KenPom Predicts BYU Basketball vs No. 17 San Diego State

On Friday night, BYU basketball hosts former conference foe San Diego State in the Marriott Center. The Aztecs, who are ranked no. 17 in the in the AP poll, are just seven months removed from playing in the national championship game. BYU is 1-0 and coming off a win over Houston Christian. The Aztecs are also 1-0 and coming off a win over Cal State Fullteron.

KenPom, the industry leader in college basketball analytics, predicted BYU-San Diego State. KenPom gives BYU a 57% chance to win with a projected final score of 74-42.

ESPN BPI is more optimistic about BYU's chances to beat San Diego State. BPI gives BYU a 63% chance to beat the Aztecs. As of this writing, the betting line favors BYU by 2.5.

Players to Watch

The Cougars are led by senior Spencer Johnson. On Monday night in the season opener, Johnson scored 20 points and he tallied 7 assists and 5 rebounds.

Trevin Knell had 19 points thanks to 5/9 shooting from deep. Knell missed all of last season due to injury. BYU struggled to consistently shoot the three last season, so Knell's return is a welcomed addition to a BYU basketball team preparing for a gauntlet of a Big 12 conference schedule.

Three other players scored in double figures on Monday evening. Noah Watmeran had 16 points on 5/9 shooting. Jaxson Robinson had 13 points on 5/12 shooting. Trey Stewart had 10 points on 4/7 shooting.

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