BYU Basketball Watched Selection Sunday In Style At Marriott Center

PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball welcomed the return of the NCAA Tournament’s Selection Sunday in style. The 2020-21 Cougars squad watched their name called at the Marriott Center on the arena’s big screens.

Cougar Nation… pic.twitter.com/vIwmAECZKr

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) March 14, 2021

Mark Pope has always cherished Selection Sunday. Last year, when the pandemic took away the Big Dance, Pope dialed up Greg Gumbel, Clark Kellogg, and Seth Davis to give his BYU team a Selection Sunday celebration despite no tournament.

With March Madness, you know Mark Pope had to do it big for his players and staff.

The wait was worth it for BYU Basketball

“This was the longest I’ve ever had to wait,” BYU forward Matt Haarms said laughingly. “They really made us wait for this one. I think, my previous trips to the Tournament, we were kind of in the first bracket and we’re like, ‘We’re good. And now we know who we play.’ Then we were done. They really made us wait for it and we sat through three long commercial breaks. But it was great to finally find out who we play after this long of a season and finally found out what it’s going to come down to. It’s going to come down to Michigan State or UCLA. Super exciting.”

#Joy #6seed #GoCougs
⁦@byuROC⁩ pic.twitter.com/EDM4fIFlpI

— Nick Robinson (@CoachNick_BYU) March 14, 2021

BYU will take on either the Spartans or Bruins on Saturday in Indianapolis. Michigan State and UCLA will tip-off the tournament in First Four action on Thursday. During Sunday’s Selection Special on CBS, BYU was one of the teams on display during the bracket reveal when the Cougars received a 6-seed. The highest seed BYU had received since 2011 when they landed a 3 in Jimmer Fredette’s senior year.

We see you @BYUbasketball on Selection Sunday. 👀 #BYU #GoCougs #MarchMadness #BYUhoops pic.twitter.com/pHbaTH3clU

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 14, 2021

“The revealing of the bracket itself is always such an awesome event,” Haarms said. “You know the whole thing of March Madness is the greatest sporting event in the world. So to be able to be part of that and be featured on the big screen, on TV there, watching us find out who we play is really awesome.”

On Monday, BYU basketball leaves for Indianapolis, where they will then bubble up in the Circle City in preparation for Saturday’s Round of 64 matchup.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.