The end of the regular season went about as bad as it could for BYU basketball, but the Cougars are hoping to turn the page and come into the postseason with a clean slate. On Tuesday, Kevin Young and company got that quest off on the right foot with a 105-91 win over Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
The star of the show, as it usually is for BYU, was star freshman AJ Dybantsa. The potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft dropped 40 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists in the win. He had an efficient night shooting the ball as well, finishing 15-for-21 and 2-for-6 from the 3-point line.
Dybantsa has had a handful of massive games this season, but this was one of the most impressive performances of the season for him. After the game, Young talked about what made this game from his freshman phenom among his best, via Matthew Postins of Heartland College Sports.
“Kevin Young says tonight's game from Dybantsa was ‘super-impressive because he was scoring every way possible,'” Postins wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Felt it was one of his most complete games, put it right near the top because it's in the Big 12 Tournament.”
Young's sentiment is backed up on the tape. Dybantsa got to the rim at will, showcasing an array of finishes once he got there. He was also working in the mid-range like usual no matter who was defending him and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to show off the range.
Ever since the devastating injury to Richie Saunders, Dybantsa and Robert Wright III have had to carry a huge load for the Cougars on the offensive end of the floor, and that held true once again in this game. Wright added 14 to Dybantsa's 40-point explosion, and two other BYU starters reached double figures in the win.
Dybantsa has no time to rest and celebrate his epic performance, as he and BYU basketball will take on West Virginia on Wednesday in the second round. The Cougars will want to remain a projected No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, so they will be dialed in to get a win and advance to the quarterfinals in Kansas City.
