This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The last time BYU coach Dave Rose delivered a history-making win over Gonzaga, his team's destination immediately became known. The Cougars were headed to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans.
BYU's future is less certain, as of Rose's latest breakthrough vs. the Bulldogs. More work remains for the Cougars in the West Coast Conference tournament, presumably followed by about a week's worth of debate about whether they belong in the NCAA Tournament field.
This much is clear: BYU's 73-70 road victory over then-No.3 Gonzaga created possibilities that otherwise would not have existed. In 40 minutes, the Cougars answered some questions about this team in particular and Rose's program in general.
And that performance should elevate BYU to an NCAA contestant. That's both my opinion and my prediction, even if some variables remain in play.
Two victories in the WCC tournament in Las Vegas — probable opponents: Santa Clara and Saint Mary's — would give BYU a 25-9 record, even with a loss to Gonzaga in the title game. The competition for the last few NCAA at-large bids might be greater than ever this year. That will cause some dilemmas for the committee, including chairman Scott Barnes, Utah State's athletic director. And it's likely to be an agonizing weekend for BYU's Tom Holmoe, a first-year member, who's not allowed to campaign for his team.
Just the same, it can't hurt the Cougars to have Holmoe in the room for most of those 72 hours.
Because the circumstances have changed, there's limited merit in comparing this year's BYU team to last year's model. But the current Cougars are much better equipped to play in the NCAA Tournament, that's for sure. I'll forever question BYU's No. 10 seed last March, following Kyle Collinsworth's knee injury in the WCC finals. The Cougars deserved to be in the field, but they should have been sent to a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio.
That's a reasonable assignment this year, considering the depth of the field. The committee is charged with evaluating the whole season, and the Cougars have their share of missed opportunities and mess-ups, with four WCC losses to teams not named Gonzaga.
BYU just looks like an NCAA Tournament team right now, though. As I wrote last week, when Tyler Haws was about to become the school's all-time scoring leader, he deserved some help from his coaches and teammates to give him another NCAA shot. They came through at Gonzaga, where Haws scored only 10 points.
There must be a clause for defensive performance in the new contract Rose received Feb. 9. In the last six games, the Cougars have allowed no more than 70 points. Considering their pace of play, that's impressive.
So maybe it should not have taken Rose this long to bring defense into the conversation, but he has coached this team very well. Rose's moving Collinsworth to point guard saved the 2013-14 season. This season has required multiple adjustments due to injuries, and the Cougars have improved.
Of course, just beating a bunch of WCC teams in February would be insufficient. BYU had to do something spectacular, and Gonzaga provided that opportunity.
Rose's win over Gonzaga in the 2011 NCAA Tournament remains his biggest career moment, because BYU advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years. Yet this defeat of the 'Zags came with a much higher degree of difficulty than beating a No. 11 seed on a neutral court in Denver . It also means much more than BYU's most recent upset of a No. 3-ranked team, a November 1981 victory at highly overrated UCLA, behind Fred Roberts' 23 points.
This win came on Gonzaga's Senior Night in Spokane, where the Bulldogs had won 41 straight games and were shooting for a perfect conference record. BYU never trailed. Collinsworth, Skyler Halford and Chase Fischer offset Haws' struggles and the Cougars held Gonzaga to 37-percent shooting in the second half.
As of March 10 in Las Vegas, the story angle might be BYU's regret about that victory, having stirred the Bulldogs' interest in a rematch. But such a meeting would mean the Cougars had done more to justify their NCAA selection, and they only could help themselves at that point.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Stop and pop
BYU's six-game winning streak to end the regular season featured solid defense.
Opponent FG pct. Pts.
Loyola M. 43.6 68
Saint Mary's 40.8 60
Pacific 36.9 59
San Diego 44.0 62
Portland 45.1 69
Gonzaga 43.9 70