Fighting For Respect, Cougars Hoping For High Seed In NCAA's

As the BYU Cougars come down the final stretch in the regular season, they are completing a compelling case for the NCAA tournament selection committee to be a top-two seed this year. 

The Cougars can certainly handle the truth and as rap star Nelly let us know, they have The Truth in Jimmer Fredette.

Even if the Jimmer Express may be slowing a bit (he has had two off-games in a row where he's scored 23 points, hit the panic button!), the Cougars are still winning and in most cases, winning big. 

The Horned Frogs of TCU were the latest recipient of a Cougar beat down as BYU rolled out of Fort Worth with a 23-point win on Saturday. 

Racking up the wins this year as the Cougars have, 24-2 at the moment (and two wins against top-10 teams in SDSU and Arizona), they are hoping for their best tournament seed ever as Selection Sunday draws near.

With a No. 3 ranking in the RPI and a No. 7 ranking in both AP and USA Today/Coaches Poll, the Cougars have all the accolades necessary to draw a top-two seed. 

Oh yeah, did I mention that Jimmer fella who has brought never before seen national media coverage to Provo? 

This week Joe Lunardi's Bracketology Report has BYU as a number two seed in the West bracket playing in Denver. 

Given the fact that Jimmer and his band of Cougars have nearly sold out every arena they have played at during the last month, there is no reason to think droves of Cougar fans won't make the eight-hour drive to Denver from Provo.

The only major threat of the Cougars dropping in the seeding selection process is for them to stumble somewhere in their remaining four games. 

They still have tough games remaining against a much improved Colorado State squad, San Diego State (a nationally televised game on CBS this Saturday) and New Mexico. 

While the Cougars play CSU and UNM in the comfort of the Marriott Center, they will enter hostile territory this weekend in San Diego.

The Aztecs only have one blemish on their record this season and it came at the hands of Jimmer and Cougars in late January. 

The Aztecs need no reminding that Mr. Fredette dropped 43 on them in the last meeting and owned them to the finish. 

Steve Fisher will have his Aztecs ready and this game should have a Bloodsport feel to it as the top teams in the MWC embark on their showdown. 

It's an understatement to say the Cougars have a lot to play for in the next three weeks, including the conference tournament. If the Cougars stay hot and Jimmer gets back on his game, expect to see the Cougars donning a No. 2 seed in the West bracket come March.