A lot of things have transpired for BYU since joining the Big 12 two seasons ago but if last year was any indication this program is trending in a great direction. Kevin Young barely skipped a beat in his debut season as a collegiate head coach, taking the Cougars to another brilliant season and putting them in this position to be even better in 2026.
BYU finished last season with 26 wins, a 14-6 mark in a tough Big 12, and advanced to the first Sweet Sixteen in more than a decade. An outstanding effort included an upset win over Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but the expectations are even higher for the Cougars moving forward thanks to the offseason news.
Not only are the Cougars riding their recent momentum, but they return significant talent, bring in a few important transfers, and landed one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, including a name that will be known in many households. Although Egor Demin is off to the NBA after brilliant work as a freshman, there’s enough talent in Provo for what could be a magical season.
We’ll get into all of the things that could contribute to another great year for BYU and there’s a plethora of talent on this roster. BYU could boast one of the nation’s best lineups and we’ll dive both into that and the key backups, as well as a few notes on the schedule too.
Projected Starters
Guard – Robert Wright III (Sophomore)
One of last season’s Top 25 recruits, Wright found his first collegiate home at Baylor and his rookie season saw him earn All-Freshman honors in the Big 12. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists and grew into a leadership role for the Bears with decent scoring and assist numbers. It’s an important sophomore year for Wright, but BYU expects him to be masterful in leading this offense.
Guard – Kennard Davis (Junior)
Something of an underrated offseason addition, Davis could step up in a major way for the Cougars after previous work at Southern Illinois. The Saint Louis native thrilled close to home, averaging 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season with the Salukis in his first season as a starter. Davis made 37% of his 3-pointers last season and him staying a starter with the Cougars rests on his ability to be a facilitator and playmaker in this offense.
Guard – Richie Saunders (Senior)
Last season was a major step forward for Saunders and it’s equally a major gain that he’s back for his senior season with the Cougars. Named First Team All-Big 12 and the league’s Most Improved Player, Saunders put up 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while knocking down 43% of his 3-pointers. The leading scorer last season, he took a major step forward as a starter last year and is a massive part of the equation here.
Forward – AJ Dybantsa (Freshman)
Considered by many the nation’s top recruit, Dybantsa’s decision to come to BYU is a major win for Young and his coaching staff, though the NIL support in Provo certainly helps. Dybantsa has excellent size and can impact the game all over the court. He’s athletic, he can create shots and the 6-9 wing continues to develop his consistency outside the arc as well. We’ll see how this highly-touted prospect develops at the college level likely in his only year with the Cougars.
Forward – Keba Keita (Senior)
Keita is a 6-7 big man originally from Mali who’s done solid work in the state of Utah at the high school and college level. After underclassman seasons over at Utah, Keita slid over to BYU last season and averaged 7.4 points and 7.9 rebounds as the Cougars’ starting center. They’re expecting even more out of him this season, coming off a season where he made 67% of his field goal attempts.
Key Reserves
Forward – Tyler Mrus (Junior)
A 6-7 forward out of Washington, Mrus put up some solid numbers at Idaho before joining the Cougars this season. After playing just two games in his first season, he became a full-time starter in the Vandals’ frontcourt, putting up 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds a game while knocking down 38% from outside the arc. He brings a new experienced piece off the bench, with the Cougars hoping he can knock down those shots when needed.
Forward – Mihailo Boskovic (Senior)
Boskovic is a 6-10 forward from Serbia who played significant basketball in Europe before coming to BYU last offseason. Technically a junior last year, he averaged 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds as a solid backup in the frontcourt and the Cougars will hope for even more this season after showing some signs of brilliance.
Guard – Nate Pickens (Senior)
Growth was shown by Pickens over the last three seasons at UC Riverside and he’ll now hope to carve out a notable role off the bench at BYU. He was good for 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a game as a junior with the Highlanders. There’s still work to do offensively, though he did manage 39% from outside the arc and has a chance to play important minutes in this backcourt.
Forward – Dominique Diomande (Freshman)
Diamonade is a 6-8 forward from Paris who was at Washington last season but didn’t see time on the court as a freshman. He played at several levels of basketball in France and projects as a high-level player who can be a great rebounder and decision maker at the professional level. We could see him secure an important role.
Guard – Dawson Baker (Senior)
An extensive college basketball career has led Baker to this point, dating back to his experience at UC Irvine back from 2020. He averaged double figures in all three seasons with the Anteaters before transferring to BYU, where he secured a solid bench spots last season. Baker put up 7.5 points a game and will be seen as an important veteran presence off the bench, especially if he can get his 3-point shot down again.
Forward – Xavion Staton (Freshman)
A 6-11 center out of Hurricane, Utah, Staton is a Top 40 prospect and the other very important new weapon from this recruiting class. He brings something significant to BYU’s frontcourt, tracking as a high-level shot blocker and paint presence. He’s pretty athletic for his side and will really stand out on defense, though we’ll have to see how his offensive game translates at the college level.
Schedule Outlook
Notable exhibition contests come in October against Nebraska and North Carolina, but BYU really hits the ground running in Las Vegas against Villanova on opening night. November 15 brings an important matchup in Boston against UConn while the Cougars will host Wisconsin a few days later.
BYU heads down to Florida for the ESPN Events Invitational, getting late November matchups against Miami and either Dayton or Georgetown. The next notable showdown is December 9 at Madison Square Garden, meeting Clemson as part of the Jimmy V Classic. The nonconference schedule wraps up with a number of home games, with Abilene Christian perhaps the most notable.
We don’t have the concrete schedule announced for Big 12 play, but we know that BYU is a team that will have a target on their backs. Matchups against Houston and Kansas will be must-see, but let’s not pretend they won’t get plenty of other challenges. Big expectations continue for rivals like Arizona and Baylor, while they’ll play a pair of games against in-state rival Utah.
Season Outlook
We’ve spoken about how BYU has taken a solid step forward since joining the Big 12 two years ago and there’s no questioning that. Getting Saunders and Keita back from the team that made that advancement last season is already great news, but adding this incredible talent really spells out their potential.
It certainly starts with Dybantsa, and we can’t really put into words what a talent like that means for this team. He’s the kind of player who’s going to put this team on his back at times this season. A future lottery pick, Dybantsa steps into a major role at small forward and will put up points and get his opportunities aplenty with the Cougars.
When you paint the full picture for BYU, it’s a starting five full of talent and incredible potential, but there’s still a question mark. We’ve seen that Wright can become a top notch point guard and have spoken on the faces in the frontcourt, but the Cougars really need either Davis or Baker to step up as an anchor in this backcourt. After all, there’s no certainty which one of them will be the starter by season’s end.
The hype is real for this team even beyond any questions at the 2 or at the back end of the depth. There’s a reason expectations are sky high in Provo and this team has the pure talent to be a top level contender in the Big 12. The Cougars had one of the best offenses in the nation last season and it got even better in the offseason; it’s all about if the defense can do enough against some of these strong Big 12 teams. Expect big things from this team under Young’s leadership.