LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Heading to Las Vegas for the second time this season, the fourth-seeded University of San Francisco men's basketball team (23-8, 10-6 WCC) will begin play in the 2022 UCU West Coast Conference Tournament with a Saturday night matchup against the fifth-seeded BYU Cougars (22-9, 9-6 WCC).
 
GAME 32 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Saturday, Mar. 5, 2022 – 7:30 p.m.
Opponent: #5 seed BYU (22-9, 9-6 WCC)
Site: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.) 
Video: ESPN 2 (Dave Flemming + Sean Farnham) 
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson + Jim Brovelli)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Capping off the regular season with their league-leading seventh road win of conference play, USF took down San Diego, 78-62, on Saturday, Feb. 26 behind four Dons finishing in double figures. In arguably his most efficient game in the green and gold, Patrick Tapé was an impressive 6-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line and 1-1 from beyond-the-arc. Overall, the Charlotte, N.C. native also added five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 25 minutes played.
• With the victory over the Toreros, San Francisco notched their most wins (23) in a season since the program was reinstated in 1985-86. Heading into Saturday, the Dons currently rank No. 22 in KenPom and No. 26 in the NCAA's Net Rankings.
• Overall, USF boasts a 10-4 record away from War Memorial at the Sobrato Center this season, including a 7-2 mark in true road games. According to Bart Torvik, the Dons are the seventh best road team in college basketball, with the other six teams all ranking in the top fifteen of the current AP poll.
• Notably, USF has six Quad 1 + 2 wins away from home this year, including road wins at BYU and Arizona State as well as a neutral site victory over UAB in November to capture the 2021 Las Vegas Invitational title.
• Recently, Jamaree Bouyea and Yauhen Massalski were both named First Team All-WCC following their stellar seasons on the hardwood while Khalil Shabazz was named Second Team All-WCC. For Bouyea, this selection marks the second straight year in which the guard earned First Team honors. For Shabazz, the Seattle native also earned Second Team honors for the second year in a row. 

SCOUTING THE COUGARS:

• Advancing to the quarterfinal round with a dominant win over Loyola Marymount, BYU downed the Lions, 85-60, on Friday night at Orleans Arena on the strength of 22 points from First Team All-WCC selection Alex Barcello.
• Making a push for a berth into the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars currently rank No. 45 in KenPom and No. 53 in the NCAA's Net Rankings. Overall, BYU was one of five teams in the WCC with at least 20 wins in the regular season (Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, USF, Santa Clara, BYU).
• In three WCC tournament games, Trevin Knell is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond-the-arc. Notably, Knell scored a career-high 20 points, 15 of those in the first half, against Gonzaga in last season's WCC Championship game. 
• With third-year head coach Mark Pope at the helm, the Cougars are 2-2 in WCC tournament play as BYU defeated Pepperdine 82-77 in overtime last season in the semifinal round before falling to Gonzaga, 88-78, in the championship game. 

SERIES HISTORY:

• Saturday's matchup between BYU and USF will mark the 33^rd meeting all-time between the two programs as the Cougars currently hold a 22-10 lead in the all-time series. Despite the advantage, the Dons took down BYU, 73-59, on the road in Provo in their last matchup on Feb. 3.

TRACK THE ACTION:
Saturday's contest will air live on ESPN 2 and on KNBR 1050 at 7:30 pm PT. Dave Flemming and Sean Farham will have the call on the ESPN 2 while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will air on KNBR 1050 from Las Vegas. Live streaming, radio and live statistics are available above and via the team's schedule page.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.