The Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City has been quite kind to the BYU men’s basketball team the past 30 years, as the Cougars have compiled a 24-5 all-time record at the home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
That includes a 19-1 record for BYU in the last 20 games, the only loss in that stretch a 69-68 decision to South Dakota on Dec. 3, 2022. The caveat is that the Cougars have only played four power conference opponents — Utah, Virginia Tech, Oregon and Arizona — in Delta Center since 2008, which is when their 19-1 stretch began.
So Friday’s matinee (2 p.m. MST, Peacock) with No. 23 Wisconsin might just be the toughest test BYU has faced at Delta Center in quite some time. The Badgers (4-0) will also be out for revenge, having lost 91-89 to BYU in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament last March in Denver.
BYU did knock off North Carolina 78-76 at Delta Center last month, but that was considered an exhibition game and does not count in the standings, or the all-important NET rankings. Friday afternoon’s game is much bigger, in that respect.
The Cougars (3-1) passed the first big test of their most highly anticipated season in decades in Las Vegas nearly three weeks ago, downing Villanova 71-66 at T-Mobile Arena. But they dropped an 86-84 heartbreaker to No. 3 UConn last Saturday in Boston and are now No. 15 in the KenPom rankings. The first NET rankings will be released in early December.
Wisconsin is No. 17 in KenPom. The Badgers beat Oklahoma 84-83 in an exhibition game in Milwaukee in October, then defeated Campbell, Northern Illinois, Ball State and SIUE in four blowouts in Madison at Kohl Center.
BYU coach Kevin Young said Wednesday that he has “definitely mentioned” to his team that Wisconsin will be looking for payback, although these days college basketball rosters seemingly change as quickly as the weather.
“I try to address the elephant in the room on all things, that kinda being one of them,” Young said. “But at the same time, stuff like that lasts for, like, a minute. You don’t really think about it when the game is being played.
“But look, it is a prideful team. It is a good team. It is well-coached. They are going to try to use the film from last year for motivation as well as teaching moments in terms of things we did or didn’t do, take things away and so forth,” he continued. “So you just have to be cognizant of a team coming in that is probably a little more ticked off. But at the same time you still have to execute the game plan, regardless of the situation.”
Senior guard Nick Boyd averages 20.0 points per game, while UW’s top rebounder is 7-foot junior Nolan Winter (9.3 rpg). BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa leads the Cougars in scoring (20.3) and rebounding (6.8), while Baylor transfer Rob Wright leads the Cougars in assists (4.3).
Wisconsin will have a decided size advantage, especially if BYU center Keba Keita doesn’t play. Keita, who had 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks in last March’s tournament game, sustained a blow to the head against UConn and had not practiced as of Wednesday.
“It is more positive than it is not, but the situation that he is in is more of a day-to-day type thing,” Young said of Keita’s status for the contest.
Junior guard Kennard Davis Jr., who pled not guilty to a DUI and marijuana possession charge earlier this week in Provo City Justice Court, is serving an indefinite suspension and it is “safe” to assume that he won’t play against Wisconsin, Young said Wednesday.
“There is a lot of stuff still being sorted out,” Young said.
Xavion Staton, a 6-foot-11 freshman, could get his first career start in the post if Keita can’t go, or Young could go with 6-10 senior Mihailo Boskovic.
Wisconsin is guard-oriented, as it was last March when John Tonje dropped 37 on the Cougars, going 14 of 16 from the free-throw line. The Badgers enjoyed a 29-16 advantage at the free-throw line.
“They are a big team, obviously. But at the same time with their style of play, they are not necessarily brow-beating you with their size. They do it with their continuity offense,” Young said. “There are certain things that they try to punish if you switch.
“I don’t think (size) is as big of a concern (with Wisconsin) as the way other teams utilize their size. But at the same time, size is size, and it can be difficult to rebound at times. … We have studied what happened last year when we played them, the different lineups and so forth, and feel pretty good about having multiple plans of attack.”
