The Cougars have started 12-1 heading into the new year and pulled off some incredible performances.

Kevin Young took over in March of 2024 and has done exactly what he said he would do, which is win and develop players for the next level. In December of 2024, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, 6-foot-9 A.J. Dybantsa, committed to the Cougars on ESPN.

What followed in 2025 is worthy of review, don’t you think?

Here are the Top 10 BYU basketball stories from 2025.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

We’ve got the pictures to prove it, too.

10. Streaking

The Cougars started 1-3 in Big 12 play but figured things out and eventually went on a nine-game winning streak, which included a thrilling 96-92 victory against Iowa State in the Big 12 quarterfinals. Young figure out a workable 11-man rotation and the Cougars were fantastic down the stretch.

9. Aiming at Ames

In one of the best regular season games in BYU history, the Cougars led No. 10 Iowa State by 21 points with 13 minutes left at Hilton Coliseum on a stunning alley-oop dunk, courtesy of Dallin Hall. But the Cyclones rallied and the two teams battled to a second overtime, where the BYU defense handled their business to earn an 88-85 victory.

8. Not in Kansas anymore

Beating a storied Kansas program at Allen Fieldhouse in 2024 was a big win for the Cougars. When the Jayhawks finally made a visit to the Marriott Center on Feb. 18 of 2025, BYU was a very rude host, shooting out to a 22-7 lead and rolling to an historic 91-57 blowout victory. Seeing the stunned look on the faces of the Kansas players and coaches was pretty incredible and the Cougar fans loved every minute of it.

7. Richie!

Saunders was considered a “glue guy” in the first two years of his career at BYU, a fierce competitor and energetic player. He thrived under Young, leading the Cougars in scoring (16.5 ppg) and earning first team All-Big 12 honors. During the NCAA Tournament run, it was revealed that Saunders’ great-grandfather helped invent the tater tot, and Saunders became the “Tater Tot King.”

6. One for the ages

Courtesy BYU Photo

Kyle Collinsworth was “Mr. Triple-Double” during his career at BYU in the mid 2010’s and did it 12 times, but Dybantsa’s stunning performance to end the non-conference season in 2025 against Eastern Washington was unique and might not ever be duplicated: 33 points (on 11 of 13 field goals), 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

5. Rumble in the desert

Big 12 Conference play is a gift that keeps on giving. Arizona topped BYU 85-74 in Provo on Feb. 4, setting up a rematch at the storied McKale Center a few weeks later. It was hotly contested game with 20 lead changes and 11 ties. Saunders took over late and hit a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining for the 96-95 win.

4. Comeback vs. Clemson

Playing in historic Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9, BYU found itself on the wrong end of a 22-0 run to finish the first half and trailed Clemson by 22 points early in the second half. Led by Dybantsa, the Cougars roared back and won the game on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Rob Wright. The scene in one of the world’s most famous arenas is an unforgettable moment for the players and BYU fans.

3. NBA lottery dreams

Egor Demin had an up-and-down freshman season for the Cougars but provided plenty of stunning highlights and played very well in the NCAA Tournament. On June 25, Demin was selected No. 8 by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Draft and has put together a strong rookie campaign, averaging 9.3 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 36% from the 3-point line.

2. Best of the best

The last time a BYU player was a preseason first team All-American was Jimmer Fredette in 2011. Dybantsa was named first team All-American by the Sporting News in November and has been one of college basketball’s top players in the first two months of the season, averaging 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 59% from the field. His impact on the program has been immediate and incredible as the Cougars seek another NCAA Tournament run.

1. How sweet it is

Courtesy BYU Athletics

The Cougars earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and headed to Denver for the first two rounds. BYU beat VCU 80-71 and held off Wisconsin 91-89 to earn a trip to the Sweet 16, the first since 2011. Alabama set an NCAA record for 3-pointers in its Sweet 16 victory in New Jersey but the Cougars and Kevin Young announced very clearly with the run that this is a program to be reckoned with.

Also: Former BYU men’s basketball coach Roger Reid and all-time leading scorer Tyler Haws were enshrined in the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame in November. … Former Cougar Jake Shoff passes away in a tragic car accident in February. … Fredette is named managing director of Team USA 3×3 upon his retirement in April.