Going into final season of playing in WCC before joining Big 12, what’s the focus of BYU basketball?

BYU ahead Fousseyni Traore (45) makes a slam dunk throughout an NCAA basketball recreation towards Loyola Marymount on the Marriott Middle in Provo on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.

Mengshin Lin, Deseret Information

Large 12 soccer media days have come to an finish and in lower than one 12 months, BYU will be a part of that convention.

Final October, the Deseret Information despatched a reporter to cowl Large 12 basketball media day to get the angle of gamers and coaches about BYU becoming a member of the league.

In basketball, the Large 12 is extensively thought to be the very best convention within the nation.

This upcoming season marks the Cougars’ remaining one within the West Coast Convention earlier than leaping to the Large 12. 

For Mark Pope and his employees, how a lot does future membership within the Large 12 affect this system’s selections? 

“For us, the Large 12 gives us an unbelievable platform to have the ability to converse to. The very best faculty basketball convention within the nation. The Closing 4 has had Large 12 individuals just lately. We’re capable of converse to that,” stated assistant coach Nick Robinson. “However for us, this summer time, loads of our focus was actually on proper now. How’s the roster? How is that this staff going to be constructed to win the WCC?

“Gonzaga continues to be a really, superb basketball staff. Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara had nice years. For us, the very best factor that we are able to do to arrange for the Large 12 is to be nice now. That was the first emphasis, to do all the pieces we are able to to be nice proper now and work each day to be nice.”

Robinson emphasised that whereas this season can be distinctive for BYU as a result of it’s going to be making the transition from the WCC to the Large 12, the main focus is on this upcoming marketing campaign. 

“Coach Pope has stated constantly that becoming a member of the Large 12 is tremendous thrilling and tremendous scary all on the identical time. However we’ve obtained work forward of us within the WCC,” he stated. “Our nonconference schedule has obtained to arrange us not for the Large 12 however the WCC, which is crammed with nice groups and nice coaches.

“That’s objective No. 1, is to do all the pieces we are able to to arrange for ourselves for recreation No. 1 this season. We’re working every day to be nice.”