Photo Courtesy of BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey
SALT LAKE CITY — Some said they could go far this year. Now the BYU Men’s Basketball team won’t have a chance to prove it. The NCAA on Thursday announced its canceling the Men’s and Women’s basketball tournament due to concerns over COVID-19.
That means the end of the season for the number 14 ranked Cougars, who were anxious to recover from a tough loss to St. Mary’s in the West Coast Conference Tournament.
“This is all happening so fast, but this was supposed to be a fun time in our lives, especially to watch what BYU did this year,” said Stephanie Nixon, mother of Senior Forward Dalton Nixon. “To be on that journey with them, it’s just absolutely heartbreaking,” she said.
Nixon spoke with KSL Wednesday about the prospect of the NCAA tournament being cancelled. She said she feels especially bad for the seniors. “It breaks my heart for the players, for the coaches, for the families,” Nixon said.
The Cougars finish the season with 24 wins, 8 losses. They were ranked 14th by the AP before Monday’s tough 51-50 loss to St. Mary’s. It would have been BYU’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament in five-years.