Even with NBA talent on the roster, experts expect this BYU basketball team to miss out on the NCAA Tournament. March Madness is the goal for this team in a season with a new head coach, conglomerate roster, and elite talent populating the depth chart.
Despite that talent, ESPN's Joe Lunardi doesn't see a spot for the Cougars given their performance this far into the season. For some reason, skepticism is to be expected. With freshmen Kanon Catchings and Egor Demin still finding their footing at the D1 level to varying degrees, I wouldn't bet on a newborn giraffe to successfully run a marathon, either.
But the biggest question doesn't come from BYU's exclusion, as I'm finding myself puzzled by Arizona State's "Last Four In" status. Yes, the team that just left the Marriott Center with red bottoms after being thoroughly outperformed in a 20-point conference loss has been given the benefit of the doubt this far into the season.
In fairness, this edition of Bracketology was posted on the morning of that matchup, so to base his projections on a future event would be unwise. At the same time, ASU entered that game as a 9.5-point underdog, so the oddsmakers understood the Sun Devils to be an inferior team even before that matchup.
Of course a blowout to Providence is far from a resume-booster, and the Cougars couldn't get it done against Ole Miss, but a strong showing in Houston tomorrow could slap BYU onto the tournament bracket permanently.
BYU needs to perform well in an always difficult Big 12 Conference. If the Cougs can secure at least .500 in league play, a tournament slot is well within reason.