Colorado and Cincinnati now in the rear-view mirror, the sentiment surrounding BYU hoops has been largely positive. Key players are beginning to perform and the team as a whole is gelling unlike anything we've seen all year.
But this team is far from a tournament lock. Sure, they've been picking at the keyhole for a few weeks now, but the selection committee will need to see some high-quality victories on the Cougars' resume before opening the gates to the March Madness Megadome. So where can Kevin Young and his squad gather that elusive quad 1 win?
As it so happens, a top-30 NET-ranked Baylor squad is heading into the Marriott Center for a clash with the Cougars, and a chance for BYU to finally break onto the scene of legitimacy.
Of course, taking down a very talented Baylor team won't be easy--even with the benefit of home court advantage. What must this team do to break the quad 1 seal and breach the surface of contention?
BYU vs Baylor Game Preview
Opposite BYU stands the Baylor Bears, a program stuffed with power conference talent, and even an NBA lottery lock in VJ Edgecombe. Baylor hasn't seen much success against the biggest programs in the nation, as their status drew plenty of bouts with non-conference heavyweights. They'll want this win against a BYU team on the road.
Edgecombe and Demin will draw a sea of NBA scouts, talent evaluators, and fanatics, in the hopes of seeing something that could project to brilliance at the next level of the game. Edgecombe, like Demin, has experience plenty of lows during his freshman season, but a recent two-game stretch of outstanding play--offensive and defensive--has the NBA licking its chops at his potential.
Demin is turning a corner after a terrific second half against Colorado followed by a second course against Cincinnati where his 3-point efficiency finally matched the stroke. Buttery, smooth, delicious.
But the fate of this game won't come down to the better of these two players, despite how the headlines may read. This battle will be determined by the quality of the supporting cast. For BYU, that means more Richie Saunders. More Trevin Knell 3-balls. More quality Kanon Catchings minutes. More Mawot Mag defensive excellence. More Keba Keita throw-downs.
Essentially, this game is the chance to show what BYU basketball can instigate, even in the face of drastic opposition.
Both squads enter this game with a 13-6 record, and the winner will pass the other in the Big 12 standings. Now is the chance for BYU basketball to pull ahead and not look back.