Cougars Declared Champions by DegreeSearch.org

PROVO, Utah — DegreeSearch.org conducted its own postseason tournament for college basketball called the Student-Athlete Championship and declared BYU men’s basketball the champions.

Each school in this year’s NCAA Tournament was given a score based on brains (six-year graduation rate) and wins (winning percentage over the last six seasons). With a score of 178, BYU edged perennial power Duke in the championship game. CLICK HERE to view the bracket.

Under the direction of head coach Dave Rose, the Cougars have found success on and off the court. Rose has led the Cougars to five-straight 25-plus win seasons, including back-to-back 30-win seasons, and four conference titles in those five seasons. This season, BYU is 32-4 and has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1981. The Cougars play Florida tonight at 6:27 p.m. CT with a spot in the Southeast Region final on the line.

In the classroom, BYU basketball has earned recognition from the NCAA for its high Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores the last four seasons. The Cougars are the only men’s basketball program that earned APR recognition and an NCAA Tournament berth from 2007-10.