BYU will open conference play in another big 12.
The Cougars moved up two spots to No. 12 in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll Monday, tying their highest ranking under head coach Mark Pope.
With a 94-68 win over Wyoming over the weekend, BYU finished its non-conference schedule 12-1. The Cougars will host Cincinnati on Saturday in the teams’ first Big 12 game.
“We’re stepping into 18 straight really challenging games where we’ll have all kinds of things happen to us but I think we have a chance,” said Pope, who has called the Big 12 the best college basketball conference in the country. “What I’m pleased about in this non-conference is that hopefully we put enough capital in the bank with a belief in who we are and what we can be that we’re going to be able to do that in conference, through good and bad.”
BYU is one of six schools from the conference currently ranked in the Top 25:
• No. 2 Kansas
• No. 3 Houston
• No. 11 Oklahoma
• No 12 BYU
• No. 18 Baylor
• No. 20 Texas
“We’re so excited,” Pope said. “In a sense, nothing changes because this has been about us for the last year and three months. Our keys of the game are not going to change next Saturday from what they were today. The identity that we are chasing is not going to change, from the way it was against Bellarmine, or Wyoming, or against Cincinnati. ... I think we have a lot of faith in our preparation. We are humble. We understand what we are walking into, but we know who we’re trying to be. We’re hopefully getting better at being us every single day, and that’s what we’re going to look forward to in this league.”
Utah women drop
The Utes fell three spots to No. 15 after losing on the road at Colorado over the weekend. The 76-65 victory helped the Buffaloes move up three spots to No. 5 in the nation.
Utah men getting noticed
Utah center Branden Carlson (35) goes to the basket as Washington State forward Oscar Cluff (45) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The Runnin’ Utes (11-2) currently own the No. 16 NET ranking, but haven’t cracked the Top 25.
Utah was among the other schools receiving votes this week: San Diego St. 113, Creighton 106, Colorado 86, Utah 82, Miami 41, Iowa St. 22, Michigan St. 15, Nevada 13, Texas A&M 13, Ohio St. 8, New Mexico 6, Dayton 5, Grand Canyon 5, South Carolina 4, Mississippi St. 4, Northwestern 3, Villanova 3, Alabama 3.