BYU’s Tournament Resume Is Solid - But Still Searching for a Signature Win
As January winds down and the college basketball season barrels toward March, the pressure is starting to mount. For BYU, the pieces are mostly in place - a solid record, a top-15 NET ranking, and a team that looks tournament-ready. But if you zoom in, there’s still something missing: that one undeniable, resume-defining win.
Kevin Young’s squad has shown plenty of promise. Even with two losses in their last three games, the Cougars are hardly trending downward in any dramatic way.
Those losses came against two heavyweights - Texas Tech in Lubbock, currently ranked No. 15 in the AP poll, and an undefeated Arizona team that sits atop the rankings. That’s a brutal stretch by any standard, and BYU hung tough in both contests.
Despite Monday’s home loss to Arizona, BYU still holds strong at No. 14 in the NET rankings - a key metric the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to evaluate teams. That tells you just how much respect this team is earning, even in defeat.
Right now, the bracketologists are in agreement: BYU is tracking as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Whether it’s ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, CBS, TeamRankings, or On3, they all have the Cougars slotted in the 4-line, matched up against various 13-seeds like Hawaii, High Point, or McNeese. Earlier in the season, Lunardi had BYU as high as a 3-seed, but the recent losses - and the absence of a marquee win - have nudged them down just a bit.
That’s the sticking point. While BYU looks the part of a top-tier team, they’re still chasing their first win over a NET top-25 opponent.
Their best victory so far? A dramatic buzzer-beater against Clemson at Madison Square Garden.
It was a thrilling moment, no doubt, but it doesn’t quite carry the same weight as knocking off a top-10 powerhouse.
That could change in a hurry this weekend. BYU heads to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse - one of the toughest places to play in college basketball.
A win there would do more than just boost their seed line. It would give BYU the kind of statement victory that Selection Committees - and fans - remember come March.
What’s clear is this: BYU has the talent. They’ve been competitive in every big game they’ve played.
They lost to No. 1 Arizona by just three points.
They pushed No. 3 UConn to the brink, falling by only two.
And while their wins over Utah weren’t exactly masterpieces, they got the job done.
The Cougars are knocking on the door. Now they just need to kick it down.
A big part of their success has come from AJ Dybantsa, who’s been lighting up the scoreboard all season. He leads the nation in scoring at 26.3 points per game and already has three 30-point performances under his belt.
He’s been electric - but he can’t do it alone. For BYU to take the next step, the supporting cast has to raise their game, especially in crunch time against elite opponents.
As we turn the calendar to February, the margin for error shrinks, and every possession starts to feel a little heavier. BYU is in a good spot - but the difference between a 4-seed and something higher might come down to what happens in Lawrence this weekend.
One big win could change everything.