BYU Cougars March Madness Prediction: How long can they possibly go in 2024 NCAA tournament? 

The BYU Cougars are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 season and for the 31st time in program history. The Cougars have never won a national title, or even reached a Final Four.

The farthest they have advanced is the Elite Eight, having done so three times, with the most recent such appearance coming in 1981. Their two previous such appearances came in 1950 and 1951.

All in all, in their previous 30 appearances in March Madness, BYU has a 15-33 record, which is just a .313 winning percentage. That mark is the lowest of any team with at least 40 games played in the NCAA Tournament. The No.21-ranked Cougars posted a 22-9 record during the regular season, and finished with a 10-8 conference record in their first year in a deep Big 12.

After defeating the UCF Knights, 87-73 in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, BYU fell to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the quarterfinals, 81-67.

They were still able to earn a No.6 seed in the East Region and will face the Duquesne Dukes in the opening round. Here's a look at how far the BYU Cougars could advance in March Madness.

How long can BYU Cougars possibly go in 2024 NCAA tournament?

The BYU Cougars will enter the NCAA Tournament with +6000 odds of winning their first national title in program history, according to FanDuel. That mark is tied with the Wisconsin Badgers for the 18th-best odds in the nation. Furthermore, they are a heavy favorite to advance past the first round, with -480 odds.

Their odds of reaching the Sweet 16 sit at +132, while they have +390 odds of reaching their fourth Elite Eight in program history. The Cougars have +1600 odds to win the East Region and reach the Final Four for the first time.

BYU has been elite on the offensive end this season. They have averaged 81.8 points per game, ranking 20th out of 362 teams in the nation in scoring offense and 18th in offensive rating. Their defense has been solid as well as they have allowed 69.9 ppg, ranking 110th in scoring defense and 80th in defensive rating.

While they have been a strong team, the Cougars have a difficult path ahead. Although they should get past the first round, a matchup with the No.10 Illinois Fighting Illini, who won the Big Ten Tournament, could await them in the second round. They could also need to get through the No.1 UConn Huskies and No.4 Iowa State Cyclones to reach the Final Four.

The BYU Cougars have shown that they have the talent to compete with tough opponents. They have not, however, shown the consistency needed to do so for six straight games as they have not won more than two consecutive games since conference play began at the start of January.