BYU basketball has faced much adversity during Kevin Young's introductory season with the Cougars, including a brutal loss to Arizona last week in the Marriott Center that saw BYU's offense lose steam in the final stretch of play.
Cincinnati has not been a major roadblock for this team at this point in the season, winning the previous matchup by a score of 80-52 under the Marriott Center lights.
This upcoming matchup doesn't project nearly as favorable for BYU.
Just completing a double-digit road win against UCF, Cincinnati may finally be placing the jigsaw properly after a truly hideous beginning to the season. Having lost 3 of their 11 Big 12 matchups, the Bearcats are falling flat in every conceivable metric when compared to the preseason expectations of a top-25 squad.
Cincy was a ranked team through 9 weeks of the season, but a nightmare gauntlet through the Big 12 has seemingly exposed the Bearcats to be nothing more than paper mache.
BYU enters this meeting with the expectations of building a postseason resume capable of squeezing the Cougars into the field of 68, which would be a tremendous accomplishment for Kevin Young, the head coach leading this team in his first gig at the lead.
BYU vs Cincinnati preview
BYU stands with a 6-5 conference record--15-7 overall--and currently slots 7th in the Big 12 Conference as the highest-standing non-ranked school. Though they've knocked on the door of the top 25 for much of the season (currently top 35 in NET rankings), this is a team that has yet to earn that "statement win" that could set them firmly in postseason consideration.
Taking down Baylor was a step in the right direction, but far from a confirming result, as the Bears have disappointed thus far into the year after beginning with top-10 aspirations.
The play of Egor Demin has been enigmatic for those following the team through the season, where the tall guard's revelatory passing ability sets him apart from his competitors, while his subpar shooting ability has caused a slide down draft boards. Demin was excellent against Cincinnati, joining BYU's sharpshooting brigade to knock down an insane clip of 3-balls (knocking down over 60% of their tries).
Cincinnati's story has been one of riches to rags. All the confidence in the world from AP voters, but lacking the results to reach the promised land of college basketball relevance. It's likely too late for the Bearcats to steal an at-large bid (though not impossible), so this rematch with the previously dominant Cougars is about pride.
The Bearcats lean on defensive pressure to assert themselves on their opponents, allowing a mere 63.9 points per contest--ranking 18th-best nationally.
Road struggles must be shaken for BYU to continue down the path of relevance, and a win this afternoon could solidify the Cougars as an upper-half squad in their league.
You can watch this meeting on ESPN2 at 4:00 PM Mountain Time.