Looking at the BYU men’s basketball record, the losses accumulated were understandable — that is, until Wednesday.
That’s not to say Pepperdine isn’t a good team. It is. The Waves are much better than their 7-7 record shows. But they’re not Gonzaga, Boise State or USC (the three teams the Cougars had already fallen to this season).
I mean, Gonzaga is the nation’s top-ranked team playing at an NBA level. Boise State and USC aren’t ranked, but the Broncos are leading the Mountain West with a 13-2 record and the Trojans are second in the Pac-12 with a 12-3 record.
So, the Cougars’ fall at Pepperdine on Wednesday hurt more than just the loss itself. It put into perspective what BYU is playing for, especially after the NCAA tourney was scrapped last year due to the pandemic.
But BYU has already accomplished more than it did at this point last year, and that’s what’s helping keep the Cougars in bracket conversations. Unlike last year, BYU has managed wins at Saint Mary’s and San Francisco — a large feat for those that really follow the West Coast Conference. The Cougars also beat San Diego State on the road, handing the Aztecs their first loss of the season. Now, San Diego State isn’t the same team it was last year, but at the time it proved to be a difficult test.
What does BYU have to do going forward to ensure it doesn’t fall out of projected brackets? Easy — win.
If the Cougars are unable to provide another victory against top-ranked Gonzaga when the Zags come to Provo, people won’t bat an eye. It’ll once again be understandable. But if BYU can win out until then, it will be in the best position possible.
To do that, though, I think BYU needs to go back to what they were a year ago: a great 3-point shooting team.
BYU coach Mark Pope has said this year’s squad is different from last season, when the Cougars were the best 3-point shooting team. He also doesn’t want his team to rely on the 3-pointer, but I think they need to get a little stronger from deep to be able to stay competitive (especially in the postseason).
That’s just what I think.
More thoughts
• If you were worried about Alex Barcello’s smile after Saturday’s game, when an elbow to the mouth caused the senior to lose a front tooth, don’t be. He looked back to normal on Wednesday. Barcello went to the dentist immediately after Saturday’s win and had his new tooth put in and was ready to go by Monday, Pope said.
• All the changes the NWSL has made recently in light of the pandemic may murk up the water for a year or two, but BYU star Mikayla Colohan is taking advantage of it. Colohan was drafted earlier this month by the Orlando Pride, but isn’t leaving Provo any time soon. In fact, she’ll be on the field for BYU next month.
• In my somewhat short time at The Tribune, I had covered men’s and women’s volleyball a little last year, but had never met Zach and Kennedy Eschenberg. I caught up with them to talk about what it’s like to play their final season at the same time — something they hadn’t expected when they first started dating more than four years ago — but I left that Zoom interview missing in-person interviews. I was grateful I was able to talk to them via Zoom rather than just over the phone, because I think that allowed us to get more comfortable, but I think they would have been a fun in-person interview. Can the pandemic just end already?
Other voices
• Zach Wilson’s stock keeps rising, and now he’ll arrive to the NFL draft in style. The former BYU quarterback was gifted a new Maserati Levante by his agency, Mitch Harper of KSL Sports reports.
• If you want to keep an eye on where BYU could land in the NCAA Tournament brackets, stay tuned to Bracketology with Joe Lunardi.
• Mel Kiper Jr. released his 2021 NFL mock draft and projects Zach Wilson will be drafted ahead of Ohio State QB Justin Fields as the second quarterback taken.
Normita’s Spanish Lesson of the Week
Chimuelo
Toothless
El pobre Alex Barcello salió del juego el sábado chimuelo, pero ya le arreglaron el diente.
The poor Alex Barcello came out of Saturday’s game toothless, but they already fixed his tooth.