BYU goes dancing, hopes to break NCAA Tournament losing streak against VCU

For the second straight year, BYU is headed to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, and for the third time in a row, the Cougars will take the floor as a No. 6 seed.

Despite now three March Madness appearances in the last five years, there’s a glaring stat that looms over this program: BYU hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2012.

That victory — a First Four 25-point comeback against Iona as a 14-seed — feels like ancient history.

Since then, early exits have been the story.

But this year? As senior guard Trevin Knell, who will be playing in the tournament for his third time, said, “This year feels different.”

BYU is entering the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country.

The Cougars have won nine of their last ten games, including a nine-game winning streak that was only snapped by No. 2 Houston in the Big 12 semifinals on Friday.

Now, the focus shifts from securing a tournament bid to seeing how far they can advance in March.

“I’m confident in our guys," coach Kevin Young said on Selection Sunday. "We’re battled tested.”

The Cougars are set to face off against VCU, which also enters as another hot team, winning 12 of its last 13 games, including the A-10 Conference Championship against George Mason on Sunday.

The game is set for Thursday in Denver, with the tip-off time set for 2 p.m. MDT.