Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
PROVO — They may not be certified by the selection committee, but ESPN's Joe Lunardi's regular bracketology updates through the seasons are as close as they get in modern college basketball.
And BYU is getting closer to putting on its dancing shows.
The Cougars still have work to do to lock up an NCAA Tournament berth for the third time in five years, but took a significant step forward last week with a 73-69 road win over West Virginia — improving to 3-6 in Quad 1 games — and an 80-65 win over fellow Big 12 bubble combatant Kansas State on the weekend.
The wins pushed BYU above Lunardi's "Last Four In" category, and into the last team receiving a "first-round bye," or the field of 64 proper of the 68-team tournament. Five Big 12 teams have locked up a big, according to Lunardi, while Baylor is likely in the field and two other teams — BYU and West Virginia — are significantly on the bubble.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 17, 2025
The Cougars (17-8, 8-5 Big 12) are currently projected as an 11-seed by ESPN with six games to go. But they'll only be favored in three of them, per KenPom.com, which gives the Cougars a 49% chance to beat No. 23 Kansas on Tuesday night (7 p.m. MT, ESPN). ESPN gives BYU a 47.8% chance to win.
The remaining games of the regular season include:
- Feb. 22 @ No. 18 Arizona: 20.7% chance to win, per ESPN
- Feb. 26 @ Arizona State: 60.1% chance to win, per ESPN
- March 1 vs. West Virginia: 72.8% chance to win, per ESPN
- March 4 @ No. 8 Iowa State: 21.1% chance to win, per ESPN
- March 8 vs. Utah: 79.6% chance to win, per ESPN
Also over the weekend, BYU women's basketball celebrated a 68-64 upset win over then-No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon by supporting Marya Hudgins in her baptism Sunday night. The junior guard from Aurora, Colorado, joined the Rocking Royal podcast to talk about her decision to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Listen to the podcast is available below, or on your podcast app of choice at Apple, Spotify, YouTube and anywhere else you get podcasts.
