9. BYU (11-1)
This season has provided a few moments where BYU didn’t look quite right, but in the end do those moments really matter? The Cougars have been winners once again this season, with their only loss coming by 2 points against a very good UConn squad over a month ago. Even though there have been some challenges, this talented BYU lineup is getting the job done and that certainly continued with a lighter schedule this week.
On Tuesday the Cougars were victorious 93-57 over former conference rival Pacific in another easy victory. The big three did the damage for BYU, getting 24 points from Richie Saunders, 23 points and 10 rebounds from AJ Dybantsa, and 22 points from Rob Wright III. Friday’s action was slightly closer, but the Cougars still prevailed 85-67 against Abilene Christian. This time it was Dybantsa really going off, putting up 35 points and 6 rebounds in a resounding performance.
The story remains somewhat the same, as BYU has had some slow starts and struggled to get reliable play from the rest of their rotation, but those three are more than enough to win and be a contender. Dybantsa is looking the part of a potential top draft pick and this team is getting just enough out of this lineup to be a Big 12 contender. We’ll see the Cougars in action one more time before league play, as they’ll host Eastern Washington this Monday.