On heels of football success, BYU hopes to ‘carry torch,’ keep momentum rolling into Big 12 play

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The BYU bench celebrates an and-one opportunity against the Idaho Vandals during at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Tuesday the stakes get higher with Arizona State coming to town for its Big 12 opener. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

The past few months have been halcyon days for BYU sports, as men’s and women’s cross-country teams claimed national championships in November and the football team demolished Colorado 36-14 last Saturday in the Alamo Bowl to complete an overwhelmingly successful season.

New BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young has noticed.

So as Young’s team, which went a respectable 9-2 in nonconference play, prepares to begin the Big 12 portion of its schedule Tuesday with a matinee affair against 9-2 Arizona State at the Marriott Center (2 p.m. MST, ESPN2), the newcomer realizes the importance of keeping the positive vibes going.

“I am just happy to be a part of it. It is exciting. I am hoping that we can kinda carry the torch now that football is over and we can kinda keep this momentum going,” Young told reporters Monday in a video teleconference.

Young has described himself as a “huge college football fan” in the past and called the bowl win “super impressive.” He said BYU football coach Kalani Sitake has done “an amazing job” with the football team, winning six more games this year than last.

“There are a lot of cool things happening at this university. And it is a credit to Tom (Holmoe) and Brian (Santiago) and president (Shane) Reese and Keith (Vorkink) and everyone,” Young said. “The leadership team here that has put together a really outstanding athletic department to go along with a really outstanding university.”

“There are a lot of cool things happening at this university.”

First-year BYU basketball coach Kevin Young

Keeping the mojo going won’t be easy in the Big 12 basketball race, which is arguably tougher to win than the Big 12 football race, especially now that Arizona, Arizona State,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/heels-football-success-byu-hopes-000401767.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-12-31 00:04:00

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