Stepping on the floor in front of 14,000 people, no matter what point in the game it is, is different than, and can't be simulated by, practicing in an empty gym. No doubt coming into the latter stages of a blowout is different than coming into a nail-biter, but how does it hurt for guys to at least some idea of what their emotional state will be like when playing in front of a big crowd?
BYU was probably underseeded at a 6. If they were say seeded as a 4 and made it to the Sweet 16, they would now have to play the 1. As it is, they now get to play the 2 seed instead. Which is better? It seems that chasing a couple of seed spots is really of limited value. I'd rather do whatever I can to have a healthy team and my backup guys with some game experience in the case that I need them.