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Kyle Collinsworth #5 of the Brigham Young Cougars reacts after tying the NCAA career record for triple-doubles with six, all coming this season, during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brigham Young won 84-70. (Getty)
March Madness kicked off Tuesday, March 17 with the First Four games to determine the four teams joining the others to compete in the round of 64. The nightcap of the evening is BYU v. Ole Miss.
Bringham Young University finished the season 25-9 overall and 13-5 in the West Coast Conference and runner-up in the WCC Tournament behind Gonzaga.
While neither team is pegged to make history in the game, there is one player to watch out for who could make NCAA history. It’s Cougars’ junior guard Kyle Collinsworth. He leads the team with 23 dunks on the year and has been named WCC Player of the Week four times.
Here’s what you need to know about BYU’s No. 5:
1. Kyle Collinsworth Torn His ACL a Year Ago in the WCC Tournament
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Kyle Collinsworth #5 of the Brigham Young Cougars loses the ball in front of Kevin Bailey #00 of the Portland Pilots during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)
The 6-foot-6 BYU junior guard’s season ended before the final buzzer in the Cougars’ 75-64 loss to Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament Championship game.
Prior to going down midway through the second half, Collinsworth had 13 points and six rebounds.
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2. He Tied a NCAA Record Held by Michael Anderson & Shaquille O’Neal
Just a year removed from tearing his ACL, BYU Collinsworth reached his sixth triple-double of the season – 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists – in the Cougars’ WCC Tournament win over Portland.
Collinsworth tied the NCAA career triple-double record to join Michael Anderson (Drexel) and Shaquille O’Neal (LSU), who both set the mark in the ’80s. But what’s crazy is not only does this achievement come at the year mark of his ACL injury, but also Collinsworth tied the career record in a single-season.
Impressive.
3. He Leads the Team in Rebounds & Assists
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Kyle Collinsworth #5 of the Brigham Young Cougars drives on Kyle Kuzma #35 of the Utah Utes during the second half of an college basketball game December 10, 2014 in Provo, Utah. Utah defeated BYU 65-61. (Getty)
While this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering he’s had six triple-doubles this season, Collinsworth leads the Cougars’ squad in both rebounds – 8.7 – and assists – 5.8. He’s also the second-highest scorer on the team with an average of 14.0 points per game. He also shoots 47.9 percent from the floor.
As Collinsworth continues to work towards breaking that NCAA career triple-double record, and the media continues to gravitate to his name and success, NBA talks have loomed around the Provo, Utah native.
Although he’s not pegged to be one of the top prospects, DraftExpress still has him ranked among the NCAA juniors.
4. He Helped High School Team to 4-Straight State Championship Berths
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Kyle Collinsworth #5 of the Brigham Young Cougars is guarded by Jarvis Pugh #4 of the Santa Clara Broncos during a quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 7, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brigham Young won 78-76. (Getty)
Prior to BYU, Collinsworth knew a thing or two about winning and moving on to the next level. During his four-year career at Provo High School in Utah, Collinsworth helped his team to four-straight state championship appearances.
As a freshman and sophomore, Collinsworth helped lead his team to back-to-back state championships. In his junior year, he helped Provo to a second-place state finish. And again as a senior, Collinsworth ended up at the state final games, but Provo was knocked out in the semis.
5. He Is Engaged to BYU Track Runner Shea Martinez
Collinsworth is engaged to BYU track runner Shea Martinez.
Somehow he finds time between basketball games and practice to support her, according to his Twitter:
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