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BYU's Richie Saunders awaits the action in an NCAA men's basketball second round game against Wisconsin at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Trevin Knell takes a 3-pointer in an NCAA men's basketball second round game against Wisconsin at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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The program with the most Sweet 16 appearances in men’s college basketball history is Kentucky with 45.

Since the pre-modern era of the NCAA Tournament began in 1971, BYU has advanced to the Sweet 16 three times, including this season.

So it’s worth celebrating.

After Saturday’s target-heart-rate 91-89 victory against Wisconsin in Denver that propelled the Cougars into the Sweet 16 the BYU players were eager to share their thoughts about repeating a great history set by legends Danny Ainge (1981) and Jimmer Fredette (2011).

“Yeah, I’ve never done it before,” junior guard Richie Saunders said. “We’re reaching new territory. I don’t feel scared or anything, right? It’s new and that means we’re just gonna rely on each other even more. That’s just simply what it is, just like we’ve done all year.”

Saunders has transformed from a traditional “glue guy” into one of the nation’s top players under Kevin Young and his coaching staff.

“They really just challenged me,” Saunders said. “That’s the biggest thing. They taught me to raise my sights. For me, it’s incredible. I’m grateful that we’ve run these plays (for him) every game. We run them at the end of practice, because you never know when you’re going to need them.”

Saunders led BYU with 25 points in the win on Saturday and drew the praise of Badgers coach Greg Gard.

“Saunders, you could tell he’s a gamer,” Gard said. “He’s a winner. He had six offensive rebounds. The kid knows how to play. When you’ve got to have a guy like that, and I’ve got a lot of them, too, that play with the heart and the energy and the unwillingness to lose, you can do a lot of good things, and they’ve had a good year, and they get to keep playing.”

Senior guard Trey Stewart, like many of his teammates, felt gratitude to Cougar Nation after earning a berth in the Sweet 16.

“I think the emotion just stems from how happy I am for all of our players and everyone that supports BYU,” Stewart said. “You look up there and you see that much support, it’s really gratifying to be able to lead this team for everyone who supports it. I mean, this is what you dream of as a kid.”

Another senior, guard Trevin Knell, compared the season to a roller coaster ride.

“A lot of people wrote us off at the beginning of the season, so it’s been awesome to be able to rewrite the story a little bit,” Knell said. “I told a lot of people, it’s just going to take time. Our brand of basketball, we’re trusting each other right now.

“I love this saying that the energy on the court reflects the energy on the bench, which reflects energy in the arena. It’s like a move, right? So shout out to Cougar Nation for showing hp. We’re super grateful for them.”

Grad transfer Mawot Mag helped make the final defensive stop to secure the win against Wisconsin.

“Not many people make it to the Sweet 16,” he said. “I was once a little kid watching on TV, and now to be a part of it means a lot to me. There are a lot of a lot of emotions to show. The job is not done yet. We have a whole lot of games to win, so we want to just keep stacking days.”

Mag played four seasons at Rutgers, so Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup against Alabama in Newark, N.J., is a homecoming of sorts.

“I’m excited to play there,” he said. “Just to play in the Sweet 16, the chaotic environment. I feel like we’re on a roll and we have a lot more to show. We had a rocky start, but it’s all about how we finish. We can see that and how everything falls together.”

BYU’s win against Wisconsin came down to the final play of the game but the Cougars were able to tune out the chaos and got the job done.

“We just go out there, trust our work and be confident,” Mag said. “We can’t put our head down when there’s adversity. It’s just about how you are gonna respond. We kept our head up, stayed composed because we’ve been in that situation a lot of times, like at Iowa State and Arizona.”

Stewart added: “The main thing is for us to stick together. Stick to the game plan. We’ve got to rebound and get a stop there. We had to stay present and stick to what we were doing before, because it’s working.”

The Cougars feature a rotation of 10 or 11 players, something a big unusual at this stage in the tournament.

“I love playing with this group,” Saunders said. “We’ve been together a while, with some great additions. My freshman year we took some bad losses and its crazy to think about how we’ve stuck together as a team. We just chose to keep moving forward. To see where we are and the opportunities ahead, it’s amazing.”

Get together: A Sweet 16 Watch Party is scheduled for Thursday at the Marriott Center, with the doors opening at 4 p.m. For the 5:09 p.m. tipoff between BYU and Alabama. Those who wish to attend are invited to enter through portals F-L of the Marriott Center. The event is free of charge.