Can BYU Replicate Last Season's Surge to March?

The Cougars are coming off a critical road win over Baylor

Feb 10, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kevin Young speaks with BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) and guard Richie Saunders (15) during a break in play during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

After BYU's road win at Baylor on Tuesday, head coach Kevin Young spoke with his team in the locker room.

"What you guys have just gone through over the last two weeks, it sounds cliché, but that's the stuff that's going to make us good when it matters most."

“You guys found a way.” - Coach Young pic.twitter.com/EbjIu3DXZh

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 11, 2026

The Cougars broke a four-game losing streak with the win over Baylor. It was BYU's longest losing streak since 2023.

Last year, BYU was on the outside of the NCAA Tournament picture when they traveled to Morgantown to take on West Virginia on February 11th. The Cougars were coming off a blowout loss to Cincinnati, but they pulled off a narrow road win.

That win over West Virginia turned BYU's season around. The Cougars went on to win their last eight games of the regular season. Included in those eight wins were two top 25 road wins at Iowa State and at Arizona. BYU won nine consecutive games including a Big 12 tournament win over Iowa State to advance to the conference semifinals.

The surge to March took BYU from the wrong side of the bubble to a 6-seed. The Cougars capitalized by making a run to the Sweet 16.

It was almost the exact same date this week that BYU took down Baylor on the road: February 10th. BYU desperately needed a win. The Cougars had gone from a 4-seed in NCAA Tournament projects to a 6-seed in a matter of two weeks.

Can BYU's win over Baylor propel the Cougars like last year's win over West Virginia did?

There are a lot of similarities between this BYU basketball team and last year's team. The offense is one of the best in the country, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired. BYU ranks 4th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 55th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Last year, for context, BYU finished 9th nationally in offensive efficiency and 82nd in defensive efficiency.

During BYU's surge to March last year, the Cougars got better on the defensive end. They allowed less than 75 points against WVU (x2), Kansas, Kansas State, and Utah.

BYU has the athleticism to be much better on the defensive end than they were the year before. If the Cougars can string together just a few more stops, the offense is good enough to outscore almost any team in the country.

One key to last year's rise was more minutes from Mawot Mag. Mag's defensive presence elevated BYU's efforts on both ends of the floor.

Against Baylor, BYU got a similar spark from sixth-man Khadim Mboup. The Cougars' run in the middle of the game was largely during Mboup's minutes - he led the Cougars in +/- in that game.

Perhaps more minutes from Mboup could allow the Cougars go on another run. It doesn't have to be an unbeaten run like last year - BYU is already firmly in the NCAA Tournament field - but a finish of 5-2 or better would elevate BYU's NCAA Tournament positioning.