BYU Basketball is riding high after a 96-95 road win that extended its winning streak to four games. BYU was a team firmly on the bubble after a Cincinnati road loss two weeks ago, and now are one of the hottest teams in college basketball and playing some of the best basketball in the country.

BYU’s 4-game winning streak hasn’t come against cupcakes; all four games have been resume-boosting games.

Consider each game individually:

• Game 1: Quad One road win versus West Virginia, a team projected to be in the NCAA Tournament field.
• Game 2: Quad Two home win versus Kansas State, a team at the time riding a 6-game win streak that included wins over Iowa State, Kansas, and Arizona.
• Game 3: Quad One home win versus Kansas. The Jayhawks were ranked 15 in NET at the time and top 10 nationally in defensive efficiency. BYU beat the Jayhawks by 34, one of the worst defeats in program history.
• Game 4: Quad One road win at Arizona. The Wildcats were #2 in the Big 12 coming in and top 10 in both KenPom and NET. This is BYU’s best win of the season.

Game 1, 3, and 4 were all BYU’s best wins of the season at the time and BYU has racked all those up in the last two weeks. You want to be playing your best ball of the season going into March and BYU is doing just that.

Consider Bart Torvik’s recent rankings. The Torvik rankings are one of seven metrics the NCAA committee uses when evaluating a team, so they are legitimate. Looking at games from February 10-Feburary 22 — which is one day before BYU’s win versus West Virginia — BYU ranks as the #3 team in the nation during that time, behind just Duke and Clemson. Your eye test isn’t failing you — BYU is playing REALLY well.

Recent Trends, stats, and other news

I’m gonna go rapid fire here with some stats, so here we go.

• Mawot Mag is playing the best ball of his 5-year college career. Mag spent the first four years of his college career at Rutgers, where he earned the reputation as one of the best defenders in college basketball. That reputation hasn’t faded, and Mag should be a legitimate candidate to earn Big 12 All-Defensive honors. What has changed is Mag’s shooting. In 4 college seasons at Rutgers, Mag was 26/99 (26%) from three. This year he is 20/53 (38%). In BYU’s 11 Quad One games, he is 12/26 (46%). He’s best when it matters most and is an integral part to this team.
• BYU’s bench is getting deeper as the season goes on. Most coaches shorten their bench as they progress in the season, It makes sense — you want to play your top guys more in the most meaningful games. BYU has gone with the opposite approach. During BYU’s 4-game win streak, 10 players have played at least 6 minutes every game. Versus Arizona, 11 guys played at least 5 minutes. Trey Stewart and Mihailo Boskovic have carved out roles the last two weeks after receiving zero meaningful minutes during the first half of Big 12 play, and have both played vital roles in BYU wins. BYU’s bench plays 41% of available minutes, which is 16th nationally. Depth is one of BYU’s greatest strengths, and guys are embracing their roles.
• BYU’s offensive performance versus Arizona was its best ever in Big 12 play. If you’re measuring points per possession as a measure of offensive excellence, BYU had its highest output ever Saturday night in two Big 12 seasons. BYU scored 1.37 PPP versus Arizona, more than any of the 33 previous Big 12 games. This came versus an Arizona defense that was top 15 nationally in KenPom defensive efficiency.
• Trey Stewart is 5/10 from three in his last 5 games. Trey Stewart has been a part of the rotation in the last 6 games, and has taken two threes in each of the last 5 games. He’s made 5 of the 10 attempts and Kevin Young has counted on him for his defense. In the final possession of the Arizona game, he locked up Caleb Love and forced a turnover on the inbounds pass.

• Richie Saunders is the runaway favorite for Big 12 Most Improved Player and legitimate candidate for First Team All-Big 12 Honors. Richie has been one of the most productive and consistent players in Big 12 play. According to the Big 12’s official site, he is #3 in the Big 12 in scoring (17.8 ppg), #2 in FG% (54%), #1 in 3-point percentage (46%), and #5 in threes made per game (2.6). The Big 12 has several great players, but Richie has been one of the five best in Big 12 play.
• BYU is 4-0 in Big 12 play when Kanon Catchings scores double digits. Kanon has scored in double figures versus Arizona State (11), Baylor (23), West Virginia (11), and Arizona (14). He was an integral part in each of those wins. Kanon’s play has been up-and-down this year, but it’s undeniable that BYU’s ceiling is at another level when he is hitting shots.
• Egor Demin has made a three pointer in nine straight games. Egor is shooting just 27% from three on the season, but he has made at least one three pointer in nine consecutive games. His Big 12 game-high assists total is 8, which he has done 3 times in 16 games. He’s hit that mark twice in the last 3 games, versus Kansas State and Arizona.
• Trevin Knell is shooting 42% from three in Big 12 play. Knell has been great this season. He spaces the floor and in Big 12 play has canned 30 threes. You may have said some things you regret about Trevin, but he’s been an important and consistent player for BYU.
• Dallin Hall is figuring out Kevin Young’s offense. Dallin Hall’s season has been inconsistent as he adjust to his role off the bench and a point guard in a brand new scheme. He’s been instrumental in BYU’s success in BYU’s last four games. Whether its scoring (16 points versus Kansas) or passing (5 assists per game over last 4 games), Dallin looks much more comfortable and confident on the court than he did in January.