BYU’s 1st NCAA journey in 3 years comes with sophomore level guard taking part in past his years

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OMAHA, Neb. — Dallin Corridor settled in on the far seat of the media platform on the CHI Well being Heart earlier than BYU’s open follow on the NCAA Match, and walked previous placards set out for Spencer Johnson and Jaxson Robinson.

Maybe that is becoming for the sophomore, who will probably be making his first match look Thursday when the sixth-seeded Cougars face Eleventh-seeded Duquesne (10:40 a.m. MDT, TruTV).

Johnson was with BYU three years in the past in Indianapolis, when the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a 68-team match to be performed in entrance of principally empty arenas whereas gamers had been shuttled on-foot between a handful of gyms and confined to a single resort flooring per crew with every day testing for the virus.

Robinson, too, had performed within the NCAA Match, although the senior from Ada, Oklahoma, admits to utilizing the phrase “performed” loosely to explain his journey with Arkansas earlier than transferring to Provo.

However for Corridor, the 6-foot-4 sophomore who runs the purpose for BYU and barely sits for greater than eight minutes per sport, every part about Omaha has been a first-time expertise.

Pinch me? He already has — and lots.

“I believe Choice Sunday was type of that second: seeing our crew up on the display realizing this has been my dream since I have been just a little child,” Corridor mentioned. “However so far as embracing the second, I acquired some good leaders sitting subsequent to me, some within the locker room, and a training employees that has ready me this complete 12 months.”

Corridor dedicated to BYU out of Fremont Excessive, the place he was named the Gatorade Utah Participant of the Yr whereas main the Silverwolves to a 6A state title and incomes first-team all-state recognition.

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His sport caught the eye of former Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, however earlier than then it caught the eye of Mark Pope, who lured within the Plain Metropolis native over the likes of Oregon State, Utah, Utah State and Saint Mary’s.

Corridor dedicated to BYU for its run within the West Coast Convention, and certainly, after serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fresno, California, he returned to all-WCC freshman honors after beginning 21 of his 34 video games and recording the sixth-most assists by a freshman in program historical past with 108.

However coming into the Huge 12 was a brand new problem, for each Corridor and the Cougars, who wrapped up the common season with a 23-9 file and a fifth-place end in what most view because the hardest faculty basketball convention in America.

Extra taxing. Extra stars. Actually extra bodily, Johnson admits — and BYU has been proper up there with the most effective of them.

“I believe it surprises some groups. I do not know if we essentially will win the ‘eye take a look at’ within the warmup traces,” Johnson mentioned. “You have a look at us, and be like, ‘Oh man, who’re these guys out right here?’ No matter. However I believe we shock some groups, and that is fairly cool.”

The Cougars (23-10) are 3-point taking pictures specialists, the second-best crew within the nation in each takes and makes from past the arc.

They’re led by Robinson, the Huge 12 Sixth man of the Yr who averaged a team-high 13.8 factors per sport on 44% taking pictures from the perimeter, who was rated because the No. 37 total draft prospect by ESPN; and an “Egyptian magician” and the wizarding passes of heart Aly Khalifa, who ranks first within the Huge 12 and second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.80.

The Cougars additionally depend on junior large Fousseyni Traore, who has transitioned to the bench whereas averaging a team-best 6.3 rebounds to associate with 10.9 factors per sport. However working all of it is Corridor, who added muscle within the offseason to not appear to be the baby-faced returned missionary who stepped off the aircraft two years in the past.

“Dallin, like so a lot of our guys, has put collectively a extremely particular season,” Pope mentioned. “It hasn’t been excellent, thank goodness, as a result of that may be so boring. He has a novel capability to lift up in essential, key moments and settle our crew and make large performs. What he is finished by way of the ball management level guard dealing with what he has confronted all season lengthy, figuring out that he’s such a key man to our roster with groups making an attempt to assault him has been extraordinary.

“For him to do it as a sophomore, nonetheless a really younger participant, is actually unbelievable to look at and to see him and our different gamers develop,” he added. “He is had a terrific 12 months, and he is actually hungry to search out some solution to put collectively an important efficiency tomorrow and attempt to hold taking part in this sport.”

One 12 months after incomes WCC all-freshman honors, Corridor has been a guiding gentle for the Cougars’ offense. He is performed as many as 35 minutes an evening, averaged near 30, and his 5.1 assists per sport ranked fourth in Huge 12 play.

However as he steps into the unknown in his first NCAA Match expertise, he is placing just a little extra belief in his teammates.

“I am leaning on these guys after which simply making an attempt to embrace the second,” Corridor mentioned. “That is what I’ve at all times tried to do my complete life: simply get pleasure from it, be current and concentrate on the method.”

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