Breaking Down BYU's Chances of a Deep NCAA Tournament Run
On Sunday, BYU was selected as an at-large team in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars, a 6-seed, will take on the 11-seed Duquesne Dukes in the first round.
Kelley Ford, the founder of the KFord Ratings, evaluated BYU's chances of a deep NCAA Tournament run.
- Advance to the second round - 82%
- Advance to the Sweet 16 - 40%
- Advance to the Elite Eight - 18%
- Advance to the Final Four - 5%
- Advance to the National Championship - 2%
- Win the National Championship - 1%
If BYU shoots it well from three, they are capable of beating almost anyone in the country. The key to a deep tournament run will be to avoid a shooting slump. If BYU shoots 30% or better from three, they will have a chance to win most games. That's why BYU has the best chance of any 6-seed to advance to the Sweet 16 and beyond. When the Cougars are on, they are a tough out.
Ford gives Illinois a 56% chance to advance to the Sweet 16, so that leaves just a 4% chance for either Duquesne or Morehead State to advance to the Sweet 16.
UConn is the odds-on favorite to win the East. The Huskies have a 36% chance of advancing to the Final Four. Both Auburn and Iowa State have a 21% chance to win the East and advance to the Final Four.
Game Information
BYU (23-10) vs Duquesne (24-11)
Thursday, March 21
Tipoff: 10:40 a.m. MT
Omaha, Nebraska
CHI Health Center Omaha
Duquesne enters this game on an eight-game winning streak. The Dukes were 6-8 in conference play before they started a winning streak that ended with four straight wins to win the A-10 tournament. This is their first NCAA tournament bid in 47 years.
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