DENVER– For the first time since 2011, BYU basketball has advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 6 seed BYU took down No. 11 seed VCU 80-71 on Thursday afternoon in front of a pro-BYU crowd at the Ball Arena.
Related: BYU students, fans travel to Denver to watch the Cougars play
It was fitting that BYU’s victory occurred in the same arena and in front of the star, Jimmer Fredette, who helped launch BYU to the Round of 32 14 years ago.
BYU moves on and will face No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Here are the takeaways from BYU’s big win to advance in the “Big Dance.”
Egor Demin pulled through in March Madness
The heralded freshman guard has had his ups and downs this season. That’s why, entering the matchup, there were questions about how he would fare against VCU’s physicality.
After the game’s first possession, it wasn’t off to a good start, as Demin had a turnover.
But then he settled in and showcased his three-point shooting ability, which hasn’t shown up much in games since he returned from a knee contusion injury he suffered in December.
Egor Demin’s shooting from beyond the arc on Thursday had to leave NBA scouts excited about his potential when he gets to the league. Demin was 3 of 4 from beyond the arc in the first half against VCU.
The second half was a different story, as he didn’t knock down a three. One of his misses was an airball from the corner around the three-minute mark. But he didn’t need three-point shooting in the second half as BYU played with a double-digit lead.
The former Real Madrid star has a skillset that will leave college basketball fans playing his highlights in March Madness for years to come if he can continue to lead BYU further here in the tournament.
BYU’s defense showed up against VCU
There was a lot of talk entering the matchup about the VCU defense. They are not quite the defense from their days of “HAVOC” with Shaka Smart, but the Rams were statistically one of the best defenses in the nation.
However, BYU’s defense shined on the NCAA Tournament stage on Thursday.
BYU held VCU to two points in the final 4:31 of the first half. That allowed BYU to go into the halftime locker room with an 11-point lead over the Rams.
What’s even more impressive is that Richie Saunders was out with two fouls during that stretch of play.
BYU was battling for every rebound and contesting every shot attempt by VCU.
One of the strengths of BYU this season is its ability to win in various ways. They showed in Thursday’s first round win that with their defensive success, they can beat teams with physicality of their own.
Excellent start to the second half
BYU went into the halftime break with a 39-28 lead. They kept the momentum rolling to open the second half.
Before the under-16 media timeout, BYU built its lead to 18 points before Ryan Odom burned a VCU timeout with 16:45 remaining.
Richie Saunders and Trevin Knell got the offense rolling for BYU with a pair of 3-pointers. Then Egor Demin had a smooth reverse layup, followed by Saunders tossing an alley-oop to Mawot Mag.
BYU had a lull offensively midway through the half that allowed VCU to trim the lead down to 10 points. However, BYU found answers with Keba Keita being an enforcer on the glass.
Kevin Young brings an edge to BYU basketball that they’ve lacked in past NCAA appearances
First-year BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young has never lacked confidence.
From the moment he was hired to be BYU’s head coach, he never looked at the program’s past shortcomings as a ceiling. Instead, he’s viewed the program with possibilities.
His coaching and the staff he’s assembled around him have given BYU basketball an edge they haven’t had in years.
Throughout his coaching career, he’s never bought into set expectations that are placed on teams or individuals. The common thought for BYU basketball has always been to bow out early in the NCAA Tournament.
Going an entire second half with a double-digit lead and punching their ticket to the Round of 32 is a sign that BYU is playing with an edge they haven’t seen in years.
It’s a new era for BYU hoops and appears to be only the beginning.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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