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PROVO — Things looked rough for BYU at halftime of its regular season-finale Saturday at Pepperdine.
The Cougars trailed the host Waves by a possession, despite 17 points from Yoeli Childs, and while a loss probably wouldn’t have cost BYU a likely NCAA at-large tournament bid, it could have had far-reaching implications on seeding, both for the NCAA Tournament and the upcoming West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
And in a second, the Cougars turned it on. Childs had a career-high 38 points and 14 rebounds — becoming just the second player in league history to top the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound plateau — and Zac Seljaas closed for 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in BYU’s 81-64 win over the Waves in Malibu, California.
The Cougars (24-7, 14-3) are rising at the right time, holders of a nine-game winning streak — the best in WCC play, and the program's longest in conference play since the 2007-08 season — and among the hottest teams in the country.
And they keep moving up nationally, coming in at a No. 15 in the most recent Associated Press Top 25, up two spots from a week ago.
“They’re just trying to chase rarified air,” BYU coach Mark Pope told BYU Radio after Saturday’s game. “It’s a testament to their insides. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Kansas remained No. 1, followed closed by Gonzaga, Dayton, Baylor and San Diego State. The Flyers' No. 3 ranking is their highest spot in the AP Top 25 since the 1955-56 season after stretching its winning streak to 18-straight games.
Childs was named WCC Player of the Week for the second-straight week after the Cougars' win.
The computers still love BYU, which is a trendy darkhorse pick to make a serious tourney run by most experts. The Cougars are currently ranked No. 11 in KenPom’s predictive metrics — its highest rating of the season — with the No. 3 adjusted offense in the country and No. 74 in adjusted defense.
BYU also moved into the top 10 in the NCAA’s preferred metric, the NET — again, its highest ranking of the season, and the second-highest mark in the conference, behind No. 2 Gonzaga.
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Childs starts, Seljaas finishes in No. 17 BYU's win at Pepperdine in regular-season finale
Yoeli Childs had a career-high 38 points and 14 rebounds, and Jake Toolson added 11 points and eight rebounds to help No. 17 BYU overtake Pepperdine, 81-64 Saturday afternoon at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California.The Cougars and Zags, who beat rival Saint Mary’s 86-76 to move to 29-2 overall and 15-1 in WCC play, are the chalk-favorites to face off in the WCC Tournament championship game next Tuesday, March 10 inside Orleans Arena (7 p.m. MT, ESPN). They’ll both open the tourney with a double bye before beginning play Monday, March 9 in the tournament semifinals.
A week off is critical for two teams looking for health, for rest, and (maybe most importantly) for a chance to improve every day to put in their best performance of the season.
“I wish we had more time,” Pope said. “But this is the time we have, and we’ve got to go get it.”
The WCC Tournament begins Thursday, March 5 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Games will be streamed live on the WCC Network.
The complete poll is below.
