Provo • The BYU men’s basketball season is set. Well, at least the conference schedule.
The WCC regular season will be spread over a nine-week span and include 16 conference games. Conference play will begin on Dec. 31 and conclude Feb. 27.
The Cougars, who finished second in the WCC last season with a 13-3 conference record, will kick off WCC play at Pepperdine on Dec. 31 and will play its first home game league game on Jan. 7 against Pacific.
BYU will play home-and-home series with Gonzaga, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary’s, San Diego and San Francisco, and a road game at Loyola Marymount and home game against Santa Clara.
Last season, the Cougars posted a perfect home record against WCC opponents (8-0), only losing on the road to Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco. However, BYU rebounded at home with a thrilling victory over Saint Mary’s (81-79) and upset No. 2 Gonzaga 91-78 in the last home game.
BYU closed out the regular season ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and was poised to receive a single-digit bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament — as were Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s — before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the rest of the season.
Second-year head coach Mark Pope returns six letterwinners, including four with starting experience — Alex Barcello, Gavin Baxter, Connor Harding and Kolby Lee. Richard Harward and Wyatt Lowell, who sat out last season after transferring from Utah Valley, are now eligible. The Cougars also add graduate transfers Brandon Averette and Matt Harms, as well as freshman Caleb Lohner.
BYU’S 2020-21 WCC BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Tipoff times TBD
Dec 31 at Pepperdine
Jan. 2 at San Diego
Jan. 7 Pacific
Jan. 14 at Saint Mary’s
Jan. 16 at San Francisco
Jan. 21 Portland
Jan. 23 Pepperdine
Jan. 30 San Francisco
Feb. 4 at Portland
Feb. 6 at Gonzaga
Feb. 11 Saint Mary’s
Feb. 13 San Diego
Feb. 18 at Pacific, at Loyola
Feb. 20 Marymount
Feb. 25 Santa Clara
Feb. 27 Gonzaga
