After a string of losses, AJ Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars have now fallen off the AP Top 25 as the team struggles with injuries. The team’s backcourt have particularly been hit hard, with the Cougars losing star guard Richie Saunders to an ACL tear. However, the question is, does falling off the Top 25 constitute to them losing a spot in the NCAA National Championship Tournament or March Madness?
Heading into the Big 12 Tournament, BYU has a 21-10 record with a 7-8 overall record against Quad 1 teams, a 6-2 record against Quad 2 teams, and are unbeaten against Quad 3 and Quad 4 teams. This means that if the tournament begins today, the Cougs will likely make it to the tournament, though their ranking might not be as high as when they were still in the Top 25.
However, their seeding could still change, as they are still taking part in the Big 12 Tournament, opening that campaign against Kansas State (3-15). BYU is likely winning that game and this could count as another Quad 2 win, further strengthening their chances to get in.
Should the Cougars get passed by the Wildcats, they will take on No. 8 West Virginia next, and they previously lost to the Mountaineers. If they could win that, that would be another point to their possible NCAA Tournament inclusion. This sets up a date against Houston, which is likely getting a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and winning against them would likely get BYU to have a much much better chance top get in.
Still, the Cougars’ current chances to get into March Madness are good, but they can improve upon it by some big wins during the Big 12 Tournament. Should they win the entire thing, they would automatically qualify, of course, and they would probably have a better seed than what is projected right now.
What Would BYU’s Seed Be Should They Qualify For the NCAA Tournament?
The rankings or seedings for the National Championship Tournament are usually based on the wins, losses and quality of opponents, and BYU has some big wins over some of the best in college basketball, or the Quad 1 wins. The 2026 Bracket Matrix has now updated, and it has Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida as the current No. 1 teams, but how does BYU stand?
Based on their record, BYU would be the final No. 6 seed, along with Tennessee, Wisconsin and Louisville. This means that they might start off with much lower-ranked opponents coming in. However, depending on how well they do in the Big 12 Tournament, this could still improve.
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