BYU basketball: Cougars trying to break the glass ceiling

PHILADELPHIA — The Cougars arrived in Philadelphia looking for rocks to throw at a glass ceiling.

In its last six tries since 1993's first-round win over SMU, BYU has lost opening-round NCAA Tournament games. Counting the 1993 second-round loss to Kansas, they've lost seven tournament games in a row. Since that Roger Reid team, BYU is a one-and-done wonder.

This is BYU's 24th trip to the NCAAs, and sixth in nine years; it's a frequency that is to be envied among non-BCS peers.

But the 11-26 record in this tournament doesn't sparkle.

A little broken glass would help.

Once again, the NCAA Tournament committee did the Cougars few favors and placed Texas A&M and BYU against each other for the second-straight year was blatantly odd. A historical anomaly.

But Dave Rose and his staff aren't complaining, at least not publicly. They know that isn't going to make field goals or help them defeat the Aggies, who won their last meeting in Anaheim 67-62.

Instead, they're selling the Big Dance Theory, that this is a great opportunity, that to be able to keep playing after Las Vegas and a hard-fought MWC regular-season championship is a blessing, a prized honor to be savored.

Before BYU's team finished its Selection Sunday party in the football team auditorium Sunday, video coordinator Chad Bunn had secured 18 Aggie games from his vast collection of 1,800 college basketball DVDs he'd recorded the past three months and had them on the desks of Cougar coaches.

Since that time, Rose said his staff has dissected the Aggies. Familiarity from a year ago helps, but there are obvious differences and challenges this time around.

"They are an outstanding rebounding team," said assistant head coach Dave Rice. "If there is a trademark or something they are known for, it is their rebounding ability, they really go after it."

Another thing that stands out is A&M's ability to get to the line. They are the Wyoming of the Big 12 and shoot free throws at an impressive rate when compared to opponents in the league, said Rice. "It's something like they shoot 800 to 500 attempts for opponents at the line," Rice said. "That's a pretty big difference."