DENVER – BYU basketball held off a late Wisconsin run to advance past the Round of 32 for the first time in 14 years.
Behind a 25-point performance from Richie Saunders, the Cougars were in control for almost the entirety of the game. It was far from a one-man show though. BYU led in rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, fastbreak points, and points in the paint.
The Cougars will play the winner of No. 2 Alabama and No. 7 Saint Mary’s in Atlanta next week.
Your BYU Cougars are headed to the Sweet Sixteen!! pic.twitter.com/OJ8KxHkgFH
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 23, 2025
Seized the moment
BYU basketball is moving on to the Sweet 16 in a year where they don’t have the nation’s player of the year.
That has never happened before until now.
The previous visits to the Sweet 16 were in 1981 and 2011, with stars Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette.
Both of those BYU legends were in attendance to see their alma mater reach the Regional Semifinals again.
BYU has high-end talent on this roster with Richie Saunders and Egor Demin, but it’s ultimately a team that understands their role. That’s the star power of this group.
On February 1, seven weeks ago, BYU was projected outside of the NCAA Tournament. In the last 49 days, BYU went on a tear that has led them to heights they only thought were possible with a Player of the Year.
But that was before BYU hired Kevin Young.
The Cougars continue to dance into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
A significant moment for the program Kevin Young is looking to build.
BYU basketball played with the urgency Kevin Young was looking for
BYU head coach Kevin Young told KSL Sports on Friday that he wanted to see the urgency cranked up from his team after the VCU win.
They responded to that feedback from their first-year head coach.
BYU came out of the gates strong against Wisconsin, jumping out to a 14-8 lead at the first media timeout. They didn’t trail in the entire first half.
— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) March 23, 2025
Egor Demin showed a chippy side we haven’t seen much from him
To be a high-level NBA draft prospect as BYU freshman guard Egor Demin is, you have to be an incredibly competitive person. Demin has always fit that characteristic.
However, it wasn’t always on display in Big 12 play.
During Saturday’s game against Wisconsin, with a Sweet 16 appearance on the line, Demin brought out the fire for all to see.
Demin had some extracurricular activity with Wisconsin guard John Blackwell that led to refs warning the heralded guard.
The freshman standout followed that up with a big three-pointer to put BYU up 36-24 in the first half. He showed a lot of emotion as he ran back down the court on defense.
Then in the second half with 2:34 remaining, Demin buried a long distance three-pointer to put BYU back in front by double-figures after Wisconsin trimmed it down to eight following the Flagrant Two foul on Dawson Baker.
If BYU gets that side of Demin every game in this tournament, watch out.
Trevin Knell delivered a big performance
Entering this NCAA Tournament, Trevin Knell had not hit a three-pointer in his two previous appearances in the “Big Dance.”
In the win over VCU, he broke through and buried two 3s.
On Saturday in the win over Wisconsin, Knell stepped up in a big way. The “Shot Doctor” had a fever and the only prescription was more three-pointers.
Knell finished with four threes in the win.
But it wasn’t only the threes. Knell had an excellent assist to Keba Keita, splitting two defenders, with 6:21 remaining in the game, which led to an and-one opportunity.
Then, a few possessions later, he had a strong defensive stand forcing Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit to a rushed shot as the shot clock was expiring.
Knell is going through his last ride as a BYU Cougar. He’s making the most of his opportunities.
can’t leave the doc that open 🔥pic.twitter.com/zf5s6bMMLV
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 23, 2025
BYU’s second unit stepped up for a majority of the game
Who would have thought with a Sweet 16 hanging in the balance, early in the first half, BYU would go with a lineup that included five reserves?
During that stretch at the under-12 timeout, they built on BYU’s early lead.
Then in the second half, BYU guards Dawson Baker and Trey Stewart had big plays.
Stewart, in particular, knocked down a three with 12:17 remaining to give BYU a nine-point lead. He hit that shot moments after hitting a pair of free throws.
Baker had a smooth handle to draw some Wisconsin fouls and found a way to get to the rim.
The former UC Irvine transfer had the difficult task of trying to slow down Second Team All-American John Tonje. Tonje still got his points, but Baker made it challenging for him.
Officiating left a lot to be desired
If you’ve read my stuff long enough, you know I never point to officiating in a game. But I’m sure both fan bases could agree that officiating was not the finest hour for the NCAA Tournament.
A technical foul for pointing at the scoreboard?
Also, a flagrant two foul and an ejection on Dawson Baker?
Strong close to the first half
In both NCAA Tournament games here in Denver, BYU closed out the first half with momentum.
On Saturday night, BYU was leading Wisconsin by eight points before senior guard Trevin Knell knocked down a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to give the Cougars a double-digit lead at the half.
BYU’s bench was excited at the halftime buzzer as they stepped onto the floor to celebrate the shot from Trevin Knell. Richie Saunders was so excited to head into the halftime locker room after that bucket that BYU basketball media relations director Tyson Jex had to wrangle him in by the arm to get Saunders to do a halftime interview with CBS sideline reporter Dana Jacobson.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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