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BYU's Khadim Mboup (7) hangs on the rim after a dunk against UC Riverside in a men's college basketball at at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

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BYU's Aleksej Kostic (6) lets loose a 3-pointer against UC Riverside in a men's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Pretty much every post-game news conference or mid-week media access, reporters are asking BYU men’s basketball head coach Kevin Young about his bench.

For good reason: Two players Young was counting on to provide depth off the bench — Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens — are out for the season due to injuries.

Bench production is more than just scoring, but an analysis of the Cougars first ten games does offer a baseline.

The Cougars are averaging 14.8 points per game off the bench with an average of 58.7 minutes (out of a possible 200 minutes) being played by non-starters.

Bench production has varied from zero points vs. Dayton (the game after Baker was hurt) to a season-high 36 points on Saturday against UC Riverside.

In the Cougars come-from-behind victory against Clemson at Madison Square Garden, the non-starters played a season-low 29 minutes and scored just two points. Starters AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright, Kennard Davis and Richie Saunders all played 30-plus minutes. In the second half, the starters played 94 out of a possible 100 minutes.

Often, it’s not how much time a sub plays but what they do with the time: Mihailo Boskovic played just one second against Clemson but it was an important second since he passed the ball inbounds to Wright on his buzzer beater.

Redshirt freshman Khadim Mboup has gotten pretty consistent minutes off the bench for BYU, usually the first sub in to give Keba Keita a break in the post. On Saturday, Mboup had the first double-double (12 points, ten rebounds) of his career.

Freshman guard Aleksej Kostic came off the bench to make five consecutive 3-pointers and scored a career-high 15 points, finishing 5 of 8 from distance.

“Shot making is a beautiful thing,” Young said. “That’s what why we brought him (Kostic) here. We felt like it was a matter of time before he was able to have a game like he had tonight, He’s kind of a hybrid between Trevin (Knell) from last year and Dawson, because he can play with the ball a little bit more off the dribble. If he can do that, man, that’s going to be a huge weapon for us, especially when we sub Rob out. If he can do that next to AJ, I like that pairing.”

In the current four-game home stand, Young is expected to take a long, hard look at his bench players in preparation for Big 12 play. Aside from Mboup and Kostic, players such as Boskovic, Tyler Mrus, Dominic Diamonde and Xavion Staton will get minutes.

“It’s definitely got to give them the confidence, because league play is tough,” Dybantsa said about the subs. “Obviously, situations happen. People get in foul trouble or stuff like that. So I mean, the bench has got to be ready.”

Young said he tries to keep things simple for the players coming off the bench.

“I just told them in the locker room, just do whatever they’re good at,” he said. “Do that, right? Khadim comes in, he’s an energy guy. He played with energy and gets a double double. Aleksej, obviously he’s a shooter. You’ve got to come in and you’ve got to make shots and just do your job, ultimately. Look, sports is a brutal world, because you’ve got to produce. Now the challenge for those guys is to be able to do it on a consistent basis.”

Scouting Report

Pacific — No. 84 in the NET rankings and picked to finish 10th (out of 12) in the WCC this season — is coached by Dave Smart, in his second year at the helm after winning 656 games at Carleton University in Canada over 18 seasons and spending one year as an assistant at Texas Tech.

The Tigers are 8-3 in the non-conference with losses to Nevada (78-77), Florida Atlantic (82-59) and Cal (67-61). Pacific is coming off a 104-50 victory against NAIA Simpson University (Calif.) on Saturday.

Fifth-year senior Elias Ralph (6-foot-7 )is a preseason All-WCC selection and leads Pacific with 16.8 points per game. Ralph scored 31 points on Dec. 3 in an 80-65 victory against Air Force.

In the Tigers win against Simpson, 6-foot-11 Dayton transfer Isaac Jack (9.4 points per game) made all ten field goal attempts and finished with 20 points and ten rebounds. Jack is shooting an amazing 82% (46 of 56) from the field this season.

Men’s College Basketball

No. 10 BYU (9-1) vs. Pacific (8-3)

Tuesday, 7 p.m. MT

Marriott Center, Provo

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: KSL 102.7/1160 AM, BYU Radio-Sirus XM 143,

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: BYU leads the overall series with Pacific 18-7 and is 9-2 against the Tigers in Provo. … The Cougars won 15 of 19 meetings with Pacific when both programs were members of the West Coast Conference, winning the last meeting 81-66 in 2023. … BYU is on a six-game winning streak and has won 23 consecutive non-conference contests at the Marriott Center.