BYU Basketball faces tall odds to win WCC Championship

BYU faces steep odds if the Cougars want to win its first conference tournament championship since 2001. According to KenPom, BYU has a 1.6% chance to win the WCC tournament. KenPom also gives BYU a meager 18% chance to even make the WCC championship game.

BYU should be used to winning with next-to-impossible odds, however. KenPom gave BYU a 1% chance to knock off Gonzaga in the Kennel, which the Cougars of course did.

BYU has historically been less than stellar in conference tournaments. In 32 appearances, BYU has won only 3 times; Dave Rose is 0-5 in conference tournament championships during his tenure, with two loses to both UNLV and Gonzaga and one to San Diego State.

BYU will have a tough enough road to even get to the championship game. BYU opens with LMU, a team that has played BYU tough both times this season. BYU overcame a 16-point deficit to win at LMU back on New Year’s Eve.

St. Mary’s would likely await in a semifinal matchup. The Gaels have posed huge problems for BYU this season, with BYU losing both games by double digits. St. Mary’s patient, deliberate offense has befuddled BYU in both matchups.

And, of course, BYU would then likely have to knock off a top-5 Gonzaga team that will undoubtedly be gunning for revenge.

Good luck, BYU. The odds were stacked against you last week. Let’s see if the Cougars can prove the doubters wrong once again.