BYU players look on during pregame activities prior to the Cougars’ game with Gonzaga Jan. 12, 2023, in the Marriott Center in Provo. Next season the Cougars will be participating in the Big 12, where the stakes will be higher and the opponents much, much tougher. | Nate Edwards, BYU Photo
Now that BYU basketball’s 12-year membership in the West Coast Conference is over, the next time the Cougars take the floor in November, they’ll be official members of the Big 12 Conference — the nation’s top-rated basketball conference.
“I really believe deep down that Pope and his staff will turn this thing around and there’s going to be a lot of good that comes out of this. I believe it because I’ve seen it before.” — former BYU player Tyler Haws
Want proof that it’s the best league?
Seven of the 10 Big 12 teams earned NCAA Tournament bids Sunday. Regular-season champion Kansas earned a No. 1 seed; Big 12 tournament title winner Texas received a No. 2 seed; Baylor and Kansas State were awarded No. 3 seeds; Iowa State and TCU captured No. 6 seeds; and West Virginia is a No. 9 seed.
The Big 12 tied its own record as the only conference to place 70% of its teams in the Big Dance. It’s the seventh time that’s happened since 2010.
On top of that, Big 12 teams have won the last two national championships (Baylor in 2021 and Kansas in 2022). Big 12 teams have played in the past four Final Fours and the past three national championship games.
And Houston, which will join the Big 12 next season along with BYU, is also a No. 1 seed.
Eleven of the 14 programs that will comprise the Big 12 next season are participating in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
This season marked just the third time BYU (19-15) hasn’t participated in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT (not including the canceled 2020 NCAA Tournament) during the past 20 years.
Being a member of this league is a challenge that Cougar coach Mark Pope and his staff have been looking forward to, and preparing for, since…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-12-membership-impact-byu-030000583.html?src=rss
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2023-03-15 03:00:00
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