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PROVO — Jake Toolson has been with Mark Pope forever — or at least, it feels that way.
Pope took Toolson under his wing as a role-playing transfer from BYU, mentored him through a redshirt season at Utah Valley, groomed him into Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year — and then brought him back to Provo for one final season, one graduate-studies-infused year with the Cougars to try to make a little magic happen.
The two have been together throughs ups — 99 wins prior to Saturday night’s historic showdown with No. 2 Gonzaga — and downs, like two heartbreaking losses in the College Basketball Invitational and a home-court loss to former coach Dave Rose and BYU inside the UCCU Center a few years ago.
But what the dynamic duo experienced Saturday night was unreachable. Toolson had 17 points, six assists and three rebounds — including five 3-pointers — in No. 23 BYU’s 91-78 win over the Zags.
And he helped a coach — his coach, maybe more than any other player in Pope’s career — reach the first of (hopefully) many benchmarks with his 100th career win.
“I’m so happy with him. He believes in us. He loves us,” Toolson said. “I feel really blessed to be able to play for him. He’s a great coach.
“I’m so happy for him and the 100th win; but if you ask him about it, he’s going to give all the credit to us, to his assistants, and to everyone else around him. What a special night for everyone involved. I think we’re all going to remember tonight and the feeling we had in that building.”
True to form, Pope gave little mind to the thought of his 100th career victory.
His heart was still on the Marriott Center court, where thousands of students and fans rushed to celebrate a historic benchmark of BYU’s own, a win over the No. 2 team in the country, at home, on senior night. It was a moment a hundred years in the making — or at least, nine years, since the last Top 25 matchup in Provo.
Pope's heart was in the locker room, where he had water doused all of his brand-new, custom suit, saved for this incredible occasion.
His heart was with his wife, Lee Anne, and four daughters, including one currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mostly, his heart was with his players.
But win No. 100?
“That’s like a fun thing on the list, a thousand miles down,” Pope said. “We get to sit in the office when things are going bad and the room is full of doubt. When it’s dark and it’s hard, these guys fought through that. They’ve already accomplished so much, and it will mean something for them for the rest of their lives. That’s what this is about — these extraordinary young men, coming together, and the fact that me, all of you, and everybody in that gym gets to witness it.
“It’s pretty awesome.”
And how did he celebrate?
By making good on a promise, showing up to Cubby’s on Cougar Boulevard in Provo to party with the ROC, or at least enjoy a late-night dinner of burgers and fries.
There were too many things that had to go right for BYU to pull off an upset of the No. 2 team in college basketball, on its home court, on senior night.
Yoeli Childs had to return for his senior year, and erupt in arguably the biggest win of his career.
A man of his word. FREE CUBBY’S FOR THE ROC 🙌 @CoachMarkPopepic.twitter.com/RTQRgpxOzg
— The ROC (@byuROC) February 23, 2020
“How is Yoeli Childs not going to be a pro? That’s the best front line in America right now, and this guy put on a show,” Pope said of his star power forward who had 28 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and a turnover against the Zags. “We could talk about every single guy on the roster.”
He could talk about TJ Haws, who had 16 points and eight assists with just two turnovers, sitting on the bench for just 3:54 during an iron-man streak that has made him the most-started player in BYU history.
He could talk about Toolson’s game, or Alex Barcello, who hit a key 3-pointer when things looked most dire. Maybe Kolby Lee, who had nine points and five rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting — including a 3-pointer for the third-straight game.
Connor Harding, the team’s defensive stopper. Zac Seljaas, who not only had 12 points and five rebounds but also held Gonzaga star Killian Tillie to 18 points and three boards in just 26 minutes with foul trouble.
Gavin Baxter, who unselfishly lifted his own redshirt off his surgically-repaired shoulder to give the Cougars four points and a rebound in 8 minutes. Blaze Nield, Taylor Maughan, Cameron Pearson, Trevin Knell and Evan Troy for dribbling out the final 14 seconds — even injured reserve Dalton Nixon saw 8 seconds of playing time.
It was a special night for the Cougars, the players, the coaches, the staff and 18,987 of their closest friends.
The team will go to church Sunday morning, hang around for a fireside that was already being set up in the Marriott Center late Saturday night as the final stragglers removed themselves from the court, and by Monday morning, they’ll get back to work.
After all, BYU has one more game to play, at Pepperdine, where a win will clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament in Las Vegas (they can also clinch it if Saint Mary’s loses in their final week, including at Gonzaga). Then the postseason awaits — including the NCAA Tournament, where BYU is all-but-guaranteed a single-digit seed.
Haws told the 18,987 fans, most of them with him on the court, that this isn’t the end. More special memories are coming. That’s part of the beauty, the magic and the allure of March.
But don’t forget about Saturday night, senior night, an emotional night for seven players in their final home game.
“This is a special moment,” Pope said. “I hope they breathe this in.”
