Alex Barcello Wants BYU To Keep Playing ‘With Edge’ In March
Mar 5, 2022, 9:19 AM | Updated: 9:20 am
Brigham Young Cougars guard Alex Barcello (13) shoots during the second round of the 2022 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament against the Loyola Marymount Lions at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, March 4, 2022. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
LAS VEGAS – BYU super senior Alex Barcello knows the finish line is near. The star guard has started in 90 consecutive games for BYU since transferring from Arizona and he’s been a foundational piece for the early years in the Mark Pope era.
But this is this month that compelled Barcello to return to BYU for one more season. There’s nothing he wants more than to remove the bad taste from last year’s NCAA Tournament loss against UCLA. The time is now and no game impacts BYU’s postseason fate than in the WCC Tournament Quarterfinals tonight against fellow Quad 1 opponent San Francisco (8:30 p.m., ESPN2 & KSL NewsRadio).
#BYU guard Alex Barcello: “I thought we’ve done a great job of having edge when we stepped out on the court.”#BYUHoops #GoCougs #WCChoops #KSLVegasMayhem pic.twitter.com/719u6o2A3k
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 5, 2022
Barcello knows the time is now and as he always has, he’s got full faith in Coach Pope and the BYU staff to make their March dreams come true.
Alex Barcello: March requires edge
“So I’m going to talk about what Coach [Pope] has been telling us this past week; I thought that we’ve done a great job at just having an edge when we step out on the court. You know, it’s March. That’s what teams have got to play with,” Barcello said.
After scoring 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, while also pulling down three rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win over Loyola Marymount, there’s no doubt Barcello is bringing the edge to the postseason. He wants another shot at March glory.
Saturday night is going to be fun at the @WCCHoops Tournament. #WCChoops #GoCougs #BYU #KSLVegasMayhemhttps://t.co/KVCwPvi1dV pic.twitter.com/K6cj1WBA4s
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 5, 2022
He experienced a shocking loss to Buffalo at Arizona while buried on the Wildcats bench. In the 2020 season, Barcello was as impactful of a transfer as you’ll find out of the Transfer Portal, but COVID took away what looked to be a deep run. Then last season’s bubble tournament ended far too early against red-hot UCLA.
Huge opportunity against San Francisco
The last time BYU faced San Francisco was on February 4 amid an uncharacteristic four-game losing streak. At that point of the season, there were many questions about whether BYU could regain the edge that made them climb to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 and top 20 in the NET ratings.
Getting another crack at the Dons will be a great test to BYU’s edge, and if they are capable of “playing their best basketball,” as Mark Pope has remained optimistic, they are capable of showing this month.
Alex Barcello in postgame: "Playing with an edge is what we're preaching right now. It's March."#BYU #BYUHoops #KSLVegasMayhem
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 5, 2022
“It’s a huge opportunity; they’re a really good team,” said Barcello on the Quarterfinal matchup against San Francisco. “But we have the same mindset every game right now. It’s March. It’s win or go home. So we’ve got to lay it out there every time we step out on the floor; we’ve got to give it 100%. 99% isn’t good. That’s another thing that coach tells us is that when we’re playing 99% as opposed to us playing 100%, it’s night and day. When we have guys diving on the floor for 50/50 balls, when guys are making great digs, helping each out when guys are talking, guys having bottoms; playing together collectively as a group defensively, I think that we’re really good and I think that helps us create plays on the offensive end.”
But at the end of the day, it comes down to one thing for Alex Barcello and this 22-9 BYU squad, looking to punch a ticket into the dance.
#BYU star Alex Barcello is a walking bucket. 🤙 🏀 #BYUHoops #GoCougs #KSLVegasMayhem pic.twitter.com/gybw8cEBT9
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 5, 2022
“Just playing with edge. Every game matters,” Barcello said. “So it’s a huge opportunity for us [against San Francisco], but we’re coming in with the same mindset.”
BYU vs. San Francisco
2022 WCC Tournament, Quarterfinals
Date: March 5, 2022
Tip: 8:30 p.m. (MT)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
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.
