Jan 24, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts during the first half against the Utah Utes at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images
A trio of talented freshmen will be on display when No. 1 Arizona travels to No. 13 BYU for a pivotal Big 12 Conference showdown Monday in Provo, Utah.
The Wildcats (20-0, 7-0) smothered West Virginia 88-53 at home on Saturday. Brayden Burries led four scorers in double figures with 22 points. The freshman guard was last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year in California, a five-star recruit and the No. 9 prospect in the nation, per 247Sports.
Combined with leading scorer Koa Peat (14.7 points per game), Burries (14.6 ppg) gives the Wildcats a pair of freshmen atop their scoring ledger. When the calendar flipped to 2026 and Big 12 play got into full swing, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd envisioned Burries further acclimating to the college game.
“I’m not putting a ceiling on any of these guys,” Lloyd said. “… Brayden is getting a lot of confidence. Brayden has amazing instincts for a young basketball player. Now I think he’s layering that with some experience where maybe he understands what’s happening before it’s coming a little bit.
“That allows him to manipulate certain situations and he’s responding to situations in the game as opposed to reacting. That’s natural growth for a young player. He’s kind of in his sweet spot. I felt like January would be a big month for him to make a big jump and it looks like he is.”
Arizona has been the No. 1 team in the nation for seven weeks and it’s not expected to change when Monday’s new AP poll arrives. The Wildcats average 89.8 ppg and only allow 67.6. The 21-point scoring margin ranks fifth nationally.
Fresh off a record-setting 91-78 home win Saturday against Utah, its biggest rival, BYU (17-2, 5-1) hosts another big game.
AJ Dybantsa set the BYU freshman scoring mark with 43 points against Utah. A contender to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa connected on 15 of 24 field goal attempts, drained 4 of 5 3-pointers and shot 9 of 10 from the free throw line. He rounded out his impressive stat line with six rebounds and three assists.
Robert Wright III added 21 points and Richie Saunders chipped in 12 points, but it was Dybantsa that had everyone buzzing, including coach Kevin Young. Last Saturday, Dybantsa scored a season-low 13 points in an 84-71 loss at then-No. 15 Texas Tech. It was an emphatic bounce-back game for Dybantsa (23.6 ppg), the Cougars’ leading scorer.
“I was impressed while he was doing it,” Young said. “In my mind, he’s a special player. I’ve said it a lot. I think he is, hands down, the clear-cut No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft … The thing I like about it more than anything is it’s coming off his worst performance of the year. He wasn’t good at Texas Tech and he came out unfazed and had a clear want to go out and dominate a game.”
The teams split two games last season, with each team winning on the opponent’s home court. On Feb. 4, Arizona won 85-74, then a few weeks later, BYU went to Tucson and escaped with a 96-95 victory.
–Field Level Media
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