Five Takeaways from BYU’s 72-61 Exhibition Win Over Nebraska

A year ago, BYU dropped a 90-89 heartbreaker to Nebraska in an exhibition in Lincoln. On Friday night, the Cougars flipped the script, using a dominant second half (44 points to Nebraska’s 29) to pull away for a 72-61 win against the Cornhuskers.

The night was full of long-awaited debuts. Nate Pickens finally suited up for BYU after missing all of last season with an ankle injury. Jaxon Kohler, who grew up roughly 15 minutes from campus, played despite the uncertainty around his future as he continues to fight for a fifth year of eligibility. Collin Chandler made his BYU debut after originally signing with the Cougars in November 2021 before eventually flipping his commitment to Kentucky to follow Mark Pope. And Jake Wahlin, a Provo native who signed with BYU in November 2020, finally played for the Cougars after flipping to Utah and then transferring to Clemson before finding his way back home.

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Five-star recruit AJ Williams was also in attendance as part of his official BYU visit.

Here are five takeaways from the matchup.

1. BYU could be a very good rebounding team

BYU outrebounded Nebraska 39-35, and the rebounds came from everywhere. Kohler had a double-double with 10 rebounds, Bruce Branch grabbed six, and Khadim Mboup pulled down five. Even Rob Wright, a smaller guard who still averaged 3.5 rebounds per game last season, finished with five. Wahlin added four, around what he averaged a game last year.

Branch in particular is one to keep an eye on this season. He averaged 10 rebounds a game in high school last year, and his appetite for crashing the glass was clear against Nebraska. He could have a similar impact on the boards as AJ Dybantsa for the Cougars last season, when he averaged 6.8 rebounds per game.

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2. Collin Chandler could take the biggest leap on the roster

Chandler led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including two triples. He threw down a few dunks with authority and also had some nice drives to the rim. He made it known…

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Publish date : 2026-10-17 16:22:00

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