Vanquish The Foe - All PostsBYU sports. Messin' with Texas since 1987.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50093/vanquish-fav.png2024-03-17T20:30:32-07:00http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/rss/current/2024-03-17T20:30:32-07:002024-03-17T20:30:32-07:00BYU-Duquesne Preview: BYU Favored Over Dukes in Clash of Styles
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<img alt="Houston v Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wXTZyCgI13SJ8K9wT_5gmo4swqk=/408x0:4332x2616/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214375/1948410430.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="XX86OJ"><a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> will play its first NCAA Tournament game since 2021 and Duquesne will its first since 1977 (!) when the two teams face off in the 6-11 matchup Thursday at 12:40 ET on TruTv. </p>
<p id="2MCSFI">BYU was a foregone conclusion to enter the NCAA Tournament while the Dukes won four games in four days in the Atlantic 10 Tournament to punch their ticket. As of this publishing, <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/sports/basketball">BYU is a 8.5-point favorite according to DraftKings</a>. </p>
<p id="1AFRuh"><strong>BYU and Duquesne by the Numbers</strong></p>
<p id="BfBA2L">Duqeusne Record: 24-11</p>
<p id="hj3Igf">KenPom: 86</p>
<p id="YAkAxh">NET: 80</p>
<p id="NWG4L3">Best Wins (2-3 Quad 1, 6-5 Quad 2): Charleston (N), Bradley (N), St Bonaventure (H/A/N), VCU (A/N), George Mason (A), Dayton (N)</p>
<p id="YulBvL">Losses (5-3 Quad 3, 0 Quad 4 losses): Princeton (H), Nebraska (A), Santa Clara (N), UMass (A), Loyola Chicago (A), Dayton (H/A), Richmond (H), Davidson (H), Fordham (A)</p>
<p id="1x6uZs">BYU KenPom: 16</p>
<p id="5zZSGg">Net: 12</p>
<p id="T3GQU2">Record: 23-10</p>
<p id="lzp0FA">Best Wins: San Diego State (H), <a href="https://www.backingthepack.com/"><strong>NC State</strong></a> (N), UCF (A/H/N), <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/"><strong>Iowa State</strong></a> (H), Texas (H), <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/"><strong>Kansas State</strong></a> (H), Baylor (H), Kansas (A), <a href="https://www.frogsowar.com">TCU</a> (H)</p>
<p id="4fnmvp">Losses: Utah (A), Cincinnati (H), Baylor (A), Texas Tech (A), Houston (H), Oklahoma (A), Oklahoma State (A), <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/"><strong>Kansas State</strong></a> (A), <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> (A), Texas Tech (N)</p>
<p id="V2iNzp"><strong>Duquesne Overview</strong></p>
<p id="CD40Ut">Duquesne likes to muck things up. They are the worst offense in the Atlantic 10 but are top 30 nationally in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Their goal will be to keep this game in the 60s. You can see from their last 3 scores in the A10 tournament of what they want to do — 65-57, 70-60, 57-51. </p>
<p id="Xlzcr2">Using KenPom efficiency rankings — which accounts for SOS — Duquesne offense ranks below every Big 12 team and their defense would rank 7th. Duquesne is very capable and can beat BYU, so I’m not saying the following to knock them, but metrics wise they are an outlier in their seed line. They are the lowest rated KenPom team for any 11 seed by a sizable margin, are rated lower than three of the four 12 seeds, and are below two 13 seeds. New Mexico is an 11 seed and is 23 in KenPom — the Dukes are 86. So while BYU got rated as a 5 seed by the committee and had to get bumped down to a 6 due to no Sunday play, the committee gave BYU the most favorable matchup amongst their peers. </p>
<p id="Bqa7f0">Duquesne hasn’t played a team like BYU that pushes in transition AND shoots a lot of threes, but Dayton is probably the best comparison. Dayton is a top 25 team that shoots a lot of threes and is third nationally in three-point percentage; the Flyers, however, are one of the slowest tempo teams in the nation. In the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals, Duquesne held them to 57 points on 16-50 shooting (32%) from the floor and 7-26 (27%) from three.</p>
<p id="RrxTxm">Duquesne's guards pressure the ball in the half court and play best against teams that are perimeter oriented. They are top 50 in defensive turnover percentage and top 60 effective FG% defense. I talked to one Duquesne insider, and he said the Dukes can be vulnerable to teams with scoring bigs. Duquesne doesn’t have an imposing front court, so Fouss could have a big game. Additionally, I’m curious how Duquesne accounts for BYU’s back cuts when Aly Khalifa is on the floor. Staring big man Dusan Mahorcic isn’t a big that likes to play on the perimeter, so that is a vulnerability that BYU could expose.</p>
<p id="hYV2CJ">Offensively, Duquesne has two guards they play through. Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark are high level guards that both average over 15 per game, but no one else on the team averages more than 7.2 points. The key for BYU will be to hone in on those two guys.</p>
<p id="NioTBe">As a team, Duquesne ranks 180th in 3-point shooting, 213 in two-point percentage, 213 in turnover percentage, and slightly above average in offensive rebounding. They don’t shoot the three ball great, but 40% of their field goal attempts come from behind the arc, which is 117 nationally. </p>
<p id="TFgK97"><strong>Duquesne Players to Watch</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="Di4VNW">
<em>Dae Dae Adams, Guard — </em>The 6-foot-2 senior leads the Dukes with 17 ppg on 39% shooting and 34% from distance. He gets to the foul line nearly 5 times per game and shoots an insane 95%. Adams was second-team all-conference and had three games this season with over 30 points.</li>
<li id="u1q853">
<em>Jimmy Clark III, Guard — </em>Clark was also second-team all-conference and averages 15.3 points on 43% shooting from the floor and 34% from three. The 6-foot-3 senior is one of the nation’s top perimeter defenders, averaging 2.3 steals per game. He averages 4 assists per game, but can be a bit turnover prone with his 3 turnover per game average. </li>
<li id="0bqiHE">
<em>David Dixon, Forward/Center — </em>Nixon leads a solid bench group. The 6-foot-9 forward is third on the team with 7.2 points and is a great rim protector. He averages 1.6 blocks per game and is 22nd nationally in block percentage. </li>
<li id="Rjt9y5">
<em>Fousseyni Drame, Forward — </em>The Mali native is a fifth-year senior who was part of Saint Peter’s Elite 8 run two years ago. At 6-foot-7, Drame leads the Dukes in rebounding and is a capable outside shooter. He was 24-54 (44%) on the year.</li>
<li id="tYrTf6">
<em>Dusan Mahorcic, Center — </em>This name may sound familiar as BYU recruited the Serbian big man in the transfer portal 3 years ago. Mahorcic had injuries this season, but is the starting big man at 6-foot-10.</li>
<li id="kbaJQb">
<em>Kareem Rozier, Guard — </em>Rozier is just 5-foot-9, but he makes about one three per game and shoots 40% from distance. He made four threes in the Dukes’ loss at Nebraska.</li>
</ul>
<p id="fH0jBy">Duquesne will likely be without reserve forward Tre Williams after he got injured in the A10 Tournament. The 6-foot-7, 250 pounds forward isn’t a top player, but he a rotational player that hurts their front court a bit, especially on defense. </p>
<p id="wYKOiV"><strong>Prediction</strong></p>
<p id="PkowiK">Duquesne is riding a wave of momentum. After a 9-8 start, they have won 15 of their last 18 and are dancing for the first time since 1977. This is a monumental moment not just for the program, but the entire school. They won 4 games in 4 days to secure a bid, so they will fully believe they can beat BYU and are playing their best ball of the season.</p>
<p id="wolYO6">I think Duquesne’s defense will give BYU some trouble, but they are different than other Big 12 teams BYU has played. They don’t turn you over quite as much as Iowa State and don’t allow as many threes. They are different than TCU and Texas Tech. TCU and Texas Tech played undersized and athletic 4 and 5 men that gave BYU trouble, whereas Duquesne has more traditional frontcourt players that aren’t as disruptive on the perimeter. </p>
<p id="5780Sq">That latter reason is why I think BYU can handle this defense well enough. BYU shouldn’t get overwhelmed by double teams on the perimeter, so they should be able to get a lot of touches for Fouss in the paint and let Aly facilitate from the high post. Duquesne can game plan for Aly all they want, but his passing is staggering for a team seeing it for the first time on just a few days of prep. Additionally, Duquesne is susceptible to giving up offensive rebounds. They are 222 nationally in defensive offensive rebound rate (i.e., the rate at which opposing teams grab offensive rebounds), so BYU will need to be much better on the offensive glass than what they showed versus Texas Tech. If BYU can’t make shots or grab offensive rebounds, that is the recipe for Duquesne to pull an upset.</p>
<p id="6pQZgS">Duquesne's backcourt can fill it up and BYU will need to be prepared for that, but their offense is worse than every team in the Big 12 and just doesn’t have a ton of consistent threats. That’s not to say they can’t have a big shooting day, but it’s not how they win games. </p>
<p id="dYZgaM">I think Duquesne will have some success mucking things up, but I think BYU’s diversity of what they can do offensively and be able to hone in defensively will be the difference maker.</p>
<p id="yZQRJc"><em>Prediction: BYU 74, Duquesne 65</em></p>
<p id="WfDkJ7"></p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/17/24104456/byu-basketball-duquesne-preview-ncaa-tournament-odds-spread-draftkings-how-to-watch-channel-timeRobby McCombs2024-03-17T15:34:13-07:002024-03-17T15:34:13-07:00BYU Gets 6 Seed, to Open Versus Duquesne
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Central Florida at Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TM_hkWamw2w2HLffrhiwX0b2RlM=/0x0:5902x3935/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213883/usa_today_22516045.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="rT24aX"><a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 3 years when they open versus 11 seed Duquesne Thursday. BYU will open in Omaha. Below is BYU’s region. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The East Region <a href="https://t.co/bIkCGTN13Y">pic.twitter.com/bIkCGTN13Y</a></p>— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1769488417065247139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="PhYO8A">Most had predicted a 5 seed for BYU, so a 6 seed is a bit disappointing, but the draw is fairly favorable for BYU. Duquesne won the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid after winning 4 games in 4 days. The Dukes started the season 9-8, but have won 15 of their last 18 games. They are dancing for the first time since 1977.</p>
<p id="hlimVQ">Duquesne is 86 in KenPom, which is below many of the teams BYU could have opened with. The Dukes are average at best on offense, but hang their hat on defense. They are ranked 28th nationally in KenPom defensive efficiency and 166th nationally on offense. </p>
<p id="yl3yka">Illinois is a formidable foe as the 3 seed if BYU were to play them; the Illini are the opposite of the Dukes. Illinois has one of the best offenses in the country but are suspect at defense. If BYU wins, they play the winner or Illinois-Morehead State Saturday.</p>
<p id="qCdbTX">BYU is in the East region and would play in Boston if they advance to the Sweet 16, with a potential rematch versus <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a>.</p>
<p id="z8d2Rf"> </p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/17/24104302/byu-basketball-gets-6-seed-to-open-versus-duquesne-ncaa-tournament-march-madnessRobby McCombs2024-03-16T14:19:58-07:002024-03-16T14:19:58-07:00March Madness 2024: How to watch Selection Sunday show on March 17
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<img alt="UCF v Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VE0zW1U584EXffZj9nVg1BXnM9Y=/0x0:3119x2079/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212230/2001190689.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="hy4sSe">We don’t know which seed <a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> will be, but we do know that BYU will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 after a two-season drought; BYU was a 6 seed that season and lost to eventual Final Four team UCLA. That entire tournament was held in Indiana due to COVID in front of 25% capacity crowds, so this will be BYU’s first “normal” tournament appearance since 2015 when BYU lost to <a href="https://www.redcuprebellion.com">Ole Miss</a> in the first four.</p>
<p id="9pllrq">A 5 seed in the most common consensus among <a href="https://www.bloggingthebracket.com">bracketology</a> pundits, although BYU is generally pegged anywhere between a 4 and 6 seed. Due to BYU’s no Sunday play, we know that BYU will need to play in the West or East regions to ensure a Thursday-Saturday second weekend region. Below is how you can watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.</p>
<ul>
<li id="kX5CTM">Date: Sunday, March 17</li>
<li id="TS32dp">Time: 6 p.m. ET</li>
<li id="JSxrTa">TV: CBS</li>
<li id="6EV6dW">Online streaming: <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch">NCAA March Madness Live</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p id="oDoPK8">You can get all college basketball and NCAA Tournament odds at <a href="https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/5pdi?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgate[%E2%80%A6]Vox%26wpcrid%3DCBB&pcid=166791&pscn=CBB&pcrn=Inartcile&psn=Vox"><strong>DraftKings Sportsbook</strong></a>.</p>
<p id="mr6Iuj"></p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/16/24101895/selection-sunday-show-start-time-tv-channel-cbs-march-madness-live-2024-byu-basketballRobby McCombs2024-03-13T15:43:51-07:002024-03-13T15:43:51-07:00BYU-Texas Tech Preview: Cougars Open as Slight Favorite in Big 12 Quarters
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Brigham Young at Texas Tech" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r5ZOMcrTe8fZnvmYdstUOmwqRoI=/94x0:3562x2312/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73205452/usa_today_22340503.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="sgR9Zr">After beating 12 seed UCF in the 5-12 matchup, <a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> will face 4 seed Texas Tech in the Big 12 quarterfinals Thursday. The game tips at 10:30 am PT on ESPN2. This will be Tech’s first game in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/big-12-basketball-tournament">Big 12 Tournament</a> while BYU is coming off a 14-point win versus UCF.</p>
<p id="8DPT4C">As of this publishing, <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/sports/basketball">BYU is a 2-point favorite over the Red Raiders according to DraftKings.</a></p>
<p id="1AFRuh"><strong>BYU and Texas Tech by the Numbers</strong></p>
<p id="BfBA2L">TTU Record: 22-9 (11-7 Big 12)</p>
<p id="hj3Igf">KenPom: 25</p>
<p id="YAkAxh">NET: 30</p>
<p id="NWG4L3">Best Wins: Texas (A), <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/"><strong>Kansas State</strong></a> (H), BYU (H), Oklahoma (A), UCF (H) Kansas (H), <a href="https://www.frogsowar.com">TCU</a> (H), Baylor (H)</p>
<p id="YulBvL">Losses: <a href="https://www.vuhoops.com/"><strong>Villanova</strong></a> (N), Butler (A), Houston (A), TCU (A), Cincinnati (H), Baylor (A), <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> (A), UCF (A), Texas (H)</p>
<p id="1x6uZs">BYU KenPom: 15</p>
<p id="5zZSGg">Net: 12</p>
<p id="T3GQU2">Record: 23-9 (10-8 Regular Season)</p>
<p id="lzp0FA">Best Wins: San Diego State (H), <a href="https://www.backingthepack.com/"><strong>NC State</strong></a> (N), UCF (A/H/N), <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/"><strong>Iowa State</strong></a> (H), Texas (H), <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/"><strong>Kansas State</strong></a> (H), Baylor (H), Kansas (A), TCU (H)</p>
<p id="4fnmvp">Losses: Utah (A), Cincinnati (H), Baylor (A), Texas Tech (A), Houston (H), Oklahoma (A), Oklahoma State (A), <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com">Kansas State</a> (A), Iowa State (A)</p>
<p id="c8IJU9">KenPom Prediction: BYU 78, TTU 76; BYU 58% win probability</p>
<p id="ANMVZb"><strong>First Game Recap</strong></p>
<p id="yz17d1">BYU and Texas Tech played just once in the regular season, a January 20 matchup in Lubbock which TTU won 85-78. BYU jumped out to a 48-32 start at halftime fueled by a scorching 10-20 start from three. Four BYU players made two threes in the first half, and Richie Saunders had 13 first half points.</p>
<p id="DVP7FB">Texas Tech, meanwhile, shot 63% in the second half after shooting 35% in the first half. Point guard Pop Isaacs scored 23 points in the final 20 minutes and finished the game with 32 points. Aly Khalifa led BYU with a season-high 21 points and scored 15 of BYU’s 30 points in the second half. BYU shot 3-19 from three in the second half.</p>
<p id="F65pfA">Turnovers fueled Texas Tech’s second half comeback. BYU lost the turnover battle 12-6, but the real killer was TTU’s 22 points off turnovers versus BYU’s 4. BYU won the battle on the offensive glass and had 18 second chance points versus TTU’s 7. </p>
<p id="95xQ5h"><strong>Texas Tech Players to Watch</strong></p>
<p id="bU0X47"><em>Pop Isaacs, Guard — </em>The Third-Team All Big 12 guard torched BYU for 32 points and 6 made threes last game, both career highs. Isaacs is up and down in terms of efficiency, but few players in the league can fill it up like he can. Isaacs averages 16 points on 36% shooting from the field and 30% from deep.</p>
<p id="D3Aa3c"><em>Darrion Williams, Guard/Forward — </em>Williams is a 6-foot-6 wing who is Tech’s defacto starting 4. He was Third Team All-Conference along with Isaacs and averages 11.6 points, 7.6 boards on 50% shooting and 47% from distance. Williams causes matchup problems with many fours and is even playing some 5 with Warren Washington out.</p>
<p id="TvEDYT"><em>Warren Washington, Center —</em> Washington’s health is one of the main storylines heading into the game. The 7-foot center scored 19 points and 9 boards in the win over BYU. Washington has missed the last 4 games with a foot injury and he is questionable at best for tomorrow’s game. Without him the Red Raiders don’t start anyone taller than 6-foot-7, but have won their last 3 games without him.</p>
<p id="esJsye"><em>Joe Toussaint, Guard — </em>The 6-foot guard is second on the team in scoring with 12.3 ppg. He shoots just 30% from three, but does most of his damage attacking the basket.</p>
<p id="buzafP"><em>Chance McMillian, Guard — </em>McMillian may be the best sixth man in the league behind Jaxson Robinson. He averages over 10 points per game and shoots 39% from three.</p>
<p id="fYC5is"><em>Kerwin Walton, Guard — </em>Walton is a three-point specialist. He shoots four threes per game and averages 47% on them.</p>
<p id="CQOedp"><strong>Outlook/Prediction</strong></p>
<p id="CwTKXr">Texas Tech Coach Grant McClasland didn’t rule out Warren Washington for the game, but he was less than optimistic in his media availability. Washington was seen in a boot as recently as last week, and recent comments suggest he won’t play versus BYU. Washington is a difficult matchup for BYU because neither Aly Khalifa or Fouss matchup particularly well with him. Washington is an athletic center that plays above the rim, something that can give Fouss or Aly trouble. </p>
<p id="1vhjQM">Without Washington, TTU’s starting center is 6-foot-7 and they bring a 6-foot-8 freshman off the bench. Despite that, Texas Tech has won three games in a row, all without Washington. That TCU team that dominated BYU in the first half didn’t have a ton of size, but they were disruptive on quick. This squad is similar to that — they have a lot of athletic players in the floor that will look to disrupt BYU’s offense.</p>
<p id="8MaZ6H">One area I can see BYU doing well in is the offensive glass. Texas Tech is the second worst team in Big 12 at giving up offensive boards, and that is exasperated without Washington. BYU had 16 offensive rebounds last game and had 18 second chance points versus TTU’s 7. If Washington is out, BYU will need to win the battle on the glass.</p>
<p id="BnEJd1">Texas Tech won the first game in large point due to turnovers. They won the turnover battle 12-6, but more importantly had 22 points off turnovers versus BYU’s 4. Fouss had a team-high 4 turnovers in just 12 minutes and will need to be stronger with the ball versus an opportunistic TTU defense. </p>
<p id="g76X0M">This game is truly a toss-up, but I think BYU sneaks it out on a neutral floor. I am operating under the assumption that Texas Tech will not have Washington. Fouss was not 100% healthy the first matchup, and I think he can have a big game versus TTU’s undersized front line. Texas Tech will make BYU start its offense further out and look to create turnovers, but I think without their home court behind them BYU will operate better in that area. Having Washington would give TTU a boost, but I still lean BYU since he will be less than 100% and Fouss is much healthier this time around.</p>
<p id="lCHgiq">I’ll go with BYU in an entertaining game that should feature robust offense.</p>
<p id="fo60BS"><em>Prediction: BYU 84, Texas Tech 81</em></p>
<p id="T7klX9"></p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/13/24100063/byu-basketball-texas-tech-game-preview-big-12-tournament-odds-spread-draftkingsRobby McCombs2024-03-13T12:02:10-07:002024-03-13T12:02:10-07:00BYU Beats UCF, Advances to Play Texas Tech in Big 12 Quarterfinals
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<img alt="UCF v BYU" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Npz8IS4YhL8qlIE1A2YQvJ5y34w=/0x0:5101x3401/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73204747/2074375759.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="PORcCU"><a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> jumped out to a big lead and held off a UCF rally to beat the Knights 87-73 Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/big-12-basketball-tournament">Big 12 Tournament</a>. </p>
<p id="RRPgzv">After getting out to a 21-3 lead, UCF got the lead to 9 at halftime and got as close as 3 in the second half behind a barrage from guard Darius Johnson, who finished with 32 points. Richie Saunders led the second half revival and scored 13 points off the bench, including 3-4 from distance. Fouss led all BYU scorers with 14 points, and Dallin Hall and Trevin Knell each scored in double figures to round out the top scorers. Jaxson Robinson chipped in 8 points and Aly Khalifa scored 8 points and dished out 5 assists.</p>
<p id="S1QoW9">UCF came into the game with the 11th best defense nationally according to KenPom, but BYU shot 14-30 (47%) from three, 47% from the field, and 23-29 from the foul line. BYU had some defensive lapses and Johnson couldn’t miss from stretches, but BYU largely held the other UCF players in check.</p>
<p id="HHsVNy">BYU draws 4 seed Texas Tech in the quarterfinals Thursday, who is coming off a double-bye. Texas Tech won the lone meeting in Lubbock, but the status of their 7-foot center Warren Washington is up in the air. Washington hasn’t played in 2 weeks with a foot injury and had 19 points and 9 boards versus BYU. </p>
<p id="lFJdIC">The game will be at 10:30 am MT on ESPN2/ESPN+.</p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/13/24099838/byu-basketball-beats-ucf-advance-to-play-texas-tech-in-big-12-quarterfinals-tournament-game-recapRobby McCombs2024-03-13T04:49:00-07:002024-03-13T04:49:00-07:00How to watch no. 20 BYU vs. UCF in the Big 12 Tournament
<figure>
<img alt="Oklahoma State v Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xVBVbm5JeiUkUqTUuE7o6Oiqbh0=/36x0:3000x1976/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73203334/2064224268.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="uTIAoN">BYU Basketball will play in the Big 12 Conference Tournament against the Knights of UCF on Wednesday morning.</p>
<p id="KrlYBU">The tournament began on Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri. BYU’s opponent would be UCF (seeded 12) or Oklahoma State (seeded 13), and the UCF Knights were victorious. They played at 10:30 a.m. MT, and the final score was 77-62, UCF. </p>
<p id="iJ2Ph8">BYU (22-9, 10-8) and UCF (17-14, 7-11) have played twice already this season, with BYU winning both meetings — First in Orlando, then in Provo. The game in Orlando was on January 13 and the final score favored BYU, 63-58. The game in Provo was a month later February 13, with BYU winning by a slimmer 90-88 margin. BYU is the fifth seed in the Big 12 Tourney.</p>
<p id="T1oD0D">The winner of Wednesday’s game moves on to face the fourth seeded Texas Tech Raiders on Thursday morning. </p>
<p id="SCjnhY">Here’s how to watch Cougs vs. Knights:</p>
<h2 id="bW8LwV"><strong>Game Date/Time:</strong></h2>
<ul><li id="gysK4I">Wed. Mar. 13, 10:30 a.m. MT</li></ul>
<h2 id="UWvtIL"><strong>Location:</strong></h2>
<ul><li id="qLezaF">T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO</li></ul>
<h2 id="IP6aiP"><strong>Game Notes:</strong></h2>
<ul><li id="pTT0P6"><a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2024/03/12/w202CMw0RAAIDDeIHCCaKD4tosV0AuPi2eDsdOg4.pdf"><strong>BYU</strong></a></li></ul>
<h2 id="BlC3hd"><strong>Channel:</strong></h2>
<ul><li id="PyDENC">ESPN2/ESPN+</li></ul>
<h2 id="ohZapd"><strong>Online Stream:</strong></h2>
<ul><li id="7KaTFx"><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/"><strong>espn.com</strong></a></li></ul>
<h2 id="MDP1c3"><strong>TV Broadcast Team:</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="vnCfwO">Rich Hollenberg (play by play)</li>
<li id="p33rp6">Chris Spatola (analyst)</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="pP2K6T"><strong>Radio Coverage:</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="L4qMJu"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?xcust=___sb__p_23858435__t_w__r_vanquishthefoe.com__d_D&id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/byuradio&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2022/11/7/23443314/how-to-watch-byu-tv-hoops-cougars-basketball-vs-idaho-state-bengals-marriott-center" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>BYU Radio Sirius XM 143</strong></a></li>
<li id="aDsH8l"><a href="https://kslnewsradio.com/listen/"><strong>KSL 102.7/1160 AM</strong></a></li>
<li id="7mKIXQ"><a href="http://byuradio.org/"><strong>BYURadio.org</strong></a></li>
<li id="KnsK8x"><a href="https://www.byuradio.org/apps"><strong>BYU Radio app</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p id="uvtOU3">Leave any thoughts from before, during, or after the game in the comments below.</p>
<p id="uD9FWY"></p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/13/24098976/how-to-watch-no-20-byu-hoops-cougars-vs-ucf-knights-florida-in-the-big-12-tournament-espn-2Mary Blanchard2024-03-11T16:08:02-07:002024-03-11T16:08:02-07:00Big 12 Tournament Odds: BYU in Top 5 Favorites to Hoist Trophy
<figure>
<img alt="Oklahoma State v Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KF3xh7GlmCxedeVOekfxJA_AfHE=/131x0:3385x2169/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73199606/2064224383.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="90pZjJ"><a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> is the 5 seed in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/big-12-basketball-tournament">Big 12 Tournament</a> and will play the winner of UCF-Oklahoma State Wednesday at 10:30 am MT on ESPN2. </p>
<p id="c1zyUH">According to <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings SportsBook</a>, BYU has the fifth best odds at +1500 odds to win the Big 12 tournament.</p>
<p id="z95a9x">You might be saying, well of course BYU has the fifth best odds to win the tournament as the 5 seed, but BYU has better odds than 4 seed Texas Tech despite needing to play an extra game. The Red Raiders have a double-bye before playing the winner of BYU-OSU-UCF. Kansas is the 6 seed has odds slightly better than BYU. Below are the full odds.</p>
<p id="NdNuin">**UPDATE** After this publishing, Kansas’ odds matched BYU after Bill Self announced Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar will miss the Big 12 tournament.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LbdxC1eQIN3CZ4eH4-o5eLyCfEQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25330989/IMG_7443.jpeg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/2024-men's-big-12-conference-tournament-winner/18b7f371-8202-4da3-9406-08dc31421e02" target="_blank">DraftKings</a></cite>
</figure>
<p id="bwcEcr">Houston unsurprisingly has the best odds, and BYU would likely play the Cougars in red in the semifinals on Friday if BYU can win its first two games.</p>
<p id="OHLqzO">UCF-Oklahoma State tipoff Tuesday at 10:30 am PT; the Knights are currently 3.5-point favorites. UCF would be a Quad 2 game for BYU and OSU a Quad 3.</p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/11/24097936/big-12-tournament-basketball-odds-byu-in-top-5-favorites-to-hoist-trophy-draft-kingsRobby McCombs2024-03-11T10:02:23-07:002024-03-11T10:02:23-07:00BYU Holds Steady in Final AP Regular Season Poll
<figure>
<img alt="Oklahoma State v Brigham Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FZ-s9ylYQF9DpdYYuDvMUejlcUw=/88x0:4773x3123/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73198393/2064224246.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="MM19xF">After a road loss to <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> and home win over Oklahoma State, <a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> held steady at 20 in the latest <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">AP Poll</a> released Monday. BYU finished a historic first year in the Big 12 ranked 15 weeks in the regular season. </p>
<p id="SpfpGs">BYU heads into the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/big-12-basketball-tournament">Big 12 tournament</a> looking to fortify and possibly improve its seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The general consensus seems to have BYU pegged as a 5 seed, but depending on what BYU and other teams in the same vicinity do BYU could rise up to a 4 seed. A 4 seed would likely mean BYU opens the first two rounds in Salt Lake City, although a 5 seed could mean the same as well. Joe Lunardi said on the BYU-Oklahoma State broadcast that the committee has said they will not hesitate putting BYU in SLC if they are on the 4/5 line. </p>
<div id="DwQaLu">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joe Lunardi on the broadcast: “The committee has said they will not hesitate to put BYU in Salt Lake City if they draw the 4 or 5 seed.”</p>— Robby McCombs (@rtmccombs) <a href="https://twitter.com/rtmccombs/status/1766661987889824112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="PQY2Ot">BYU opens the Big 12 tournament Wednesday at 10:30 am MT on ESPN2 versus the winner of UCF-Oklahoma State. UCF would be a Quad 2 game and OSU a Quad 3. If BYU were to win that, they would draw 4 seed Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. The full bracket and schedule can be viewed <a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/9/24095789/big-12-tournament-bracket-byu-basketball-draws-5-seed-schedule-game-times-channel">here</a>. </p>
<p id="u9VUgo"></p>
<p id="rB8RgO"></p>
https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2024/3/11/24097284/byu-basketball-remains-ranked-in-final-ap-regular-season-poll-top-25Robby McCombs