It’s already been one of the most memorable seasons in BYU basketball history — and the Cougars haven’t even reached Big 12 play yet.
Kevin Young’s No. 10-ranked squad opens its conference gauntlet Saturday at Kansas State, sitting at 12-1 on the year and already having collected six total Quad 1 and 2 wins over the past two months.
Nonconference play was a smashing success for BYU. While the toughest competition is still to come, the Cougars have more than looked the part of a top-10-caliber team, with their only setback coming from a two-point loss to national title contender UConn in Boston.
BYU has stacked quality wins, made loud statements on national television, won a Thanksgiving tournament, broken the internet with various highlights, and even claims the arguable highlight of the year in the form of Rob Wright III’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Clemson.
Before turning the page to the electricity of Big 12 play, let’s remember some of BYU’s top individual performances of the past two months, limiting it to just one game per player.
AJ Dybantsa against Clemson (Dec. 9)
Unsurprisingly, BYU’s potential No. 1 overall draft selection AJ Dybantsa has plenty of incredible outings to choose from.
There was his 21-point debut against Villanova in Las Vegas, or his furious second-half surge against UConn. Most recently, Dybantsa posted a historic 33-point triple double, becoming the youngest player to ever record such a stat line.
But years from now, when fans think back to Dybantsa’s freshman campaign with the Cougars, one game (so far) will remain as iconic as ever: his late takeover of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Making his first trip to “the Mecca of basketball,” Dybantsa scored 28 points with nine rebounds and six assists, but his second half was what cemented the night in Cougars lore forever.
In the final 20 minutes against Clemson, Dybantsa scored or assisted on 34 of 45 BYU points. He scored more second-half points on his own (22) than Clemson did as a team (21), outshooting the Tigers (7 of 11 against 7 of 27) during that same span.
Additionally, after having scored 20 points after halftime, Dybantsa subsequently dished out assists on four straight possessions, leveraging his immense gravity to create offense around him.
With Dybantsa going nuclear down the stretch, BYU was able to erase a 22-point deficit and earn the largest second-half comeback win in school history, culminating in Wright’s breathtaking, game-winning 3-pointer to stun the Tigers.
Richie Saunders against Dayton (Nov. 28)
After earning First Team All-Big 12 honors last season, senior Richie Saunders has continued his ascension as a BYU program legend.
Dybantsa may headline next summer’s NBA draft, but don’t be surprised to see the “Tater Tot King” selected as well. His production this year more than merits opportunities in the Association.
In the ESPN Events Invitational championship game — one of BYU’s most dramatic affairs of the year — Saunders rose to the occasion with a career-high 29 points with eight rebounds, six made triples and three steals, leading the Cougars to a comeback win for the tournament title.
With the score tied at 70 points apiece and less than three minutes left on the clock, Saunders hit a pair of 3-pointers — and a free throw — to put BYU ahead for good.
For his heroics in Florida, Saunders was named MVP of the tournament, having averaged 18.5 points, six rebounds and four assists over the two games at Disney.
“Richie’s will to win is second to zero people in the country. This guy is just an absolute, ‘just finds a way’ type of guy. I love that about him,” Young said after the game.
Robert Wright III against Delaware (Nov. 11)
Wright has been just as good, if not even better, than fans could have ever hoped for upon his arrival in Provo from Baylor.
After the Cougars floundered in the first half early in the season against Delaware, Wright — a native of the First State himself — put BYU on his back, finishing with a near-triple double of 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Wright hit four 3-pointers, and five of his nine rebounds came on the offensive glass — no small feat for a point guard.
He also put up 15 points and seven assists after halftime, which was exactly what the Cougars needed after trailing the Blue Hens by four points at intermission.
His game-winner at the Garden will garner most of the attention from fans, but what Wright did against Delaware should not be forgotten. Look for him to enjoy similar outings in Big 12 play — perhaps against his former Baylor team.
Kennard Davis Jr. against Miami (Nov. 27)
Prior to the ESPN Events Invitational during Thanksgiving week, BYU fans hadn’t seen much of Kennard Davis on the court.
The Southern Illinois transfer played in the season’s first two games before being out of action for 19 days — first due to injury, and then for serving a suspension after a violation of team rules.
But once he made his return, Davis proved critical in helping the Cougars capture a comeback win over Miami. BYU likely wouldn’t have beaten the Hurricanes without his game-high 18 points and terrific defensive effort.
Davis grabbed five rebounds, went 7 for 10 from the field, and hit four catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, with one such make giving the Cougars a second-half lead they would never relinquish.
Additionally, he led a defensive charge that resulted in Miami being held scoreless for a five-plus minute stretch in the second half to tip the scales in favor of BYU.
“That’s what we brought Kennard Davis here to do, is really guard and to make shots,” Young told reporters after the victory. “... I’m proud of his resilience and just proud of the way he goes about his business.”
Keba Keita against Cal Baptist (Dec. 3)
Much has been said about BYU’s “Big 3″ of Dybantsa, Saunders and Wright.
But big man Keba Keita has been the Cougars’ most improved player from last season, with his rim protection and inside scoring proving ultra valuable to BYU’s operation.
Such was obvious at the Delta Center against Cal Baptist, where the Mali native and former Utah Runnin’ Ute went off for 22 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
Most impressively, Keita did his damage in just 19 minutes of play, where BYU force fed him to the tune of 10-of-15 shooting down low.
“He was just an animal out there tonight, and it was good to see him getting rewarded because he does so much dirty work for everyone else,” Young said of Keita after the game.
Dawson Baker against UConn (Nov. 15)
The most disappointing part of this BYU season has been the loss of senior sixth man Dawson Baker, whose year ended prematurely due to a plethora of knee injuries (most notably, a torn ACL) suffered against Miami.
Baker was averaging 7.5 points per game on 47.4% 3-point shooting through six games as the Cougars’ most experienced rotation piece and top pure shotmaker.
Against No. 4-ranked UConn, Baker rolled off the bench for 12 points, hitting 3 of 4 3-pointers and swiping two steals for a plus/minus of +8 — BYU’s second-highest mark of the game.
If his college playing days are indeed over, Baker’s undisputed apex of his Cougars career came on a tough, contested 3-pointer in the final minute against the Huskies, pulling BYU within two points after having trailed by as many as 20.
Even though the game ended in a loss, don’t ignore the impressively clutch triple from Baker. It’s absolutely still a moment to remember.
But it’s a shame the world won’t get to see more such makes from Baker this season.
Aleksej Kostic against UC Riverside (Dec. 13) and Tyler Mrus against Pacific (Dec. 16)
With Baker’s injury, the Cougars need to find a new deep scoring threat off the bench.
Two newcomers — Aleksej Kostic and Tyler Mrus — offered encouraging auditions for such roles late in the nonconference calendar.
Against UC Riverside, the Austria native Kostic scored 15 points on five made 3-pointers, dishing out four assists as well.
In BYU’s next outing against Pacific, Kostic was sidelined with illness, leading to Idaho transfer Mrus taking his minutes and providing a heat check of his own.
Mrus scored 15 points against the WCC’s Tigers, shooting a perfect 4 for 4 from behind the arc and 3 for 3 from the foul line.
BYU’s starting five is among the best units in college basketball, but the Cougars will need plenty of help from their bench in order to reach the heights they desire in March. Kostic and Mrus could be a great help there.