BYU Basketball to Face Tougher Challenge in Big 12 Conference
BYU basketball’s transition to the Big 12 Conference was never going to be easy, but with the recent additions of four new schools by commissioner Brett Yormark, the challenge just got even tougher for head coach Mark Pope and his team.
After welcoming Arizona and Arizona State, as well as Utah and Colorado, the Big 12 now has the potential to become a nine- or ten-bid league. This is in addition to powerhouse teams like Kansas, Houston, Kansas State, and Baylor that already headline the conference.
Coach Pope expressed his excitement about the competitiveness of the Big 12, stating, I don’t know if there has been anything like it. Maybe the first couple of years of the ACC when they expanded. But the ACC never had the football presence that the Big 12 has. And what is happening here in basketball is incredible.
With seven teams making it to the tournament last year, with the potential for eight if Oklahoma State had fallen on the right side of the bubble, the Big 12 already showcased its strength. And now, with the addition of Houston, who earned a No. 1 seed and spent a considerable part of the year ranked No. 1 in the country, the competition becomes even more fierce.
The inclusion of Arizona into the conference caught Coach Pope’s attention, as he acknowledged the program’s success over the last decade, making it to seven NCAA Tournaments and reaching the second weekend five times, including two Elite Eights. Additionally, the recent turnaround of Arizona State under coach Bobby Hurley and the rivalry with Utah were other factors that excited Pope about the new conference.
While it may be questioned whether Pope actually wanted the added difficulty of the Big 12, he embraced the challenge, understanding that it will ultimately benefit BYU. Despite projections placing BYU near the bottom of the Big 12 this season, Pope expressed his satisfaction with Yormark’s decision to add some of the toughest teams in the sport.
With the stability and strength that the new additions bring to the Big 12, the conference realignment is seen as a positive move for BYU’s future. However, there are concerns about travel logistics and how the conference will handle the considerable distances between teams. Speculations about travel pods, especially for teams located in the western region like BYU, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Arizona State, have arisen.
Even with the challenges ahead, Pope remains optimistic about BYU’s position in the conference, particularly its geographical proximity to Utah and the other Four Corners schools. He believes that this little region within the Big 12 will facilitate a unique sense of camaraderie.
Undoubtedly, Pope faces one of the toughest tasks of all BYU coaches in navigating the transition to the Big 12. However, he sees this as an opportunity that the BYU athletic department has never had before. He expressed enthusiasm about the potential for success and the chance to compete in such a highly-regarded conference.
In addition to the conference shift, BYU has also announced its non-conference schedule, which includes notable matchups against Houston Christian, San Diego State, Arizona State, and NC State/Vanderbilt in Las Vegas.
As BYU basketball readies itself for a new era in the Big 12, Coach Pope and his team are aware of the uphill battle they face. Nevertheless, they are determined to make the most of this opportunity and achieve great things in the highly competitive conference.
