BYU basketball: Cougars lock for NIT

This wasn’t the prettiest season that BYU basketball has put together, but it seems as though it has been just enough to allow the Cougars to play in the postseason.

Unfortunately it probably won’t be the NCAA tournament. But seeing BYU in the NIT after the season now behind us is a nice consolation package.

After stunning the nation by beating the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs… again… BYU has essentially clinched a spot in the NIT. In 12 days time the NIT bracket will officially be set and though BYU is likely in, there may be more the Cougars still have left to do.

BYU Basketball Must Win

What else do the Cougars need to do? Win. That’s the obvious answer, of course.

The past three seasons have seen BYU basketball in two WCC championship games and another semifinal appearance. All three times the Cougars lost to Gonzaga. Though BYU has four wins against Gonzaga in the regular season, they have not been able to conquer them in the WCC tournament. This year, they don’t need to.

Yes, winning the conference championship would guarantee the Cougars a spot in the NCAA tournament, which is the ultimate goal, but to make the NIT they don’t need to go off in Vegas.

So what do the Cougars need to win? Just their first two games. That’s it. It’s win and in.

BYU Basketball Can’t Lose

In contrast to the last point, if BYU loses in the first two rounds, the could be an argument to keep them out of the NIT, even though they beat the No. 1 team in the nation.

To say that the Cougars are walking a fine line is definitely exaggerating. Making it into the NIT is pretty much a lock right now as they currently are claiming a No. 5 seed. But there’s a reason it’s called March Madness. Anything is possible. So for the Cougars to lock up their spot in the NIT, they just need to not lose the easy ones.

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For BYU this year, that could be easier said than done. Looking at the future, the second round of the WCC tournament, there are three possible teams that BYU could face. Two of the three teams (San Diego and Saint Mary’s) have handed out losses to the Cougars this season.

When all is said an done, the team just needs to show up and play. The talent is there and the expectations are not very high.

We will see the Cougars in the postseason. And we could even see a BYU-Utah rivalry matchup which would add to the excitement.