BYU Basketball: The different paths to the NCAA Tournament

BYU Basketball: The path to the NCAA Tournament

By Adam Gibby | Jan 6, 2022

PROVO, UT - DECEMBER 29: Hunter Erickson #0 of the Brigham Young Cougars slam dunks the ball on a breakaway against the Westminster Griffins during the second half of their game December 29, 2021 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

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PROVO, UT – DECEMBER 29: Hunter Erickson #0 of the Brigham Young Cougars slam dunks the ball on a breakaway against the Westminster Griffins during the second half of their game December 29, 2021 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

3. Finish Strong

We don’t know what the end of WCC play will look like. The schedule is already out of whack and so everything is going to be moved around. Despite this, let’s say BYU gets off to a rocky 4-3 start with a bad loss in there. Suddenly BYU is probably projected on the outside looking in.

If the Cougars can rally off a 6-1 or 7-1 finish with only a loss to Gonzaga the Cougars would once again play themselves into a safe position in the tournament. That is the bubble works. Teams play themselves out of it late in league play and teams who are finishing strong take their places.

This would be the most stressful scenario as in all likelihood one more even mediocre loss would end the Cougars’ dream, but it is still a path and at the end of the day we care more about them getting there than how they got there.

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