Las Vegas Sun

May 4, 2024

UNLV’s visit to BYU could be an NCAA tourney preview

Consider UNLV’s basketball game against Brigham Young in Provo, Utah, on Saturday night to be an NCAA tournament tune-up for both programs.

The Rebels (19-5, 8-2 in the Mountain West Conference) can prove that their 70-41 spanking of the Cougars a month ago in Las Vegas was no fluke. At 32, UNLV also owns the best Ratings Percentage Index, a figure the NCAA selection committee uses in picking and seeding its tournament, in the league.

BYU (19-5, 8-1) has asserted itself with seven consecutive victories -- the past five by double figures -- after that embarrassing performance in Las Vegas.

This is a marquee game between the two teams that have separated themselves from the rest of the Mountain West and should meet again in the conference tournament finale in Las Vegas in a month.

After that, the real games begin.

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