BYU eager to test Providence in Big East-Big 12 Battle — first true road game of 2024-25 season

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BYU guard Egor Demin (3) drives to the basket during game against Mississippi Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in San Diego. The Cougars take to the road Tuesday, where they will face Providence in Rhode Island. | Denis Poroy, Associated Press

New coach Kevin Young’s BYU basketball team passed its first significant test of his first season last week, getting a split at a multi-team event (MTE) in San Diego and looking like a bonafide Big 12 contender in the process.

“I don’t really subscribe that a road (game) is that much different than home. The game is the same. You go out there and you put a game plan together and you gotta execute it no matter whether you are at home, neutral site, or on the road. So that’s really where all of our focus lies.”

BYU coach Kevin Young

The Cougars (6-1) lost a heartbreaker in overtime to No. 23 Ole Miss, then bounced back less than 24 hours later and routed North Carolina State 72-61 in the third-place game of the Rady Children’s Invitational. BYU’s Richie Saunders made the all-tournament team.

“All in all the thing I was most happy with was our response to coming up short in a game that was right there for the taking,” Young said. “We didn’t hang our heads and we had a real business-like approach to the second game on a quick turnaround. I think that says a lot about the character of our guys.”

The next big test comes Tuesday, as BYU travels across the country to take on the Providence Friars (5-3) as part of the annual Big East-Big 12 Battle. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. in the 12,400-seat Amica Mutual Pavilion and the matchup will be televised by Fox Sports 1.

It will be BYU’s first contest in a true road atmosphere this season, but Young said the approach won’t change. The Cougars flew to Rhode Island on Sunday and got in a spirited practice at Brown University’s basketball facility Monday morning.

“I don’t really subscribe that a road (game) is that much different than home,” Young said. “The game is the same. You go…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/byu-eager-test-providence-big-020000324.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-12-03 02:00:00

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