Not only did BYU earn a Quad One victory Tuesday night over No. 24 Iowa State, but the Cougars also gained the respect of a top NBA talent in the process.
Indiana Pacers point guard and former Cyclone Tyrese Haliburton was in attendance at the Marriott Center to see his alma mater face BYU, having stayed in town after his squad fell to the Jazz Monday night in Salt Lake.
Haliburton hopped on the ESPN+ broadcast for a few minutes in the second half, hanging out with commentators Shawn Kenney and Bryndon Manzer while offering his thoughts on the matchup.
“It’s got good energy in here,” Haliburton said of the Marriott Center. “(It) fits right into the Big 12, (where) all road games are tough games, so there’s good energy in here.”
The 2023 All-Star and onetime All-Big 12 selection was impressed by the Cougars offense, as Mark Pope’s crew drained 13 3-pointers and dished out 21 assists on the evening.
“They move the ball really well,” Haliburton said of BYU. “Their offense is amazing.”
Haliburton — who was inactive against the Jazz with a hamstring injury — is averaging 23.6 points and a league-high 12.5 assists across 33 games for the Pacers this season as one of the NBA’s most notable breakout performers.
Amid his professional success, however, the Cyclones legend still holds a lot of love for the Big 12.
“It’s the best conference in basketball,” Haliburton said. “We debate this in our locker room every day. We have a lot of ACC guys and SEC guys, but there’s nothing like this. It’s the best league in the world, and (BYU) is another good team that fits right in where everybody else does.”