Bracketology Forecasts For BYU Basketball Entering Saint Mary’s Game
Feb 17, 2022, 12:11 PM | Updated: 12:15 pm
Brigham Young Cougars guard Alex Barcello (13) drives on Saint Mary's Gaels guard Augustas Marciulionis (3) in Provo on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. BYU won 52-43. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball is hanging on in NCAA Tournament bracketology projections. The 19-8 Cougars are in the thick of bubble talk as March is less than two weeks away.
BYU needs a boost to its tournament resume before the calendar turns to every college hoops fan’s favorite month.
#BYU vs. Saint Mary’s is a “massive” opportunity for the Cougs to try and boost their NCAA Tournament resume.#BYUHoops #GoCougs
➡️: https://t.co/LUhi6cjzwa pic.twitter.com/vNsaMohOn8
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 17, 2022
Mark Pope’s team will get the chance to enhance their profile with a Saturday night tilt in Moraga against Saint Mary’s. The game is BYU’s last “Quad One” opportunity in the regular season. A win and BYU could feel better about their at-large bid chances.
“It’s important for us to go show well; it just is. Like, we’re at the point of the season where you have to go win games. It’s not a death sentence for us if we don’t win this game, but this is a massive game,” said Pope on Saturday’s Saint Mary’s matchup. “It’s a really important game and we feel that way, and I’m sure they feel that way. So let’s go. This is what you play for, right? End of February, into March, this is when it gets great.”
BYU currently sits at No. 53 in the NCAA’s NET rankings and Ken Pomeroy’s predictive ratings.
Here’s a roundup of notable bracketology projections for BYU heading into Saturday night’s game against Saint Mary’s.
BYU Basketball Bracketology Projections
As of February 17th
ESPN: First Four vs. Iowa State
ESPN’s projection is a fascinating glimpse into the challenges of BYU’s current situation and the wide margin for error they will have in the future. BYU is currently 19-8 overall and boasts one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, yet they are in the same spot as an Iowa State team that is 4-9 in Big 12 play. It pays to play many “Quad One” games in conference. Soon enough for BYU.
CBS Sports: 10-seed vs. USC
CBS’ Jerry Palm has BYU comfortably in the field of 68 in his latest projection.
Bleacher Report: Fifth-to-last-in
In this scenario, BYU would avoid Dayton’s “First Four” game and automatically be in the round of 64.
FOX Sports: 11-seed vs. Marquette
Instead of BYU, FOX has San Francisco in the “First Four.”
Heat Check CBB: 11-seed vs. USC
Both BYU and USC have a lot in common this year, where they both got off to hot starts. But, then each has had their fair share of struggles during conference play.
NCAA.com: First Four Out
Andy Katz has BYU as team No. 69 in his latest projection. He gave his final at-large bid to Memphis over BYU.
SB Nation: First Four Out
In SB Nation’s bracket, Creighton –a team that beat BYU in December– gets the final at-large bid.
Sporting News: Last Four In
BYU is in a grouping of Oklahoma, Creighton, and Miami in the “Last Four In” group that would play in Dayton.
Sports Illustrated: Last Four In
BYU has appeared in “First Four” games in Dayton two previous times in 2012 (Iona) and 2015 (Ole Miss).
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
