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BYU Basketball: How the Cougars can pull off the upset over Mississippi State

By Shaun Gordon

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: Jock Landale #34 of the Saint Mary's Gaels is guarded by Yoeli Childs #23 of the Brigham Young Cougars during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: Jock Landale #34 of the Saint Mary's Gaels is guarded by Yoeli Childs #23 of the Brigham Young Cougars during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Jock Landale #34 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels is guarded by Yoeli Childs #23 of the Brigham Young Cougars during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Jock Landale #34 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels is guarded by Yoeli Childs #23 of the Brigham Young Cougars during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

If they’re going to have any chance of an NCAA Tournament berth, BYU Basketball has to pick up a big win soon. Knocking off No. 19 Mississippi State would certainly qualify.

BYU Basketball’s margin of error is dwindling rapidly.

The team’s primary goal this year is a return to the NCAA Tournament, and those chances are slipping away. The Cougars have already lost six games, including every key game that would have boosted their resume.

Coach Dave Rose’s new philosophy of playing a harder schedule revolved around one concept – being able to beat at least some of those hard teams.

That hasn’t happened.

But BYU has a major opportunity to change all of that when they take on No. 19 Mississippi State on Saturday morning. The Bulldogs will be the best team that the Cougars have faced since the season opener, and if they can pull off the road win it would put a marquee win on their tournament resume.

They’re going to have to play a whole lot better than they have been recently, though, if they’re going to have any chance to take down Mississippi State.

It’s not impossible, though. The Bulldogs are 11-1, but they’ve only played three quality teams. As much as the Cougars have struggled this year, they’ll still be one of the tougher teams that Mississippi State faces in their non-conference slate.

Here’s what the Cougars have to do to knock off the Bulldogs:

Post up Yoeli Childs

Yoeli Childs had one of his worst games of the season against San Diego State, finishing with 11 points and six turnovers. He played hurried when a double-team came, which has been uncharacteristic of him this season.

BYU plays their best offensive basketball when feeding Childs in the paint and running the offense through him. Too often as the game progresses he finds himself on the perimeter instead, and the Cougars’ ball movement becomes less effective when that happens.

Mississippi State isn’t a lock-down defensive team, but they’re good. For the Cougars to keep up on the scoreboard they’ve got to do what works best, and that’s an inside-out game running through Yoeli Childs.

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