Can BYU Make The Final Four?
The Cougars are a longshot to be one of the Final Four standing at 16-1.
Kate Constable - Dec 8, 2023, 8:11pm EST
Cougars Are Rolling
BYU has been one of the bigger surprises throughout the early portion of the college basketball season. The Cougars are 8-0 and currently No. 14 in the country.
Not many people anticipated this type of start for head coach Mark Pope's team. They were picked to finish second to last in their first season playing in the Big 12. However, they are currently among the top teams in the conference with only Baylor and Houston ahead of them with a 9-0 record. So, with the Cougars far exceeding expectations, are they a team that has a legit shot at playing deep into March? Let's find out.
Cougars Are Rolling
BYU has been one of the bigger surprises throughout the early portion of the college basketball season. The Cougars are 8-0 and currently No. 14 in the country.
Not many people anticipated this type of start for head coach Mark Pope's team. They were picked to finish second to last in their first season playing in the Big 12. However, they are currently among the top teams in the conference with only Baylor and Houston ahead of them with a 9-0 record. So, with the Cougars far exceeding expectations, are they a team that has a legit shot at playing deep into March? Let's find out.
BYU to Make the Final Four (+1600, DraftKings)
BYU hasn't just been good, they've been dominant. They lead the country in Net Rating, which is what the NCAA selection committee looks at when seeding teams, and point differential. The Cougars have demolished their opponents, winning every game except one by double-digits. The one outlier was a nine-point win over No. 17-ranked San Diego State.
With such an impressive start, BYU's odds to not only make it to the big dance but the Final Four have dropped significantly. They currently sit at 16-1 to be one of the last four teams standing in March and I think that's a bet worth taking.
The Cougars are a complete team with five players averaging double digits and two others averaging nine points per game. Their guard play has been elite thus far, which is something that I look for when betting on teams in March. They can also play at a high level on both sides of the ball, ranking in the top 15 in Adjusted Offensive and Defensive Efficiency on KenPom. Not to mention they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country.
So far, the Cougars look like the real deal. That said, I don't expect them to go undefeated. They're going to have their bumps in the road and will likely suffer a few losses in Big 12 play. Even so, I would sprinkle a small amount on them to make the Final Four right now because I'm not sure we're going to see a much better number.
If they continue to cruise through the non-conference, 16-1 is likely to become 8-1. However, a Big 12 loss or two will bring those odds back up, I'm just not sure they'll get much higher than what they're at now, especially if BYU notches a few big wins over top conference opponents.
