Any other season where BYU posts a 14-1 non-conference record, it would be a cinch to pencil in the Cougars as the leading favorite to claim a Mountain West Conference men's basketball championship. Even with how well no. 16 ranked BYU has performed in November and December, this year offers no guarantees.
Basketball in the MWC may be at its all-time peak as conference play starts up this week. This league has the legitimate possibility of duplicating last season's feat of snagging four NCAA tournament bids. San Diego State is ranked no. 7 in both major Top 25 polls. BYU, UNLV and the Aztecs all have RPI rankings in the top 20. New Mexico and Colorado State also have RPI rankings within the top 75.
All five of these teams have at least 10 or more non-conference wins. Two others, Air Force and TCU, have winning records and no team in the Mountain West currently has a record below .500.
BYU will get tested right out of the gate with a road game at UNLV as its conference opener. The Rebels are always tough at home and have had tons of success on their home floor against the Cougars in recent seasons. Things will get even tougher later this month when BYU closes out January with road games at Colorado State and New Mexico and a home game against undefeated San Diego State.
So what will it take for BYU to claim its fourth regular season MWC title in five seasons? Simply put, BYU needs to make three things happen to exit the conference in style –
1. Continue being road warriors:
BYU is 14-1 and ranked in the Top 25 because the Cougars have figured out how to perform at an elite level away from the Marriott Center. That was a problem in past seasons as inconsistency often plagued BYU whenever the team played outside of Provo. This season, though, the Cougars are 8-1 in road and neutral site games. Maintaining that success rate is crucial. Any potential MWC title winner will need to steal at least a few road games to make it happen.
2. Make shots from the perimeter:
The Cougars are at their best when Jimmer Freddette and Jackson Emery can light it up from the outside. In BYU's loss to UCLA earlier this season, the team was undone in part by 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from three-point range. When shots fall from the perimeter, however, BYU has enough explosiveness in its offensive scheme to bury opponents quickly. Victories over teams like Vermont and Arizona attest to that ability.
3. Convert free throws:
If BYU hopes to gain an edge on MWC foes like San Diego State or UNLV in the title chase, the Cougars need to do a better job of making the most of their opportunities at the foul line. For the season, BYU is shooting a respectable 71.7 percent from the line. A year ago, the Cougars were one of the best in the NCAA – making free throws at a 79.0 percent clip. Leaving points at the line has been an issue for BYU in several games this season and such a trend could cost them a key victory or two later on in MWC play.
BYU certainly has the talent and tools in place to emerge on top in the MWC at the end of the regular season once again. Going the distance this time around will be a bigger challenge than ever before with more stiff competition ahead in league play this season than at any time in the past.
If BYU should finish out on top, Cougar fans can feel good about their team's chances at making extended runs through both the MWC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
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