Perhaps superstar freshman AJ Dybantsa said it best after the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday afternoon and the up-and-down BYU Cougars found themselves as a No. 6 seed playing in Portland, Oregon.
“Obviously going into the tournament you wanted to be a higher seed, but as long as you’re dancing, that’s all that really matters,” Dybantsa said in a teleconference with reporters from the Marriott Center Annex.
“We had a lot of adversity through this year with injuries and everything like that, so for us to even be a six seed … we’re proud of that.”
In other words, it could have been worse. A couple weeks ago after three straight losses, including one at home to so-so UCF and two to teams that didn’t make the tournament — West Virginia and Cincinnati — the Cougars would have done just about anything for a No. 6 seed.
The fact that they get to start the tournament out West, where BYU fans will be plentiful at the Moda Center — much like they were last year in Denver — is icing on the cake.
Sure, a possible second-round game against former WCC foe Gonzaga, a No. 3 seed, could be problematic with Spokane a half-day’s drive (5-6 hours) away from Portland, but first things first.
The Cougars will have to get past either Texas or North Carolina State, as those power conference teams were among the Last Four In and will meet on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, for the right to move on and face BYU (23-11).
Later Sunday, the NCAA announced that BYU’s game Thursday will tip off at approximately 5:25 p.m. MDT in Portland and will be televised by TBS. Brad Nessler, Wally Szczerbiak and Jared Greenberg (sidelines) will be on the call.
“In terms of preparing for two teams, it is what it is,” said BYU coach Kevin Young. “Would we have liked to know who for sure we are playing? Probably, but I am an optimistic-type thinker, so I think the positive side is it gives you less time to overthink it. There’s actually a lot of power in that.”
In a way, that’s what the Cougars learned about themselves in their last four games, as Young simplified everything — especially the defense — and “dumbed it down,” in his words.
They knocked off No. 10 Texas Tech in Provo in the regular season finale, then routed Kansas State and West Virginia before giving No. 2 seed Houston (which drew Big Sky champ Idaho in the first round) all it wanted in a quarterfinal game at the Big 12 tournament.
That’s a far cry from last year, when Houston got out to a 15-0 lead and thumped BYU 74-54 to send Young’s first iteration of the Cougars into the Big Dance reeling a little bit.
A loss is a loss, but the way BYU stayed with Houston last Thursday has created a sense of optimism that BYU can get to the Sweet 16 again as a No. 6 seed, and perhaps surpass that.
“We just stayed with it, and we’ve gotten some momentum at the right time,” Young said. “Our guys understand and really believe that they can go out and guard anybody, where that hadn’t been the case for a lot of the year.”
In past years, there has been some questioning of whether the selection committee treated the Cougars fairly or not. That’s not a question this year, as BYU got what it deserves and maybe even a little better.
BYU is in the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time, and this is the fourth straight time the Cougars are a No. 6 seed. They are No. 24 on the official NCAA seeding list that was released shortly after the selections after being No. 21 last year.
The last time BYU played in Portland’s Moda Center — home of the NBA’s Trail Blazers — it routed Oregon 81-49 in a 2021 nonconference game.
“I am excited to go play over there,” Dybantsa said, noting that Nike’s headquarters are in that city and he played in the Nike Hoop Summit there last April as a member of the USA Men’s team. The top high school talent in the U.S., including Dybantsa, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff and Duke’s Cameron Boozer, beat the World Team in overtime.
“I wasn’t watching every single game, but I definitely grew up watching March Madness,” Dybantsa said. “I remember some of the notable upsets, some of the notable buzzer beaters. It just feels good to be able to be in that same situation and be able to participate in it.”
In all, eight Big 12 teams made the tournament, tying a conference record. The Cougars have faced 13 tournament teams, and went 8-8 against them. They also played two NCAA teams in exhibitions, losing to Nebraska and besting North Carolina.
If the Cougars advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, they will play in San Jose, California.
Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, BYU is 5-6 in first round game as the favored (higher) seed.
“Yeah, man, just excited to be in it,” Young said. “This is such a phenomenal tournament. It’s a privilege to play in it. It captivates America. My experience in it last year for the first time was incredible. … As far as the seed and all that, I don’t really get caught up in all that. You play who you play.”
Will it be Texas or NC State?
While BYU is No. 23 in the NET rankings, Texas is No. 42 and NC State is No. 36. BYU is 5-2 all-time against Texas and 2-4 all-time against the Wolfpack.
Both teams struggled down the stretch, losing five of their last six; Texas was ousted by Ole Miss 76-66 in the SEC tournament, while NC State fell 81-74 to Virginia in the second round of the ACC tournament.
Young said the Cougars will spend the next few days focusing on themselves, while acknowledging that some assistant coaches will be assigned to study the Longhorns and others will focus on the Wolfpack.
He didn’t mention Gonzaga, which opens against No. 14 seed Kennesaw State.
“We are just trying to get better at the things that make us good and have made us good during this little resurgence that we’ve had,” Young said.
“It will be a good time to do that. … When we just keep it simple and keep the main thing the main thing (we’re better), so for that reason, I kind of like that.”
BYU is 17-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 5-4 record as a No. 6 seed.
“We definitely found our identity on the defensive side (recently),” Dybantsa said. “Playing a team like Texas or NC State, (who) come from a different conference, we’re definitely going to try to impose our will on the defensive end (which) kind of translates into our offense.”