Kansas City-Unlike a year ago, when Texas Tech ousted Byu at the Big 12 basketball tournament, there was not much despair and anxiety in the locker room Friday evening after Houston rout the coach Kevin Young Cougars 74-54 at T-Mobile Center.
There was more than a feeling of resolution, the usual gloom displaced by the positivity and the resolution of Dallin Hall.
“This is not going to eliminate us at least from our way,” said Hall after No. 17 Byu was abused for the second consecutive time this season by what is undoubtedly the best team in the country.
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Houston (29-4) beat Byu (24-9) twice by 51 points combined in 2025.
Cougars at the Port of Rouge are a legitimate threat to win all this year, although there are concerns that the physical defensive style of the Kelvin Sampson team of Kelvin Sampson coach could be penalized in the big dance.
However, Houston obtains a seeded n ° 1 when the offers of the NCAA tournament will be distributed on Sunday (4 p.m., MDT, CBS) and will be difficult to beat, especially if the big man I Wan Roberts returns from a sprain to the right ankle.
And byu?
It remains to be seen what the loss of 20 points on national television, in which Byu has lagged behind 15-0 and did not seem to be competitive in the first 20 minutes, will sow cougars.
Most support projections have them like 6 or 7 seeds. A seed of 5 is not out of the area of the possibility, although Byu is generally a little underestimated because of the school policy not to play on Sunday for religious reasons.
Last year, for example, Byu was the 5th head of the tournament but winning a seeded n ° 6. The seeded n ° 11 Duquesne bounced by the dance during a first round match in Omaha, Nebraska.
Due to this “no Sunday game” rule, there are only four sites to which byu can be sent: Lexington, Kentucky; Denver, Colorado; Wichita, Kansas; And Providence, Rhode Island.
“Byu will get an excellent seed in the NCAA tournament,” said Sampson, graciously, before Houston meets – and beats – in Arizona for the Big 12 tournament championship on Saturday afternoon.
“They will be difficult for anyone who plays them.”
Byu went from n ° 23 to n ° 24 in the net ranking after defeat and from n ° 23 to n ° 24 in Kenpom.com. Saturday morning, the Espn crochet Joe Lunardi had byu as a seeded n ° 5, Play Xavier or Boisse State in Denver.
“I think Denver would be cool, just because he is closer to his home,” said Hall. “It rarely goes how you want, but it would be great just because we have fans who could go.”
The reverse was therefore not too damaging for the national profile of Byu, but what about his psyche?
“It doesn’t (do not) at all,” said Hall. “We played the last little piece too well, and the chemistry we built, and the victories we have, I think that for that, it’s more a good learning for us by entering March Madness. Confidence really comes from confidence in your work over a long period, so this is what we are going to count on. »»
That’s about what Young said of the podium on Friday evening, after depliating that the cougars “could not throw it into the ocean to start the game”, a shift performance “It put us a little in the mud.”
Young reminded journalists of Houston’s grandeur, then called the whole test “really a learning experience” and said that it would make him a better coach, and his team a better tournament artist, in the long term.
“I have been doing this for a long time, obviously not at this level, but you are still learning in the playoffs how things have proven to be,” he said. “I learned two things in this match: the first, the urgency you need to have in the post-season and the level of development, because everything comes a little more difficult in the playoffs.
“Two, each pass is more disputed, each cut is checked a little more, each blockage becomes more difficult, so you must understand that you must lock yourself even more than you do normally.”
Junior goalkeeper Dawson Baker, one of the few cougars whose shot did not leave him on Friday (4 out of 9 for 11 points), said that the team was “initially disturbed” by his poor performance, but that he will rinse it quickly and plan to do damage from the second half of March.
“We have to keep the motivation we had, and it is important for us to continue to continue next week and focus on the next task to be accomplished,” said Baker.
“We have competitors. Of course, we are going to be disturbed by a loss, but (we will) transform it into something good for us, let him motivate us and come back. »»
The first year leader Egor Demin, who had another exit below Houston, said that the cougars at the Port de Rouge are “difficult to play” because of their size, their physique and their speed and that there will be better days to come for Byu.
“It is (roughly) of experience. No matter the result of the game, it is the experience, anyway, and of course, we do not play to lose, but to get the experience (is important), “said Demin.
“It happened, and we returned to the locker room and that we talked about life does not end. It is a great experience and a great practice for us before the NCAA tournament, because at this stage, everyone (you play) will be composed 100%. »»
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