BYU men’s basketball expert previews the Arizona game, makes a score prediction

Arizona fans have very long memories when it comes to opponents that beat the Wildcats, particularly ones that do so in the NCAA Tournament or at McKale Center. BYU falls into the latter category, winning in Tucson last February on a controversial foul call in the final seconds.

It’s the same coach as last year, in Kevin Young, and there are a few returning players, but the Cougars team that Arizona will face on Monday night is very different. And not just because of the presence of presumptive No. 1 draft pick, 6-foot-9 freshman forward AJ Dybantsa.

Advertisement

Following a home win over rival Utah on Saturday, No. 13 BYU is 17-2 overall, 5-1 in Big 12 play.

To better understand this BYU team, we reached out to Robby McCombs from SB Nation sister site Vanquish the Foe. Below are his valiant answers to our cowardly questions:

AZ Desert Swarm: BYU is off to its best start since the Jimmer Fredette days. What in general has made this team so much better than the pretty good one from last season?

Robby McCombs: “Talent and improved defense in non-conference play. AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright and Richie Saunders may be the best offensive trio in the country. And Keba Keita as a rim protector and lob threat is pretty good fourth-best player. BYU played a good non-conference schedule, and the defense was visibly improved. AJ isn’t perfect, but he defends on that end and can be really active with his 7-foot-1 wingspan against smaller guards. Kevin Young is still tweaking with player 5 through 7 to support AJ, but the top end talent is undeniable and the defense as a whole has been better, although showing some regression the last few games.”

Advertisement

Dybansta reportedly got a lot of money to play one season for the Cougars, and so far it looks like it was money well spent. For those who may not know about him, if that’s possible, how would you describe his game and style of play? And is there any weaknesses to his game or flaws that Arizona might try to expose?

“He has…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/byu-men-basketball-expert-previews-100000553.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-01-25 10:00:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.