Last week was a rough one for BYU’s NCAA tournament resume.
After losing on a buzzer-beating floater at Santa Clara, the Cougars were humbled with a loss to Pacific, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game losing streak.
Those defeats dropped BYU to 17-6 on the season — 5-3 in West Coast Conference play — and tightened the wiggle room the Cougars have in trying to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Just how damaging was it?
In five recent bracketology projections, BYU was included in four of the brackets, though the Cougars found themselves dropping.
BYU is currently No. 34 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, and the Cougars have a pair of important WCC games this week — on Thursday against San Francisco, and on Saturday against Gonzaga, both at the Marriott Center.
The Zags, as usual, are among the nation’s top teams and a lock for the NCAA Tournament, with championship aspirations. BYU lost by 26 to the Zags in Spokane earlier this season.
The matchup with the Dons could have significant NCAA implications, though. Currently, most bracketologists have four WCC teams making the NCAA Tournament.
San Francisco, though, could use another signature win — like Thursday in Provo — for its resume.
In the five recent bracketology projections used for this article, the Dons are among the last four teams to earn a play-in round bye in three of them, and among the last four teams in the field in another projection.
Here’s a closer look at each of the bracketology projections:
ESPN, Joe Lunardi
- BYU projection: No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 Wake Forest.
Lunardi still has the Cougars in the field, though they are now in bubble status by Lunardi’s “bracket math” and the first team on the outside of programs whose odds of making the tournament are 80% or higher.
- Other West Coast Conference projections: Gonzaga (No. 1 seed), Saint Mary’s (No. 9), San Francisco (No. 11).
- Other Utah projections: Weber State, No. 14 vs. No. 3 Arizona. The Wildcats currently lead the Big Sky standings and are being projected to earn the league’s automatic NCAA bid.
- Note: After winning two games last week — blowout wins over San Diego State and Nevada — Utah State moved closer to bubble territory and were listed among the first 14 teams out of the tournament, though the Aggies, at 12-9 on the year, would need to build on that momentum to make a serious case.
CBS Sports, Jerry Palm
- BYU projection: Not in the tournament.
BYU is among the first four teams out in Palm’s bracketology. The Cougars are the only team among the final four teams out with a Quad 4 loss, with the loss at Pacific last Saturday. - Other WCC projections: Gonzaga (No. 1), Saint Mary’s (No. 7), San Francisco (No. 11).
- Other Utah projections: Weber State, No. 15 vs. No. 2 UCLA.
The Athletic, Brian Bennett
Note: Bennett releases his Bracket Watch on Friday, and the latest projection from The Athletic was the day before BYU lost to Pacific.
- BYU projection: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 Seton Hall.
- Other WCC projections: Gonzaga (No. 1), Saint Mary’s (No. 10), San Francisco (No. 11).
- Other Utah projections: Weber State, No. 15 vs. No. 2 Arizona.
The Washington Post, Patrick Stevens
- BYU projection: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 Indiana.
“It was a bit surprising that BYU’s miserable trip last week — with one-possession losses to Santa Clara and Pacific — didn’t leave more of a mark on the Cougars’ profile. If there’s further slippage, the Saturday setback at Pacific in particular could haunt BYU,” Stevens wrote. - Other WCC projections: Gonzaga (No. 1), Saint Mary’s (No. 7), San Francisco (No. 12).
- Other Utah projections: Weber State, No. 15 vs. No. 2 UCLA.
Bracketville
- BYU projection: No. 10 seed, vs. No. 7 Iowa.
- Other WCC projections: Gonzaga (No. 1), Saint Mary’s (No. 10), San Francisco (No. 11).
- Other Utah projections: Weber State, No. 15 vs. No. 2 Kansas.