BYU (11-3, 2-1) is looking to continue on a positive trajectory when it hosts Portland Thursday night
As BYU returns to the Marriott Center for the first time in exactly a month, and plays its West Coast Conference home opener, the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament outlook continues to brighten.
After sweeping Saint Mary’s and San Francisco on the road last weekend, BYU sits at No. 34 in the latest NCAA’s NET ranking. And in bracketology, ESPN Joe Lunardi projects BYU an 11th seed in the upcoming tournament; the Athletic has the Cougars as a No. 10 seed and Fox Sports pegs them as a No. 9 seed.
“It’s almost so ridiculous to be talking about NCAA Tournament seeding right now, although it’s fun and I’ve clearly paid attention,” coach Mark Pope said on his coaches show on BYUtv Tuesday. “We have such a long road to go. But the early returns are good and hopefully we’ll continue growing.”
BYU (11-3, 2-1) is looking to maintain its positive trajectory when it hosts Portland Thursday (7 p.m. MST, CBS SN).
It marks the Cougars’ first home game since Dec. 21, 2020, when they beat Texas Southern. BYU is playing three of its next four games at home, including Saturday’s game against Pepperdine.
“We’re really excited about being back and excited to remember what it’s like to be in the Marriott Center,” Pope said. “Oddly, there’s that little anticipation of how is it going to feel to be back at the Marriott Center? Certainly, we’ll take that. I know the guys are excited to be home.”
One aspect of this team that was on display in last week’s wins was its depth.
“On the great team we had last year, we had three of the top skill players in the history of BYU athletics, statistically. Then we had some great guys around them that brought their heart and soul and a high skill level to the game,” Pope said. “But we did not have depth last year. This year, it feels like we can keep coming at teams wave after wave after wave.
“I think it takes a toll if we do it right. I’m still learning how to learn to do it right; our team’s still learning how to do it right,” he continued. “Not every team in the country actually has 10 or 11 guys that can function on a high level. It comes with all kinds of inherent challenges but if you can figure it out and do it right, it makes you a force to be reckoned with. We got to see that in both of these games.”
For example, forward Richard Harward came off the bench against San Francisco and scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
“You think about all Richard Harward brings to this game and brings to this team, and he’s doing it off the bench,” Pope said. “And he doesn’t care. In fact, he’s found a place where he thinks that he can find a way to have even more impact on the game off the bench.”
Portland (6-7, 0-4) is winless in WCC play and is in last place in the league standings. The Pilots have dropped five straight games overall.
“They’re a talented team,” Pope said about Portland. “They put five guys on the floor that all shoot the 3 really well. They push it really hard in transition. They’re one of the top free-throw earning teams. They’re going to be a real challenge. Their record is not great right now but they’ve already beaten Oregon State this year on the road. They’re a very capable team, especially when they get hot.”
The Pilots are led by guard Ahmed Ali, who averages 17.8 points per game. Forward Eddie Davis averages 5.2 rebounds per game.
Portland is 1-44 in its last 45 conference games.
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3bXDQez
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