A lot of the preseason talk involving the BYU men's basketball team was about how the Cougars were going to struggle in the Big 12, after having been picked to finish 13th in that powerful 14-team league.
Nobody paid much attention to the relatively light nonconference schedule in November and December, but now that it is here the Cougars (4-0) are making the most of it. Heck, a couple of wins at the multi-team event Vegas Showdown on Thursday and Friday might even push them into the top 25 rankings.
BYU puts its unbeaten record on the line late Thanksgiving night, meeting 2-1 Arizona State of the Pac-12 at 10:30 p.m. MST at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, a convention center-turned basketball venue that is part of the Mandalay Bay facility.
Vanderbilt (3-1) and North Carolina State (3-0) are the other two entrants in the tournament, meeting before the Cougars and Sun Devils on Thursday. Losers will play Friday at 5:30 p.m. MST, while winners will meet around 8 p.m. MST for the title of the event that used to be known as the Wooden Legacy Classic.
Seeing as how the Cougars are currently No. 14 in KenPom.com's predictive rankings system, they could easily be called the tournament favorite. They are receiving votes in The Associated Press Top 25 after knocking off Houston Christian, San Diego State, Southeastern Louisiana and Morgan State the past two weeks.
They walloped the three cupcakes by more than 30 points each and handled SDSU more easily than expected, 74-65.
Arizona State (2-1) is No. 95 in KenPom and is coming off a 71-69 win in Tempe over UMass Lowell, after trailing by nine at halftime. The Devils will be without 7-footer Shawn Phillips, a transfer from LSU who has a foot injury.
BYU coach Mark Pope said Tuesday the Cougars "think we are good," but are still trying to figure out who they are, despite being very similar personnel-wise to the team they were last year.
"We will see what we can do on Thursday," Pope said. "I have a lot of faith in this group. We still have a ton of growing to do. We have a ton more experiences to experience together and learn from."
All four games will be televised by ESPN2.
Arizona State, which lost 71-56 to Mississippi State in Chicago on Nov. 8 before beating Texas Southern and UMass Lowell, is led in scoring by Kamari Lands (11.7 ppg.) and in assists by Frankie Collins (4.0 apg.).
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The Cougars are led by Jaxson Robinson (15.3 ppg.), Noah Waterman (7.0 rpg.) and Spencer Johnson (6.0 apg.).
"We are going to play this Arizona State team that is one of the most talented teams probably that we will face all season," Pope said. "You look at their personnel and it is a talent-laden group that is incredibly skilled."
Arizona State was picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 preseason poll, one spot ahead of Utah, which will host BYU on Dec. 9 at the Huntsman Center.
"I think we are really excited for every game to get a chance to go prove that we are a good team," Pope said. "I think a lot of people think that we're not. A lot of people think that we are something else.
"And I think every single time we step out on the floor I think our group is really excited that this is a chance to go prove to people that we are good."
The Cougars are good in the experience department, as wing Trevin Knell returns to a veteran group after missing all of lsat year with a shoulder injury. Charlotte transfer Aly Khalifa has played sparingly, while UC Irvine transfer Dawson Baker (foot surgery) remains out until probably December.
BYU (4-0)
vs. Arizona State (2-1)
Thursday, 10:30 p.m. MST
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas
TV:ESPN2
Radio:KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM
BYU's Marcus Adams Jr., a former four-star recruit who signed with Kansas and then transferred to Gonzaga, but never enrolled in Spokane, is still waiting on the NCAA to rule on his eligibility waiver request.
One early bright spot for the Cougars has been sophomore guard Richie Saunders, the 6-foot-5 Riverton product, via Wasatch Academy, who is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds off the bench.
"I don't know that I have ever played on a team that has been so invested in each others' success, and yeah, it is early in the season and there are going to be different things that happen later in the season, it is a long season," Saunders said. "But I love how we are together and I have no other expectation than that (unity) stays together."
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley looks on during a game against Arizona in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, March 10, 2023, in Las Vegas. Hurley faced a critical juncture a year ago, a make-or-break season that would likely determine his future at Arizona State. The Sun Devils responded by reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years, earning Hurley a two-year contract extension. Thursday, Hurley's Sun Devils will battle BYU in Las Vegas. | Chase Stevens, Associated Press
