BYU hoops looked in unlikely places to get their revenge win over West Virginia

I'm going to say something that will shock you. It may frighten you. You'll find yourself confused and desperate for answers. This is your final warning, because I'm going to say it.

BYU basketball's defense was absolutely dominant during their 68-48 win over West Virginia.

That's right. BYU. A team that had been torched all season long on the defensive end, allowing 99 points to Oklahoma State, 94 points to Baylor, 97 points to UCF, and most recently 91 points against Kansas State in the tournament's first round.

Please, you have to believe me when I tell you that this very same BYU team just limited their West Virginian opponents to 48 points in a 40-minute basketball game. Kevin Young's team has been harshly criticized -- and rightfully so -- for its lack of defensive effort to compliment the offensive firepower of AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright. Sure, the Cougars' offense allows the team to stay in contention in nearly any given game, but it's challenging to win a basketball competition when the other team scores a basket on seemingly every possession.

Yet BYU's defensive efforts were incredible in the second round of the conference tournament. They forced 22 turnovers and limited the Mountaineers to a horrifying 38% from the field (28% from distance is equally nightmarish).

Another foreign concept for the Cougars this season? Offensive production outside of the Big 3 (now Big 2). Kennard Davis Jr. was incredible in the second half of this one, just like his second-half eruption against K-State. In a game in which BYU simply couldn't get a three-pointer to fall (1-12 outside of Davis), Moo earned ESPN's Player of the Game honors for his 5-6 shooting from deep, timely rebounding, and tireless on-ball defense.

I've been very critical of Davis' shooting inefficiency during the regular season. And to be fair, he had been atrocious since the beginning of the Big 12 Conference schedule, shooting well below 30% from distance on high volume.

But in recent appearences, he's been lights out. He was 4-9 in the first round, and now 5-6 in the second, making his postseason shooting splits total a remarkable 9 for 17 (52.9% is very nice).

HIs exceptional play, plus the emergence of Dominique Diomande off the bench, lifted BYU well above their recent standard of play against inferior competition. This same team lost to WVU near the end of the regular season responded in a big way when it mattered most.

After losing four of their last six regular-season games, but taking down a top-10 program in each of their wins in that stretch, BYU basketball was a total enigma. Nobody was sure what version of BYU basketball would arrive to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament. But if this is the team that the season has led up to, this could be a dangerous group in the NCAA Tournament.

I haven't even mentioned the potential number-one pick, AJ Dybantsa, who scored 27 tonight, and I can't say enough good about this BYU squad.

Tomorrow, we learn what BYU basketball is truly capable of, as they square off against the Houston Cougars, a national championship contender.