BYU basketball: Learning from past NCAA losses

PROVO — Losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament the past three years has, understandably, left a bitter taste in the mouths of the BYU Cougars.

But it's also left a little seasoning on their basketball abridgement and a lot of hunger in their competitive gusto.

Rather than dwelling on the recent failures, the Cougars are hoping to cash in on being able to say "we've been there before, and we know what to expect" when they get a chance to end that streak on Thursday against Florida in a first-round game in Oklahoma City. The Gators are making their first tournament appearance since winning the NCAA title in 2007.

"I think the fact that we've experienced it, and we kind of know what to expect, it makes it easier to not be surprised by all the things that are going on and just stay focused on the game," senior center Chris Miles said...

Even though the Cougars have actually lost seven straight NCAA Tournament games, only the past three are fresh on BYU's mind. Miles will be making his third NCAA appearance, while teammate Jonathan Tavernari will be playing in his fourth post-season tournament. Jackson Emery, Lamont Morgan Jr., James Anderson, Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and Jimmer Fredette were all on the team that lost to Texas A&M last year.

"There might still be some excitement and some butterflies that we have to deal with, but for the most part we're all ready to play," Emery said. "The biggest thing is to come out of those losses really hungry. We're sick of people saying we have a monkey on our backs. We want to get out there and get that win."

Those who could see action and who haven't experienced the tournament atmosphere are freshmen Brandon Davies and Tyler Haws, and sophomore Michael Loyd Jr., but all say they won't be intimidated by the new experience.

"We have enough experienced players who have seen this before, that we'll rely on the younger guys who haven't been there to just be excited and energetic and really play," Rose said.

The Cougar coach is hopeful that his players won't feel any sense of intimidation, and instead will feed off the March Madness frenzy to find more energy.