Despite being a 6 seed and facing an 11 seed, BYU is only a slight favorite over VCU in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament first-round game. Here’s why.
BYU Cougars head coach Kevin Young watches his players warm up during a practice at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Isaac Hale, Jay has covered sports in Utah for over 30 years and has written for the Deseret News since 2019.
DENVER — Richie Saunders, Trevin Knell, Dallin Hall, and Fouss Traore experienced it last year in Omaha, Nebraska, while backup guard Dawson Baker watched from the sidelines.
NCAA Tournament
No. 6 seed BYU (24-9) vs. No. 11 seed VCU (28-6)
Thursday, 2:05 p.m. MDT
Denver, Colorado
TV: TNT
Radio: 107.9 FM
BYU’s 71-67 loss to Duquesne in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament was a painful setback for former coach Mark Pope’s program, which had not won an NCAA game since 2012.
Given that history, the questions surrounding BYU (24-9) at Denver’s Ball Arena on Wednesday during interviews and a 50-minute light practice were focused on last year’s disappointing result.
Can the Cougars avoid a repeat of that loss — now, much closer to their home in Provo — in Thursday’s 6-11 matchup with VCU? Like Duquesne in 2024, VCU enters the game fresh off winning the Atlantic 10 tournament championship.
“The guys who played last year know the importance of being urgent and setting the tone, but also not letting the game feel too big,” said Baker, who was sidelined by injury in 2024. “It’s easy to let your mind wander on such a big stage, but we need to focus on the game plan and what we do well.”
The Cougars’ day didn’t begin smoothly, as they were late to their scheduled media time, but their shootaround included laughter, some friendly shooting contests, and the usual team photo at half-court in front of the March Madness logo.
Are they prepared for their most crucial game of the season and the start of Kevin Young’s tenure as head coach?
“I’d say our readiness is high,” Young said. He has been “picking the brains” of those who experienced last year’s loss. “The Big 12 gives you a lot of tough games in the regular season and postseason, so our guys are ready. We have a mature team, and we’re definitely counting on their experience.”
BYU’s lack of tournament success since 2012 has been a major topic of discussion, especially given that the Cougars are just 6-7 as a higher seed in the tournament since full-field seeding began in 1979.
Alongside questions about his great-grandfather’s role in creating Tater Tots as a co-founder of Ore-Ida, Saunders was asked how it felt to see many picking VCU to pull off an upset for the second consecutive year for the A-10.
“It doesn’t affect us,” Saunders said. “We’re here to play basketball and play our style.”
On the topic of last year’s early exit as motivation for this year’s tournament, Saunders had more to say.
“It was our first time having this opportunity, and we got destroyed,” he said. “We learned a few key things from it. First, we’ve got to come out and be the aggressors.”
“Now, we feel like we’ve been around the block,” he continued. “We have the confidence to get the job done, focus on being the tougher team, and just doing what it takes. That’s the biggest takeaway.”
Knell echoed Saunders’ thoughts, adding that BYU feels more “battle-tested” than VCU due to its tough Big 12 schedule.
“We have a lot of experienced players here,” Knell said. “It’s going to be exciting to play alongside our brothers and showcase our basketball. We really need to stick to what we do well in this game.”
Mawot Mag, a Rutgers transfer who has seen NCAA Tournament action before, said the Cougars are eager to face a strong opponent right away.
“I’d rather face VCU early than late,” Mag said.
VCU (28-6) also enters the tournament with confidence. Jack Clark of the Rams said, “We’re an 11 seed playing a 6 seed, but it feels like an even matchup. We’ll go in with confidence, which will help us both now and later.”
VCU has won 18 of its last 20 games, while BYU was also on a hot streak, winning nine straight before losing 74-54 to Houston last Friday. Did that loss, especially against one of the country’s top teams, affect BYU’s confidence?
“I hope not,” Saunders said. “It shouldn’t have. Personally, I feel fine, and I’m sure the others do too. We take our losses, learn from them, and keep going. That’s how we’ve operated all season.”
Regarding the Tater Tot mention, Saunders laughed off the attention.
“It’s hilarious. I don’t know where that came from, but it’s been fun. My great-grandfather helped found Ore-Ida, which created the Tater Tot,” he said. “We’ve had some good laughs about it at home — and ate a lot of Tater Tots, too.”
What BYU hasn’t had is many NCAA Tournament wins. The Cougars hold the record for most NCAA appearances (32) without reaching the Final Four. Fans are eager for a change, and Baker acknowledged it.
“Honestly, we’re hungry for ourselves,” he said. “We feel like we’ve earned this. We’ve worked hard all year, faced many challenges, and we owe it to ourselves to advance.”
“We just want to do it for each other and for our coaching staff in their first year,” Baker continued. “That’s the biggest motivation for us.”
