WCC Power Rankings: January 28th, 2014

Jan 25, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (00) grabs a rebound against Gonzaga Bulldogs center Sam Dower (35) during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

 4. BYU

Last Week: 2

Record: 13-9 (5-4)

RPI: 49

KenPom: 50

Place in Conference Standings: 4

BYU can almost kiss their chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament good-bye. The Cougars lost yet another challenging road matchup Saturday, when the Cougars dropped to Gonzaga by a score of 84-69.

Foul trouble and poor perimeter defense plagued the Cougars against the Zags’. Kevin Pangos torched the Cougars from 3 in the second half, connecting on all 5 the 3-point shots he attempted.

Although the Cougars were fresh off a triple overtime loss to Portland – which will be a WCC instant classic – BYU desperately needed to win against the Bulldogs for their tournament resume.

After the Cougars loss to Gonzaga in the kennel, Dave Rose and his assistants possibly need to re-asses the state of the team at this moment in time. With all of the talent the Cougars possess, saying that a 5-4 record in conference play at this stage is dissapointing would be a gross understatement. On top of that, the Cougars have four upcoming games against the current WCC top 3 – San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. On a positive note, three of those aforementioned four games will be played in the Marriott Center, where the Cougars are 8-1 this season.