I’m not minimizing how terrible this past basketball season was (third poorest record since 1996); but as I’ve posted before, if BYU had secured the commitment of just one player --Antoine Davis–BYU’s close losses would probably have been wins and BYU would have been in the tournament.
This year’s NCAA has been filled with a lot of upsets that are even more shocking than in years past. One conclusion is that the difference in quality between the smaller conferences and the mid and P5 conferences is not as great as it was once was. The good news is that with a couple of good recruits–which may be a tall task since it didn’t happen last year–such as an experienced and good true center, a shooting guard, and another point guard BYU will be very competitive even in the Big 12. Of the seven present Big 12 teams “only” two advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. The Sweet Sixteen also includes Houston, Creighton (a team BYU beat in December), Gonzaga (two close losses and rumors say that the Bulldogs have received a Big 12 invite and are waiting until after the tournament to accept), and San Diego St. (another close early season loss and a team that is rumored to have the interest of the Big 12 as an expansion candidate). Will the Big 12 be tough? Of course. But can the Cougars compete and win a good chunk of the games? Yep.