The expectations surrounding the BYU men’s basketball team have arguably never been higher than they are this season with potential 2026 No. 1 NBA Draft pick A.J. Dybantsa in the fold, at least since Jimmer Fredette was torching through the Mountain West as one of the great shooters college basketball has ever seen.
BYU, however, is no longer an unassuming mid-major program in the Utah mountains. Now they’re in the Big 12 and one of the most well-funded athletic programs in all of the Power 5 at that, a significant portion of which has been invested into the basketball program.
Dybantsa reportedly received a record $7 million NIL deal to play his lone college season at BYU, and the program also brought in highly-touted transfers Robert Wright III (Baylor) and Kennard Davis Jr. (Southern Illinois). The program also brought back star guard Richie Saunders, who was one of the engines behind BYU’s run to the Sweet 16 last season.
The trio of Dybantsa, Saunders and Wright III led the Cougs to a gutsy 71-66 win over the Villanova Wildcats in their season opener at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas on Monday. Dybantsa tallied 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting in his debut, making his lone 3-point attempt in addition to grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Already Comfortable
Dybantsa, who has been deemed a generational recruit by some, looked completely NBA-ready in his debut. He was explosive, displaying high-level shot-making ability inside, and he served as the main facilitator and playmaker when on the floor, despite his 6’9 frame and stretch four orientation.
“We put the ball in his hands and he made plays,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “In his first game, to be able to have the poise to do that, I thought was impressive. He finally got his butt in there and got some offensive rebounds, too, which I was happy to see. But, you know, there’s a lot. What I just told the guys is, to be able to pull out a tough win like that in the first game of the year, that’s just a toughness win. Stuff we can build on.”
Saunders contributed 15 points and seven rebounds to BYU’s cause, but he did so on a rather inefficient 4-of-13 from the field. Wright III added 14 of his own, but also did so inefficiently on a 5-of-16 shooting clip overall. BYU got a significant boost from center Keba Keita, who flushed a highlight-reel alley-oop from Dybantsa early and sent a few Villanova shots fully out of play.
Villanova guard and collegiate journeyman Devin Askew struggled mightily in his debut with the Wildcats, going scoreless on 0-of-3 from the field in just 13 minutes of action despite starting the game. James Madison transfer Bryce Lindsay picked up Askew’s slack off the bench, scoring 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field overall and 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
