BYU basketball had grand ambitions of reaching the Final Four for the first time in program history. They had an NBA-minded head coach in Kevin Young who had just guided the Cougars to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Projected top-three NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa chose Provo, Utah over everywhere else. Dynamic guard Rob Wright III came over from Baylor. And program pillar Richie Saunders returned for his senior season. Anything short of an Elite Eight appearance would have been a disappointment.
Though, as the 2025-26 campaign progressed, it became clear that this team had clear limitations despite its wealth of talent. Even before Saunders devastatingly suffered a torn ACL on Feb. 14, BYU had absorbed a four-game loosing streak and struggled against top-tier competition. Upset wins against Iowa State and Texas Tech, and a decent showing versus Houston in the Big 12 Tournament, provided fans with some hope that a memorable March Madness run was still achievable.
Matas Vokietaitis and the Texas Longhorns ripped that dream to shreds on Thursday night. BYU's once promising season is officially over after a 79-71 loss in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Dybantsa did what he could to vault the Cougars into the Weekend, posting a game-high 35 points on 11-of-25 shooting, but the 2025-26 scoring leader's college career likely ends on a bitter note.
The squad shot 43 percent from the field and just 18 percent from 3-point range, giving the HC a clear area of focus this spring. “Kevin Young in the postgame presser stressed shooting when building next season’s roster,” per Robby McCombs. “Mentioned needing to get shooters around Rob Wright. I expect that will be a top priority in the transfer portal.”
BYU's streaky shooting was a problem throughout the year and obviously capped its ceiling in the Tournament. The Cougars made a modest 34.5 percent of its attempts from distance, ranking 11th in the Big 12 Conference. Implementing a balanced offensive attack is important, but a team can thrive in March if it gets hot from behind the 3-point line.
Fortunately, Young should have little trouble recruiting sharpshooters. Although BYU basketball failed to advance in the NCAA Tournament, this program has become a destination. A critical offseason awaits.
