BYU Basketball: Cougars are building an NCAA Tournament schedule

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NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 14: Patrick Patterson #54 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks to go up with the ball under the basket against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the final of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Bridgestone Arena on March 14, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

High Tier- Teams where a win would boost a lot and losses don’t hurt

No. 3 Utah: RPI- 40

Utah probably should have made the NCAA Tournament last season. They ended up finishing second in the NIT and beat Saint Mary’s to get there. Although the Utes lose some production, they are not losing any real stars. Fundamentally they should be about the same team as last year. They should have a lot of players contributing in scoring and rebounds. I am projecting that they finish about as well as they did in 2017-2018, which would put their RPI in the low to mid fifties.

No. 2 Mississippi State: RPI- 55

This game almost makes the top tier mostly for it being an SEC game in Starkville, but the Bulldogs are losing three of their top four scorers this offseason and most early projections have too many questions about this team. A loss may not really hurt the Cougars, but with so many questions, this could be the UT-Arlington of 2018. Last year, UT-Arlington seemed like an acceptable loss but later turned out to be a painful one.

No. 1 Houston: RPI- 20

Houston finished last season as a six seed in the NCAA tournament. They also finished the season ranked No. 21. Next season, the Houston Cougars will return only about half of their offensive production, but should return as a top 25 team. A win would be a very good win, and a loss although would be a lost opportunity, would still help the Cougars strength of schedule, and help their RPI.

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