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PROVO — After a huge 73-70 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs, BYU is again squarely on the bubble for an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Here are some reasons the Cougars should wrap up an at-large bid even if they do not win the WCC tournament.
Signature win
All season, the Cougars were lacking a signature win that they could hang their hats on. The win Saturday night against one of the best teams in the nation on the road changed all of that. The Cougars' big win over Gonzaga was the culprit behind BYU's drastic jump in RPI rankings. Doing something that has not been done in years at "the Kennel" demands respect and will have the attention of the selection committee.
Strong finish
Just a few short weeks ago, it looked like an at-large selection was out of the question for BYU. It had lost two straight heartbreakers on the road against San Diego and Saint Mary's and it appeared the ship was sinking. Since that time, the Cougars have ripped off eight wins in nine games and are riding a six-game winning streak in which they have notched impressive wins over Saint Mary's and Gonzaga. March Madness is all about who is hot right now, and the Cougars fit that bill.
Stars and style of play
Regardless of what selection committee members say, March Madness is as much entertainment as it is sport. BYU's style of play, with the reckless speed it plays at and its general dislike of defense, is (if nothing else) exciting to watch. Throw in the fact that the team has one of the nation's leading scorers and a guy that has the most triple-doubles in an NCAA season and you have one very entertaining team.
The WCC deserves two bids
According to realtimerpi.com, the West Coast is currently the ninth best conference in the nation. While this ranking is not terrific, it is good enough to be a two-bid conference. With Gonzaga already locking up a spot in the tournament, that leaves one more bid that should be handed out to the conference. While Saint Mary's has had a solid season, it is lacking a signature win, and BYU is ranked 23 spots ahead of it in the RPI.
While I think these reasons justify BYU going to the NCAA tournament, I am not naive enough to say that the Cougars are a shoo-in for a bid. In my opinion, BYU will need to make it at least to the WCC tournament championship. If all goes to the plan in the WCC tournament, the Cougars will have to beat a good Saint Mary's team and will have another shot at the mighty Gonzaga Bulldogs. Anyway you dice it, though, the Cougars are in the mix for a bid after starting the insanity of March a little bit early this year.
Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com contributor and can be reached at DylanCannon86@gmail.com or via twitter @DylanCannon11. Listen to his weekly podcast, "Cougar Talk," on iTunes.
