AJ Dybantsa is gone, but BYU basketball still has the tools they need to compete for the Big 12 crown.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: BYU basketball.
The star of the show last year was AJ Dybansta, the future #1 pick in the NBA draft, who led all of college basketball in scoring at 25.5 points per game. He formed a big three with Rob Wright and Richie Saunders. BYU basketball was looking really strong until Richie Saunders tore his ACL, and they didn’t have enough firepower to compete. The season ended in an upset as a six seed.
They don’t have Dybantsa, but they do have another top-five recruit in Bruce Branch. He won’t be as good as Dybantsa, but should still be a top player in the sport. He’ll pair up with Wright, making them one of the scarier duos in college basketball.
They add Collin Chandler, who at one point was the highest recruit in program history. However, when Mark Pope left for Kentucky, he followed him there, and two years later he’s back in Provo. Chandler is a terrific three-point shooter and can fit the role Saunders had last year. They’ll also return another great shooter in Dawson Baker, who only played six games last year, but if he’s fully healthy, he’s a guy who can light it up.
BYU’s season may come down to whether Jaxon Kohler is eligible, though. The frontcourt depth is concerning, but that problem immediately gets solved if he can suit up. If not, they’ll hope that Clemson and Syracuse transfers Jake Wahlin and Tyler Betsey can hold down the fort.
The Big 12 once again looks like a gauntlet at the top, and may quickly form into the haves and have-nots in the league. BYU basketball can easily find themselves in the former, and hopefully make a second Sweet 16 in three years.
Head coach: Kevin Young (3rd season overall, all at BYU)
2025-26 record: 23-12 (9-9)
2026 postseason finish: Lost to Texas (79-71) in first round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- AJ Dybantsa (25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.7 APG)
- Richie Saunders (18.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.1 APG)
- Kennard Davis Jr. (8.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Keba Keita (6.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.3 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Ohio State (Nov. 2)
- vs. Washington (Nov. 23) – Maui Invitational
- vs. Clemson OR Ole Miss (Nov. 24) – Maui Invitational
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 25)
- vs. Northwestern (Dec. 5)
- vs. Utah State (Dec. 9)
- vs. SDSU (Dec. 19)
Projected Rotation
PG: Rob Wright (6-1, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 18.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 46.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 82.1 FT%
SG: Collin Chandler (6-6, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 43.5 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 83.3 FT% (Kentucky)
SF: Bruce Branch (6-8, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 5 ranked recruit
PF: Jake Wahlin (6-10, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 40.3 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 68.8 FT% (Clemson)
C: Jaxson Kohler (6-10, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 50.0 FG%, 38.9 3P%, 86.9 FT% (Michigan State)
*Pending Eligiblity
6: Tyler Betsey (6-9, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 40.2 FG%, 40.7 3P%, 63.6 FT% (Syracuse)
7: Dawson Baker (6-4, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 45.2 FG%, 88.9 FT%, 6 games played
8: Nate Pickens (6-3, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 39.5 FG%, 39.2 3P%, 75.9 FT% (UC Riverside)
9: Khadim Mboup (6-10, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 2.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 49.3 FG%
10: Brody Kozlowski (6-7, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 0.9 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 0.0 APG, 3.2 minutes per game
*Missed 2025-26 season with injury
BYU basketball team MVP: Robert Wright III
For a while, it seemed like Wright would not be on this BYU team. Wright entered the portal, and it seemed like he was heading to Kentucky, but he backed out and returned to BYU. Cougar fans couldn’t be happier, though, because Wright is an unbelievable player offensively. EvanMiya, which ranks every college basketball player, has Wright as the third-best offensive player in the COUNTRY.
It’s for good reason. He averaged 18 points a game last year behind AJ Dybantsa, shooting efficiently on all three levels. He had a two-game stretch where he scored 30 points against his former team, then the very next game scored 39 points while making 11 threes. He also does a great job staying on the court, averaging 35 minutes a game.
With Dybantsa gone, don’t be surprised if Wright is a top 5 scorer in all of college basketball. Clearly, the offensive design benefits him, and as the top option, he’ll shine.
BYU basketball make-or-break player: Jaxon Kohler
Kohler is one of the beneficiaries of the 5-for-5 lawsuit, committing to BYU after four years at Michigan State. He was terrific there, especially last year, when he averaged 12.5 PPG and 9 RPG. He has tons of experience playing for one of the best coaches in college basketball and will help a lot on the defensive side.
The problem is, like every 5-for-5 player, we don’t really know if they’ll be able to play. At any second, the ruling can be overturned, and he’ll immediately be ineligible. If that happens, then BYU is seriously lacking at the big man spot. They would likely move Wahlin to center and rely on Khadim Mboup, who averaged just 2 points per game for BYU last year.
There’s a lot of talented bigs in the Big 12, and even though BYU has the backcourt advantage against most teams, they would get dominated in the frontcourt if Kohler is ineligible. If he can play, though, they’re a dangerous team and one that can compete for the Big 12 title.
Key statistic: Bench points per game
If you’re not in the starting five, you might as well get comfortable, because you’re not going to get too many opportunities on this BYU team. They scored just 11 a game, 8th least in all of college basketball. Wright and Dybantsa both played 35 minutes a game, and Saunders and Kennard Davis both averaged over 30 minutes a game. It worked, but the lack of depth definitely showed at the end of the season when Saunders got hurt.
Looking at this year’s roster, it looks like more of the same. Wright will play nearly every minute, and Branch and Chandler should comfortably get 30+. We’ll see if the strategy pans out again, or if we see the burnout late in the season.
BYU basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 6th in the Big 12
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Exit