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BYU basketball: Cougars earn No. 3 seed in NIT, to face UT-Arlington

By Nathan Cunningham

Feb 18, 2017; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (12) tries to get past St. Mary's Gaels center Jock Landale (34) and to the basket during the second half at Marriott Center. St. Mary's Gaels won the game 70-57. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (12) tries to get past St. Mary's Gaels center Jock Landale (34) and to the basket during the second half at Marriott Center. St. Mary's Gaels won the game 70-57. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /
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BYU basketball may have missed out on the big dance, but the Cougars still have some basketball left in 2016-17.

BYU basketball has been selected as a No. 3 seed in the NIT.

After what many Cougar fans are calling a down year, BYU basketball will get to return to the Marriott Center for one last run.

The Cougars will be taking on the No. 6 seed UT-Arlington.

BYU basketball finished the season 22-11, but finished things up on a sour note, getting shellacked by St. Mary’s in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals, 81-50.

Still, that loss wasn’t what kept BYU from dancing. Miscues against Utah Valley, Pepperdine, San Diego and Santa Clara kept the Cougars off the bubble. But at the same time, there were plenty of positives in BYU’s season.

The Cougars knocked off NCAA Tournament team Princeton in the season opener, and defeated Colorado. The biggest moment of all was beating then No. 1 Gonzaga, but that was ultimately too little too late.

So now the Cougars turn their attention to

Here’s a snapshot of both teams.

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BYU Cougars

Overall: 22-11 (14-3 at home, 8-8 away/neutral)

Conference Record (WCC): 12-6

Best Wins: vs Princeton, vs Colorado, at No. 1 Gonzaga

The main issue for the Cougars has been consistency. No one can argue that BYU basketball’s roster is a talented one, but it hasn’t always translated. The bench leaves a lot to be desired, so there’s a lot of pressure on the starters.

On most nights, Eric Mika could carry the Cougars to victory, but BYU will also need strong guard play – especially against good teams.

UT-Arlington Mavericks

Overall: 25-8 (13 at home, 12-8 away/neutral)

Conference Record (Sun Belt): 14-4

Best Wins: vs Mount Saint Mary’s, at No. 12 Saint Mary’s, vs Texas State, vs Troy

The Mavericks are a talented team. They defeated three NCAA Tournament teams, and nearly defeated a fourth (lost by four to Arkansas on the road). UT-Arlington is led by junior forward Kevin Hervey, who is the team’s leading scorer (17.1) and rebounder (8.6). Hervey shot 47 percent from the field, and is a 75 percent free-throw shooter.

The Cougars and Mavericks will tip off at 7 p.m. MDT in the Marriott Center on Wednesday, March 15. The game can be seen on ESPN2.

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