Can nation’s leading scorer lead BYU to an extended NCAA Tournament run?

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BYU will play its first-round game in the NCAA Tournament in Portland on Thursday as a No. 6 seed in the West Region. Led by projected No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa, the Cougars hope to ride an uptick in play to extend this “new” season of opportunity.

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To help, BYU just finished playing in the nation’s most difficult league. The Big 12 had three of the top seven teams in the field of 68 including No. 2 overall seed Arizona, the No. 5 overall seed in Houston, and No. 7 seed in the tournament, Iowa State. No other league had more than one. BYU was competitive in every one of the games against these teams and defeated Iowa State.

Here is Jay Drew’s breakdown of how Dybantsa can influence a Cougar run in the Big Dance. BYU earned a No. 6 seed because of its finish after struggling when senior Richie Saunders went down for the season with an injury.

A huge challenge for BYU coach Kevin Young in this postseason is there is the potential he will face two outstanding coaches in Sean Miller (Texas) and Mark Few (Gonzaga).

Cougar Insiders predictions

Question of the week: Predict what you expect this week as BYU has the opportunity to play twice in the NCAA West Regional in Portland.

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Jay Drew: When he met with reporters via Zoom on Sunday night, BYU coach Kevin Young said NCAA Tournament games often come down to matchups. For that reason, it is tough to predict that the Cougars will make a lengthy NCAA Tournament run, like they did last year.

Whether it is Texas or North Carolina State, the matchup Thursday for BYU does not appear to be favorable. Texas has incredible length and size that could give BYU trouble. The Wolfpack is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, and BYU has trouble defending the 3.

That was even apparent in the Kansas State game last week, as Nate Johnson and PJ Haggerty lit the Cougars up…

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Publish date : 2026-03-18 17:00:00

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