It could easily be argued that BYU was "lucky" to beat SMC. Yes we held them to only 2 points in the last 10 minutes, but some of that was them missing plenty of open shots. Either way, BYU has not demonstrated that they are significantly better than SMC or USF. I still think this team has a lot of upside and they could improve plenty over the next few weeks. But lets hold off on crowning them as being significantly above the pack (obviously the zags are on a level above the entire WCC.)

I am probably way too optimistic as things "calming down" is probably 4-6 months away, but I hope 4 things happen by the end of February.

1. The super spreading due to family gatherings during the holidays are long gone. It is too early to tell, but my guess is the decrease in the number of cases over the last week is largely due to this. Hopefully the decreasing trend is consistent across the country.

2. A "significant" number of people will have received the vaccine. Thus further adding to the decrease in cases. Combine this with the ever increasing number of people who have had the virus and while not close to herd immunity, cases will hopefully continue to decrease further. And maybe a way to get players, coaches and those involved with the tourney access to the vaccine. Who knows, enough people are saying they wont take it, that this may be an option?

3. Warmer weather begins to naturally slow the spread as is the case with the flu. Weather it is due to warmer weather and more people outside or whatever, I just hope this happens. Obviously not relevant for Provo by Feb, but if it is happening in CA and other warm climates, then it will be a good indicator for the rest of the country.

4. Deaths are way down. This because a high percentage of those at risk will have received the vaccine. I realize this is a lagging indicator, but hopefully by mid February we are seeing this across the board.