Here’s BYU basketball’s route to a Big 12 Conference Championship
While BYU’s performance is crucial, seeding will also play a key role as the Cougars aim to win their first conference tournament title in over twenty years.
For BYU basketball fans, it’s well known that the Cougars haven’t claimed a conference tournament title since the 2000-2001 season during the Mountain West era. Now, as part of the prestigious Big 12, securing a conference championship would be a monumental achievement for the Marriott Center. Below are four factors that could lead BYU to a Big 12 conference title.
Secure a Top Four Seed… First, BYU must finish the regular season strong, get some assistance, and ultimately secure a top four seed in the Big 12 tournament. This is essential due to the structure of the 16-team conference tournament.
Top four teams earn a two-round bye, advancing directly to the quarterfinals. As a top four seed, BYU would already be in the final eight teams, needing just one win to reach the semifinals. In a four-team bracket, anything can happen.
…or Finish as the Sixth Seed If BYU doesn’t finish in the top four, it’s vital they avoid finishing fifth. This is because the No. 5 seed faces the No. 1 seed, Houston, a team currently playing at a very high level. As a No. 5 seed, BYU would meet Houston in the semifinals, and the longer they can avoid them, the better.
As the No. 6 seed, BYU would earn a first-round bye and would only need to win in the second round to reach the quarterfinals, avoiding Houston until the championship game.
Make Free Throws To win the Big 12 tournament title, BYU cannot afford to miss free throws. Their poor 68.8% free throw shooting ranks 12th in the Big 12, which is puzzling for a team shooting 37.5% from three-point range. Most games in the Big 12 tournament will be close, and BYU simply can’t waste opportunities for free points at the foul line.
Rely on the Proven Veterans Finally, while BYU’s 11-player rotation has worked well in conference play, the intensity increases during conference tournaments. Kevin Young may need to lean more on his experienced players.
Relying on these “proven veterans” means giving more minutes to Fousseyni Traore and Dallin Hall. Traore’s minutes would likely come at the expense of Mihailo Boskovic, and Dallin Hall’s minutes would mean fewer for Dawson Baker and freshman Egor Demin. While Demin’s passing is impressive, his struggles with scoring, 62.5% free throw shooting, and turnover issues (averaging 3.2 turnovers per game in conference play) could prove costly in tight, high-pressure games.
It’s been nearly 25 years since BYU’s last conference tournament victory.
If Kevin Young’s team secures the right seeding, makes free throws, and leans on veteran leadership, they have a clear route to the semifinals, where anything can happen with a team as capable as the Cougars.
