BYU basketball: Cougars to face Florida in NCAA Tournament

PROVO — Some might feel the No. 7 seed BYU received Sunday for this week's NCAA men's basketball tournament is a bit of a slight, considering the Cougars won 29 games and were ranked No. 14 before losing to UNLV on Friday night.

The Cougars themselves, however, don't seem to mind much.

"I know our guys are excited to go play," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "It's a great thing for our university and a good thing for this team and our athletic program."

Exactly how the Cougars reacted to the announced seed and a matchup on Thursday at 11:20 a.m. Central Time against the Florida Gators, a 10 seed, in the Ford Center in Oklahoma City is unknown since they watched the selection show, along with family members, in private.

When players came out to face the media, however, no one looked shocked or disappointed. Most players said they were expecting a five, six or seven seed.

"We didn't finish down in Vegas this week, so I think it's a very good seed for us," senior Jonathan Tavernari said.

Rose joked that he was just glad not to be an eight seed again and not to have to play Texas A&M again, the team that ousted the Cougars the past two years. If anyone in BYU's camp felt the seven seed showed a lack of respect for their 29-5 regular season, they were not showing it.

"If we do feel like that, then I hope we use it as motivation," junior guard Jimmer Fredette said.

More important than the seed, team members said, is the matchup and bracket. The Cougars feel they match up well with the Gators, a mostly guard-oriented team with a 21-12 record that many experts called a "bubble" team.

"They don't play like a bubble team. They play really good," Tavernari said. "But if we keep our expectations where they should be, and we don't get all caught up in the hype, I think we'll be OK. We have to make sure that we take things one day at a time and keep our feet on the ground."

Several national experts also like BYU's bracket, which could have them advancing to face Kansas State in the second-round on Saturday if they can first get past Florida. Also, two wins this week would earn the Cougars a trip to the West Regionals in Salt Lake City next week.

"Salt Lake City and the Sweet 16, that would be special if we could do that," Fredette said.

Will that chance to play in Utah by advancing past Oklahoma City motivate the Cougars to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 1993?

"It's a real challenge, and we'll take them one challenge at a time. But if you get past the first-round game and you know that a win in the second-round game will take you close to home, you know. Individual things that motivate guys, anything that's good, I'm all for it," Rose said.

Losing last Friday to UNLV in Las Vegas for an eighth straight time could also add to BYU's hunger.