Coming off a huge 72-62 victory at No. 18 San Diego State on Friday afternoon, BYU returns home, hoping not to have a pre-Christmas letdown as the non-conference schedule winds down.
It’s been a busy, eventful few weeks for the Cougars.
They beat Utah 82-64 in an emotional game on Dec. 12. Then the players spent much of last week taking final exams before the trip to San Diego and springing the upset over the Aztecs.
Now, BYU hosts Texas Southern of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in a rare Monday game (7 p.m., MST, BYUtv) at the Marriott Center.
While the Cougars’ depth has been paying off as the season progresses, senior guard Alex Barcello has been the clear leader.
Against SDSU, Barcello scored a team-high 22 for the Cougars to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists and 7 of 11 shooting from the floor.
For the season, Barcello is averaging 18.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He’s shooting 62.5% from 3-point range and 61.7% from the floor.
Barcello has hit 78 of 149 shots (52.4%) from distance in his career, making him the Cougars’ all-time 3-point percentage leader.
Recently, Barcello landed at No. 7 in Andy Katz’s list of “top 10 rising stars” in college basketball.
While the Cougars (7-2) have won two consecutive games, Texas Southern (2-4) fell at Auburn in its most recent outing. The Tigers have also lost to Saint Mary’s, Oklahoma State and Washington State.
John Walker III leads Texas Southern in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game. He’s shooting 60.7% from the field. Michael Weathers (13.7 ppg) and Galen Alexander (12.0 ppg) also average double figures.
After playing Texas Southern, BYU takes on Weber State Wednesday at Vivint Arena. The Cougars tip off West Coast Conference play on Dec. 31 at Pepperdine.
Cougars on the air
Texas Southern (2-4) at BYU (7-2)
Monday, 7 p.m. MST
Marriott Center
TV: BYUtv
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM