BYU Basketball Within Striking Distance of Top Four Seed in the Big 12

Casey Lundquist | Feb 23, 2025

Feb 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; BYU Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) points after he makes a three-point basket during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

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BYU Cougars

On Saturday night, BYU basketball went into the McKale Center and pulled out the 96-95 upset over Arizona. The Wildcats don't lose very often at home - it was just the third home loss of the season for Arizona. The other two home losses came against potential one-seeds Duke and Houston.

The win against Arizona not only cements BYU as an NCAA Tournament team, it also puts BYU within striking distance of the four seed in the Big 12 conference tournament. The top four seeds in the Big 12 tournament get double byes and automatically advance to the conference quarterfinals.

The Cougars are currently fifth place in the Big 12 and just one game behind the Iowa State Cyclones who sit in fourth place. Even a full game behind Iowa State in the standings, BYU likely controls its own destiny to being a top four seed in the Big 12. BYU plays at Iowa State in early March. If BYU wins that game, they could crack the top four in the conference standings as they head into Kansas City.

Big 12 Standings / si.com

The Cougars are playing their best basketball of the season at the best time of the season. Unlike last year where BYU struggled to string together wins and maintain momentum across multiple weeks, this BYU team has found its offensive identity as the calendar turns to March. The increased offensive efficiency has translated to 4 consecutive wins and 8 wins out of the last 10.

BYU scored 96 points against Arizona, the most the Wildcats have allowed at home since 2009 when Jimmer Fredette set the McKale Center scoring record.

BYU will stay in Arizona to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils on Tuesday. A win in that game would give BYU a good chance to finish with 13 wins in conference play.

Published Feb 23, 2025

CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.