BYU faces March Madness reality check before Big 12 Tournament

A week ago, this wasn’t even a discussion.

In the latest bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, BYU was sitting comfortably on the 6-line for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. That’s not bubble territory. That’s not Dayton. That’s a team you pencil in and move on.

But March doesn’t care what you were a week ago.

Since losing star guard Richie Saunders to an ACL tear in an overtime win over Colorado on February 14th, something has felt off. The starts are sluggish. The defensive side had been inconsistent. Even the little things like rebounds, loose balls, and decision-making, have turned into bigger concerns.

Head coach Kevin Young didn’t hide from it.“It was a joke in the first half,” Young said. “Defensively, it was a disaster.”

That’s not spin. That’s a coach watching his team get punched first again.

Freshman star AJ Dybansta didn’t dodge it either. “We just got to figure out a way to start the game like that,” Dybansta said after a much better second half.

It's clear they're aware of what needs to be done, but they're also running out of time to get it right.

When BYU locks in, it still looks like a tournament team. They can guard. They can space the floor. They’ve beaten real teams in the Big 12. The resume is there.

That’s the tightrope BYU is walking. The body of work says safely in. The recent film says proceed with caution.

The NCAA Tournament committee won’t just evaluate November through January. It will evaluate how this team looks right now, without Saunders, without that stabilizing presence, and with young leaders learning in real time.

Are they a bubble team today? No. But that can change quickly.

More: Why McNeese State’s viral manager is back after short stint at NC State

A road trip to Cincinnati, a home showdown with Texas Tech, and then the Big 12 Tournament will define how this regular season is remembered. Drop two or three more, and the picture looks very different.

More: Former St. John’s and UCLA basketball coach fired by San Diego

And the Cougars could find themselves sweating on Selection Sunday.

More sports news: 

• Deion Sanders' grandson shakes up the latest kids rankings
• Florida runs Arkansas out of the gym as John Calipari ties worst loss of his career
• Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s wife announces surprise retirement
• Livvy Dunne and Lane Kiffin add star appeal to LSU’s win over Alabama