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LAS VEGAS — BYU Basketball is working to add another game to its 2017-18 season.
This one won’t count in the standings, but it will mean more than a win or a loss.
The Cougars are working on an agreement to face former Mountain West rival New Mexico in an exhibition game Oct. 27 in Albuquerque, KSL.com has learned. The game, which will not be part of the official schedule if it is approved by the NCAA, will benefit hurricane relief efforts in a year that has seen much of the country battered by storms and natural disasters in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, among other locales.
The news first began emerging via social media Thursday morning, notably through national college basketball writer Jon Rothstein.
Both teams will compete in a regulation college basketball game, with proceeds going to benefit hurricane victims and ongoing relief efforts.
The Cougars were selected to finish third in the West Coast Conference during the league’s annual basketball tipoff in Las Vegas. Saint Mary’s was picked first, garnering nine out of 10 first-place votes from defending champion Gonzaga, who finished second in the voting.
The Zags, who advanced to their first national championship game in school history last season before falling to North Carolina, had been picked to win the league for the past 17 years.
“It was a little bit of a surprise to be picked as preseason favorites,” Gaels coach Randy Bennett said. “We’ve been in situations like this before where there are expectations on us, and we had a target on us then like now.
“I think our guys are familiar with this scenario. It’s never easy, and our guys have a pretty good feel for what they need to do every day. I think we’ll approach it the right way.”
BYU picked up 62 points in the poll, edging out fourth-place San Francisco. Santa Clara rounded out the top five.
BYU forward Yoeli Childs and guard TJ Haws were named to the preseason all-WCC team. The BYU sophomore duo both earned WCC all-freshman team honors a year ago, while Haws became the first BYU freshman to earn first-team all-conference honors since Danny Ainge.
The Cougars currently have two home exhibition games Nov. 1 against Westminster and Nov. 8 against Colorado College to open the season.
