10. BYU (13-1)
On the surface, BYU is a very impressive program that can go a long way not just in the Big 12 but in March Madness a few months from now. When you peel back the layers a bit you may start to ask questions because this team keeps starting games slowly but has enough firepower that it doesn’t matter. Their only loss was a 2-point defeat against UConn and Kevin Young’s squad is hoping that remains the case for some time in the future.
The Cougars were off for nearly two full weeks but were finally back in action on Saturday afternoon. Their Big 12 opener was a success, getting an 83-73 road win at Kansas State in what was their first road test of the entire season. AJ Dybantsa continued an impressive freshman year with 24 points and 8 rebounds while Rob Wright III added 18 points and Keba Keita grabbed 16 rebounds against the Wildcats.
What’s brought success to Provo has been the combined play of those three and Richie Saunders, as this starting lineup is filled to the brim with potential. Outside of that, BYU hasn’t gotten a ton of notable or reliable production and you have to wonder if a lull or an injury later in the year can really wreck the potential for these Cougars. Nothing of the sort affects them right now, as they’ve already turned their attention to Arizona State and Utah in the days ahead.