BYU still controls its NCAA Tournament destiny, but has little room for error moving forward

BYU may have been able to avoid two consecutive losses last week, but were still exposed in another way.

The Cougars fell to Pepperdine on the road and were taken to double overtime against Pacific at home. Now, the margin of error for BYU to make it to the NCAA Tournament has diminished.

“These guys have worked really hard and they’ve put themselves in a terrific spot,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “We’re in a really, really good spot right now in terms of trying to accomplish some of our goals. But every game is a must-win — it’s the same for every team in college basketball. Even more than thinking down the road about seeding and tournament bids and all that kind of stuff, I think these guys have found a way to just care about right now.”

BYU has eight regular season games left on the schedule as of now, but has some heavyweights mixed in there. After traveling to San Diego and Portland this week, the Cougars will host Saint Mary’s and are scheduled to wrap up the regular season with a visit from No. 1 Gonzaga.

There’s still the postponed game with San Francisco that both teams will hope to reschedule.

The Cougars could still receive a bid to the NCAA tourney with a loss to the Zags and possibly with a loss to the Gaels, assuming they still play well, but any other loss could knock them out of contention entirely.

Senior Alex Barcello said every win means a lot to the team, but they are trying to stay focus on being present each and every day.

“Just being present in the moment is what our main focus is, but, definitely, it’s hard not to think about the WCC Tournament and NCAA Tournament,” Barcello said. “But every win means a lot to us.”

What hasn’t been working for the Cougars this season, besides dealing with injuries, has been their three-point shooting. BYU was able to get that back in the latest game, against Pacific, but has otherwise been struggling to get the threes to fall lately.

BYU, which is usually a strong free throw team, also struggled from the line against Pacific. Those shots will be critical in each game going forward.

But where the Cougars have really shined this season has been defensively. It may falter at times, but when BYU is on its A-game, it really locks up opponents.

In order to continue their run for a bid at the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars will also have to make sure to be dominant in the paint and continue to outrebound opponents.

“These guys have done a really nice job of saying we are not going to relent, we’re going to keep pushing,” Pope said. “And then live with what happens.”

On Monday, ESPN released the lated Bracketology with Joe Lunardi. It saw the Cougars safely in the field as one of two WCC teams, and clear of the bubble. Gonzaga was, obviously, listed as a No. 1 seed.

If the Cougars hope to leave no doubt in going into the postseason, they need to sweep the series with Saint Mary’s and play a tight, competitive game with Gonzaga.

With the way BYU has gutted out some wins this season, that is not out of the realm of possibility.

“That’s the real identity of this team, it’s kind of who they are,” Pope said. “We might not know a lot of other stuff about ourselves, but we know that we’ll stay in there and fight and fight and fight and fight and absorb frustration.”