BYU Basketball Earns 6-Seed In 2021 NCAA Tournament
Mar 14, 2021, 4:43 PM
BYU reacts to 6-seed in 2021 NCAA Tournament at Marriott Center. (BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
(BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball has received its 30th bid all-time to the NCAA Tournament. The first since 2015.
BYU, like everyone else in this unique 2021 NCAA Tournament, will be traveling to Indianapolis. The Cougars will face the winner of the First Four matchup between Michigan State or UCLA in the East Region.
.@BYUbasketball is back in the #NCAATournament for the first time since 2015!#MarchMadness #BYU #BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/RC3lm4QLFo
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 14, 2021
The Cougars are 4-5 all-time against Michigan State and 12-12 overall against UCLA. BYU’s last meeting against the Spartans was in 2008 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, a loss to the Spartans. Mark Pope’s BYU program has already faced UCLA before in the 2020 Maui Invitational. A game that BYU won.
#BYU is 4-5 all-time against Michigan State. Last meeting in 2008 (Vivint).
Cougars are 12-12 against UCLA. Last meeting was in the 2020 Maui Invitational.#BYUHoops @kslsports #MarchMadness
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 14, 2021
BYU is 20-6 overall on the season and finished in second place in the West Coast Conference.
BYU lands a 6-seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament
The 6-seed BYU received from the selection committee is the first single-digit seed the Cougars have received since being a member of the West Coast Conference (since 2012). It’s the highest seed that BYU has landed in the NCAA Tournament since they were given a 3-seed in 2011 during Jimmer Fredette’s senior year.
This is only the sixth time in BYU’s history of the NCAA Tournament that they’ve received a six seed or higher in the field.
BYU will face Michigan State or UCLA on Saturday, March 20th in Indianapolis. Tip times and venue information will be announced at a later time.
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., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
