The BYU Cougars are back for their second season under head coach Kevin Young and they have their eye on not just winning the Big 12 but getting as far as they can in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars return several key players from a year ago and were able to lure the nation’s No. 1 recruit to Provo, which says as much about the program as it does about the apparatus supporting it. But will all of that translate to the success BYU is hoping for?
Here is a preview of the 2025-26 season for the BYU Cougars.
BYU Cougars
2024-25: 26-10, 14-6 in Big 12, tied for third place. Reached Big 12 Tournament semifinal before losing to Houston. Went to NCAA Tournament and reached Sweet 16 before losing to Alabama.
Head coach: Kevin Young is entering his second season at BYU. He went 26-10 in his first season leading a college basketball program.
Big 12 history: BYU is entering its third season in the Big 12 and has made the NCAA Tournament each of its first two seasons. The Cougars have never been to the Final Four and last reached the Elite Eight in 1981.
2025-26 Schedule: Click here for the full Big 12 men’s schedule.
BYU 2025-26 Roster Review
Gone: Egor Demin (10.6 PPG), Trevin Knell (9.2 PPG), Fousseyni Traore (8.7 PPG), Kanon Catchings (7.2 PPG), Dallin Hall (6.8 PPG), Mawot Mag (5.9 PPG), Trey Stewart (1.7 PPG), Elijah Crawford (1.2 PPG), Townsend Tripple, Max Triplett.
Returning: G Richie Saunders (16.5 PPG), G Dawson Baker (7.5 PPG), F Keba Keita (7.4 PPG), F Mihailo Boskovic (3.6 PPG), F Brody Kozlowski (0.9 PPG), Khadim Mboup (redshirt), G Jared McGregor.
Incoming transfers: G Kennard Davis Jr. (16.3 PPG at Southern Illinois), G Robert Wright III (11.5 PPG at Baylor), G Nate Pickens (9.8 PPG at UC Riverside), F Tyler Mrus (9.7 PPG at Idaho), G/F Dominique Diomande (redshirt at Washington)
Incoming freshmen: F A.J. Dybantsa (No. 1 in ESPN 100), F Xavion Staton (No. 55 in ESPN 100), G Aleksej Kostic.
Projected Starting Lineup
G Richie Saunders: The tater tot heir is back and should have a huge season for the Cougars.
G Dawson Baker: Expect him to be the primary ball handler to start the season.
G Kennard Davis. Jr.: Of the transfers, he’s the highest scorer and should push for a starting job right away.
F A.J. Dybansta: You don’t land the No. 1 recruit in the country and sit him.
F Keba Keita: An underrated big who does the dirty work that’s important for winning teams.
Starting Lineup Crashers
G Robert Wright III: He played at Baylor last year and he has a lot to offer as a starter. But a bench role may be more suitable to start.
F Xavion Staton: Kevin Young showed he wasn’t afraid to play more than one young recruit last season.
Lineup Competition
Young must love the continuity in the backcourt with Saunders and Baker. The latter may not end the season as a starter, but his ability to run an offense and give Saunders the chance to operate in space helps this offense go. Dybansta has the potential to be a huge difference maker in this scheme, and he figures to make the transition to high-major college basketball look Cooper Flagg-esque. The Cougars better hope so because they’re only getting him for a year. Getting Wright from Baylor was smart. He’ll elevate the program’s defensive intensity. He can push Davis for a starting job.
Early Prediction
Let’s not make it complicated. BYU should be a Big 12 contender for the second straight season. There’s a solid starting lineup on paper, good rotational depth and solid continuity at key positions. The non-conference schedule is brutal — Villanova, UConn, Wisconsin, Miami and Clemson, with a potential matchup against Georgetown. That should have the Cougars prepped for league action — and give Dybansta an opportunity to build a national profile.
