DENVER – It’s an NCAA Tournament game day again as BYU vs Wisconsin meet for the first time in the “Big Dance.”
The No. 6 seed Cougars are winners of 10 of their last 11 games. No. 3 seed Wisconsin has won four of its previous five games since the postseason began with the Big Ten Tournament.
Here are the three game-day thoughts as we count down to the Big 12 vs. Big Ten clash in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.
#1 BYU will need a better shooting performance from three
In BYU’s win over VCU, the Cougars were 7-of-20 from three-point range. Against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament Semifinals, they were 10-of-26.
Those two games combined have fewer threes made than what BYU hit in the Iowa State game in the Big 12 Tournament (18).
Against Wisconsin today in Denver, BYU doesn’t need to hit 18 threes. But 11 to 14 threes would be a good place to be in a matchup like this, where both teams have excellent offenses.
BYU junior Richie Saunders on his increased spotlight as a First Team All-Big 12 player. 🏀
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First Team All-Big 12 guard and “Tater Tot King” Richie Saunders will be a player to watch from three.
In the win over VCU, Saunders was 1-of-6 from beyond the arc—an uncharacteristic performance from deep for one of the Big 12’s best three-point shooters.
Conversely, can Honorable Mention All-Big 12 point guard Egor Demin continue to shoot the ball as he did in the first half against the Rams?
Demin was 3-of-4 from three in the first half, then cooled off in the second, going 0-for-4. This BYU team isn’t built around Demin knocking down threes, but it’s a game-changer if he can deliver that type of shooting again.
#2 Wisconsin’s statistical profile suggests they don’t force turnovers
BYU has struggled against opposing backcourts that generate a lot of pressure. That doesn’t appear to be a calling card for Wisconsin.
The Badgers are 328th nationally in turnovers forced per game (9.94) and are 332nd in turnover percentage defensively this season.
In five of BYU’s last six games, they have faced defenses who love to pressure the guard line. Wisconsin does boast a top-25 defense in efficiency, but generating turnovers isn’t their strength.
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That could be good news for BYU, which has had problems taking care of the basketball this season. Even in the win over VCU, BYU had more turnovers (12) than the Rams (11).
BYU’s backup guard, Dallin Hall, has been excellent at taking care of the ball this postseason. He’s dished out 15 assists to only two turnovers since the Big 12 Tournament.
The backcourt matchups in this game will be fun to watch. For BYU, Egor Demin and Dallin Hall. Wisconsin has Max Klesmit and John Blackwell holding down the guard line.
Then the Badgers have AP Second Team All-American John Tonje.
When thinking about defensive strategy entering this matchup, it will be interesting to see who Kevin Young will initially assign to defend Tonje. It would make a lot of sense for former Rutgers transfer Mawot Mag to get the nod.
#3 Keep up the urgency
These opportunities don’t happen often for BYU. Maybe they will become more frequent under Kevin Young. But you can never assume it’s a guarantee you’ll be back the following year.
Today is BYU’s first appearance in the Round of 32 since 2011.
You have to seize the moment.
BYU head coach Kevin Young drew comparisons to his experience in the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns in 2021 with his team.
“What was on my mind this morning … was you obviously are excited about getting a win in the tournament, but you can’t let your guard down,” said Young to reporters. “The urgency and the focus has to even go up another notch as opposed to letting it come down.
“The guys probably get so sick of me talking about my previous experience, but it’s all I have to reference. So, for me, when we were in the NBA Finals, we went up 2-0 against Milwaukee. We were like two wins away from winning an NBA championship. I think the guard got let down a little bit.
“So I just talked to them about that. You can’t let your guard down. If anything, you have to ratchet up the intensity and the focus.”
We will see if BYU’s urgency cranks up this evening. If it does, the Cougars could have a chance to do something they have only done twice in their history since the NCAA Tournament began seeding teams: reach the Sweet 16.
BYU vs Wisconsin
Second Round – 2025 NCAA Tournament
Location: Denver, Colorado
Arena: Ball Arena
Tip-Off: 5:45 p.m. (MDT)
TV: CBS
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM in Utah) — Extended pregame begins at Noon
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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