Eight is great: BYU clobbers Evansville, moves to 8-0
BYU men’s basketball just can’t be stopped.
The Cougars won their eighth straight game to open the new campaign in a 96-55 rout of Evansville Tuesday night, putting on yet another 3-point shooting clinic by hitting 44% of their 32 tries.
“We don’t have just one guy, but we have 17 guys on the team that make a huge difference,” guard Trevin Knell said. “We all fight until the end of the whistle and we’re playing really good basketball because we’re trusting each other and trusting what Coach Pope has in store for us.”
Five BYU players scored in double digits, with Jaxson Robinson leading the way with 19, Noah Waterman adding 12 plus eight boards and Dallin Hall and Knell combining for 23 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. The Cougars dished out 26 assists as a team on the night, turning the ball over just eight times and shooting 53% from the field.
“Our guys are kind of lost in the details right now and that’s what makes this super fun,” head coach Mark Pope said. “I’ve never coached a team that has gone on a run like this where they just have been totally focused on the objective on the court. They haven’t been distracted by the game. They haven’t been distracted by the opponent. They haven’t been distracted by rankings or media or wins. Sometimes wins can be so distracting and so I think this is super fun. Let’s take it for a ride and see where we get.”
With the win, BYU earned another record high in reaching No. 5 in the KenPom rankings. The Cougars will face their toughest test yet Saturday when heading up to Salt Lake to face rival Utah in hopes of keeping the undefeated streak alive.
“With a lot of stuff that’s been going on, this game is going to be personal,” Knell said. “It’s going to be a fun game and I feel like we’re going to be ready for the competition.”
