No. 17 BYU opens NCAA Tournament against Atlantic 10 Champion VCU

PROVO, Utah - It's time to get out your dancin' shoes as BYU heads to the NCAA Tournament for a 32nd time in program history when the Cougars face-off against 11th-seeded VCU on Thursday at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. Tip is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. MT. 

WHERE TO WATCH
Thursday's game can be found on TNT with Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood and Dana Jacobson on the call.

BAA RAM EWE
The Cougars will face the Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion in the Round of 64 for a second consecutive season when they take on the VCU Rams in the Mile High City. Thursday will be the second all-time meeting between the two programs and first since an 81-77 victory for BYU on December 16, 1983 at the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Ky. 

In their only previous meeting, BYU overcame a combined 55 points from Mike Schlegal and Calvin Duncan as they shot 63.6 percent from the field after halftime to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit. Devin Durrant scored a team-high 23 points for the Cougars, going 7-of-10 from the field and 9-of-13 from the free throw line. Brett Applegate added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. 

Keba Keita is the only player on BYU's roster who has faced the Rams. The junior had eight points, three rebounds and a block last season for Utah in the Utes' win over VCU in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. 

INVITED TO THE BALL (ARENA)
The Cougars head to Denver for the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for a third time and first since Jimmermania in 2011. In their run to the Sweet 16 that season, BYU defeated Wofford in the Round of 64, followed by an 89-67 victory over No. 11 seed Gonzaga at the now-renamed Pepsi Center. 

Kevin Young is also no stranger to Ball Arena, as he helped the Phoenix Suns sweep the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals with the final two wins coming in Denver. 

BALL LIKE HALL
Dallin Hall enters the NCAA Tournament with the ninth highest assist-to-turnover ratio among NCAA Division I men's basketball players. The junior's ratio of 2.46:1 is also the second-highest in program history.  

The native of Plain City has dished out five or more assists 11 times this season, with three of those ending with zero turnovers. With his four assists in Friday's setback to No. 2 Houston, Hall became the 11th player in program history to reach 400 or more career assists. 

THROW IT UP. HE WILL DUNK IT.
Over his past four games, Keba Keita is averaging 10.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Twenty-three of his 44 rebounds have come on the offensive glass, including a program-record nine in BYU's overtime win at No. 10 Iowa State on March 4 in Ames. 

Keita's 92 offensive rebounds this season are tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history. The Cougars are 3-3 this season when he has five or more offensive rebounds. 

just a few of our favorite blocks from @Keba_Keita_13 this season😏 pic.twitter.com/MFKGn8W379

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 17, 2025

The junior also ranks 21st among active NCAA DI men's basketball players in field goal percentage, as he is a career 63.0 percent shooter. He is on pace to break the BYU single season field goal percentage record (min. 100 FGM) as the native of Bamako, Mali is shooting 66.7 percent, close to five percent higher than Russell Larson shot during the 1992-93 season. 

 

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
With a win over VCU on Thursday, Kevin Young would break a tie with Mark Pope for most wins by a first-year head coach in program history with 25. Prior to the setback against No. 2 Houston in Kansas City, Young had led the Cougars to four straight wins over ranked opponents in the same season, something they hadn't done since 1951. 

With the win over Utah on Senior Night, Young tied Roger Reid for the most home wins a first-year head coach in program history, as the Cougars went 15-2 at the Marriott Center this season. 

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
BYU is making its 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament this week and third straight as a No. 6 seed in the East Region. The Cougars are 15-34 all-time in The Big Dance, including a 2-1 record in games played in Denver, Colo.

They are 3-3 all-time as a sixth-seed, with all three of those wins coming during the Cougars' run to the Elite Eight in 1981. After defeating Princeton and UCLA in Providence, R.I., Danny Ainge's last second layup lifted the Cougars over Notre Dame in Atlanta, Ga. The Cougars' run would end with a 74-60 setback to Ralph Sampson and Virginia in the East Final. 

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? RICHIE SAUNDERS
Richie Saunders added to his trophy case on Tuesday morning as he picked up NABC First Team All-District accolades after leading the Cougars to a third-place finish in the Big 12 and second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The junior enters the NCAA Tournament having scored in double figures in nine straight games, tied for the longest streak of his career. He is averaging a team-high 16.0 points per game and is on pace to become the fifth player in program history to shoot 50/40/80 in a single season.

Of the 16 different times a BYU player has made 70 or more 3-pointers in a season, Saunders has the fourth-highest percentage as the native of Riverton is 74-of-171 from behind the arc this season. His 74 3-pointers are 12 more than he hit in his first two seasons combined. 

Saunders also earned First Team All-Big 12 honors, along with being named the league's Most Improved Player of the Year after averaging 17.9 points in conference play. He shot a Big 12-best 45.1 percent from beyond the arc, while also shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 82.7 percent from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT
The winner of Thursdayís matchup will face the winner of Wisconsin and Montana on Saturday in Denver, Colo. Tip times and TV designation will be announced later.