BYU's big shot

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1. BYU’s got Dybantsa and talent. What about defense?

When BYU landed a commitment from A.J. Dybantsa, the top 2025 prospect, it cemented the Cougars as a marquee team for the 2025-26 season.

The 6-9 freshman will provide plenty of highlights for hardcore and casual fans because of his ability to score from anywhere on the court. His physical gifts also were on display this summer with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup when he won gold and was named MVP. He’s even made it so BYU is a desired team to schedule in neutral-site games.

Hey, when you’re the top prospect with a multimillion dollar NIL deal, you’ll attract interest. What BYU fans (and coaches) are hoping for is an impact similar to what Cooper Flagg had for Duke.

“I think parts of his game resemble a lot of the great players. Defensively, he reminds me of Paul George, who I have gone up against in playoff battles, seen him up close,” Young said late last year after Dybantsa committed. “Some of the passing is Lebron-like, similar to Egor (Demin).

“He is a mix of a lot of different guys, but I like his confidence where he goes out there and tries to be himself. He is not trying to be anybody else,” Young continued. “But the thing I love most about his game is he really does try to play the game the right way.

The thing is, BYU would be good even without Dybantsa. As Jeff Goodman and John Fanta discuss in our Offseason Grades, the Cougs have talent in All-big 12 wing Richie Saunders, Baylor transfer Rob Wright, and senior center Keba Keita.

But Dybantsa’s the element that could elevate BYU from a Sweet 16 team (like last season) to a Final Four contender.

Or … is it the defense that’ll elevate BYU?

As Isaac Trotter writes for CBS Sports, Dybantsa’s not unlike most freshmen. His defensive effort can wax and wane. And no matter how much he tries, Dybantsa can’t address BYU’s biggest deficiency from last season: stopping opponents from getting into the lane.

For that, there’s 6-6 Southern Illinois transfer Kennard Davis, who’ll serve as the lead ball-stopper (Wright can’t do that) and has the size and athleticism to cover gaps.

Beyond Kennard, Washington transfer Dominique Diomande, a 6-8 sophomore, also can fill that role. Then there’s a fleet of wings on the bench — four of ‘em stand between 6-7 and 6-9 — who’ll provide depth and short bursts of activity.

In the end, how effectively Dybantsa meshes with Saunders will determine the team’s ultimate upside. But if the defensive floor is lifted from average (101.8 adjusted defensive efficiency; 82nd in D-I) to good (getting to 96 would make them a top 40 defense), then it’s a team befitting a player of Dybantsa’s caliber.

2. Horizon League’s bold new conference tourney

Not every conference uses a straightforward approach for their postseason tournament. And that’s by design, Any non-power conference that isn’t assured of multiple NCAA Tournament bids wants to ensure its best team has the best chance to earn that automatic bid. Because you know, NCAA Tournament units.

The WCC’s ladder style ensured the top teams (Read: Gonzaga) automatically goes to the semis. The WAC tried a different seeding approach where the tourney seedings didn’t necessarily reflect the regular-season finish. And many of the one-bid leagues have a member program host the tournament, providing a home-court edge.

The Horizon League’s taking its shot at a new approach.

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