tournament).
In addition, BYU never could get anybody of note to come to Provo to play in the non-conference, so raising its NET ratings and other metrics to a high level was difficult.
There were really only four games in WCC play (two against Gonzaga, two against St. Mary’s) that could help the Cougars. Every other game was a landmine because BYU was expected to win. When it lost to Pacific, or LMU, or Portland, it was crushing to its NCAA chances.
Now, the Cougars have built-in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games throughout their Big 12 schedule. We could go on for hours about how BYU has mined the transfer portal and exploited NIL, but those have been key areas that have led to success as well.
3. Which player do you think will be the X-factor for BYU against Alabama in the Sweet 16?
DICKSON: One of BYU’s superpowers is its versatility. If you decided to stick to the 3-point shooters, Fousseyni Traore is a bucket if covered one-on-one.
Another great option is my X-factor, Dawson Baker. He was having a terrific game against Wisconsin before the weird ejection for an inadvertent elbow to the, uh, sensitive area of an opponent.
Baker really does a good job of penetrating the key and can finish pretty well at the rim for a guy his size. When he gets two feet in the paint, he’s a lot more effective than you would expect him to be.
LLOYD: You could certainly make about 10 different arguments (11 if Kamon Catchings is fully healthy) for Cougar players who could be the X-factor because of how deep this BYU team is, so my selection is someone I think will be slightly more of an X-factor than the others: Junior center Keba Keita.
No, I don’t expect him to put up huge offensive numbers — unless Alabama just leaves the lob open all game long — but he plays an enormous role both on defense and in rebounding for the Cougars.
Keita is by far BYU’s best rim protector and he needs to make his presence felt in the early going to keep the talented Crimson Tide guards from feeling they can attack the basket with impunity. A chase-down block or two can make opponents start peeking over their shoulder.
And in a game where both teams are known for offense, second-chance points are devastating. Keita needs to be a beast on the boards, making sure to gobble those contested rebounds that are so important.
4. What do you think are the chances this Cougar team breaks the glass ceiling and reaches the Final Four for the first time in history?
LLOYD: I give BYU about a 40% chance of defeating Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, which aren’t great odds but they aren’t terrible either. This is a Crimson Tide team that isn’t perfect but it is really good, better than the other teams the Cougars have faced.
Then looking at the other side of the bracket, I think Duke has about a 70% chance of knocking off Arizona. That might be lower than many people have the Blue Devils but the reality is Duke hasn’t been tested much recently with the ACC being so weak this year.
Let’s say BYU gets past Alabama. I think the Cougars have a 50% chance of defeating Arizona if the Wildcats upset the Blue Devils. I see that as a toss-up.
I would drop BYU’s odds to about 25% against Duke, simply because I think the Blue Devils have enough length and really good outside shooters to exploit some of the Cougar weaknesses.
Still, I don’t think any of those games are unwinnable if BYU brings its A game. While not likely, it will be fun to see if the Cougars can shock everyone.
DICKSON: I got asked this question a lot this week, and my answer is always the same. I believe BYU can hang with anybody in the country, except for maybe its Kryptonite, Houston. The Red Cougars defense just gives BYU fits. I don’t think the Blue Cougars will face a defense even remotely as good as Houston until the Final Four.
I think BYU has to score 80-90 points in every game it plays in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars allowed VCU and Wisconsin to combine for 27 3-pointers in the two games in Denver. I supposed you could say that was a product of BYU leading by double-digits in both of those games and the Rams and Badgers had to launch a lot of triples (73 in total) to catch up.
I will tell you if Alabama makes 12-15 3-pointers, that will make things pretty difficult for the Cougars.
5. Do you think this NCAA tournament run will keep BYU players in Provo, make it more likely they will leave, or have no impact at all?
DICKSON: Young is building something special in Provo. I don’t think it really matters if some players decide to look elsewhere for more playing time or more NIL money. There will be plenty of grad transfers and 4 and 5-star players who want to play for the Cougars.
Maybe that’s a bit on the optimistic side, but BYU will have no shortage of really good players who want to put on the blue and white in the near future to play with the likes of A.J. Dybantsa.
The success the Cougars are having will keep some players in Provo but will also entice others to consider BYU. It’s all good, as the kids say (do the kids still say that?)
LLOYD: This isn’t as cut-and-dry as it used to be for a lot of reasons.
Having BYU shine in the spotlight might draw more attention from NBA teams for guys like Egor Demin and Richie Saunders, but the money athletes can make from NIL deals might make jumping to the pros less urgent.
Other programs might also bend the rules and try to entice transfers from successful teams with big-money offers. It’s tough to know who might find something like that appealing and who would have no interest.
On the flip side, as Darnell noted, BYU appears to be a team on the rise and has a high-profile guy arriving next year in A.J. Dybantsa. I could see some players with other options wanting to come back and see if they can get even farther in the tournament.
Basically it comes down to what individuals prioritize, whether that is money, playing time, NCAA success or pro opportunities. In the end, I think it probably balances out.
