Brad Rock: This BYU ballclub could still make some history

SALT LAKE CITY —

The instant Noah Hartsock's shot went rocketing back from whence it came on Feb. 27 — compliments of New Mexico's Darington Hobson — the argument lost a little steam: Is this year's BYU team the greatest ever?

Until then, the Cougars were making a nice case.

They still can, if they make a long run in the NCAA Tournament, which begins this week. It's hard to dismiss a team that had a 15-game win streak and was ranked No. 10 nationally.

But this year's team finished second to New Mexico in the regular season, and was eliminated Friday in the conference tournament, which cost it style points.

You can't be the best team in your school's history when you're not the best in your conference, right?

Actually, you can.

The 1981 BYU team that made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament only finished third in the WAC.

Some say BYU's best team ever was the 28-win club that won the 1951 NIT. It included Mel Hutchins, Joe Richey and Roland "The Cat" Minson. (Any team that has a guy named Cat has to be considered.)

Kresimir Cosic's 1972 team was a nifty 21-5, winning 10 straight and rated as high as sixth. (You can't scoff at a team with a 6-foot-11 center leading the break.)

Others recall the 1966 NIT champion Cougars that rose to No. 6 nationally after beating No. 2 St. Joseph's by 20 points. Jeff Congdon and Dick Nemelka led that team for the ages. (Ah, for the days of the unrepentant run-and-gun.)

Most, though, would say the best ever was the '81 edition because it had the most NBA draftees (five) and went the furthest in the NCAA Tournament (quarterfinals).

I agree with that.

But the difference between the best and next-best is less than you might expect.

The 1988 team that included Michael Smith, Jeff Chatman, Andy Toolson, Jim Usevitch, Nate Call, Brian Taylor and Marty Haws was 17-0 until a fateful February day.

Chatman was an all-conference forward, Usevitch a sturdy bruiser and Toolson a cool-eyed perimeter shooter. Haws, to borrow a line from Muhammad Ali, was so fast that when he turned out the light, he was in bed before the room got dark.

But the team relied mainly on Smith, who became the 13th pick of the 1989 NBA Draft.