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BYU basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 early preview

By Mike Phillips

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Cameron Pearson #15, Trevin Knell #21 and Taylor Maughan #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars react on the bench during the team's game against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the West Coast Conference basketball tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Gaels defeated the Cougars 51-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Cameron Pearson #15, Trevin Knell #21 and Taylor Maughan #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars react on the bench during the team's game against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the West Coast Conference basketball tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Gaels defeated the Cougars 51-50. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Yoeli Childs #23 of the Brigham Young Cougars (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Despite being unranked in the preseason polls BYU emerged as an offensive juggernaut that looked capable of making a deep run in March Madness.

The college basketball season usually brings plenty of surprises with it and this year’s edition of BYU certainly qualifies. The Cougars, fresh off a 19-13 season, were unranked in the preseason polls and not expected to be a big factor in the West Coast Conference.

Most experts projected that the WCC would be a two-bid league with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s earning tickets to dance, but BYU quickly showed they were also worthy. The Cougars pushed themselves hard in non-conference play and the challenge paid dividends in the WCC season.

Led by one of the best three-headed offensive attacks in college basketball, BYU ran roughshod over the WCC, going 13-3 in conference play. That run included a nine-game winning streak to end the season highlighted by a big win over Gonzaga to snap the Bulldogs’ 19-game winning streak.

All of that hard work earned BYU a no. 2 seed in the WCC Tournament, where they were advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing to Saint Mary’s. The Cougars were in the mix for a solid seed in the 5-8 range before the season was canceled.