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BYU's Keba Keita (right) blocks a shot attempt from A.J. Stohrs of Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday. Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Richie Saunders (15) takes a shot against Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Trevin Knell takes a 3-pointer against Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Dallin Hall (30) passes the ball against Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Richie Saunders (in white) dives for a loose ball against Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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Kansas men's basketball head coach Bill Self (center) puts his hands on his head in response to the play on the floor during a 91-57 loss at BYU in the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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Members of the BYU men's basketball team celebrate a 91-57 victory against No. 23 Kansas in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU men's basketball head coach Kevin Young gets doused with water during a post-game celebration in the locker room after a 91-57 victory against No. 23 Kansas at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

❮ ❯

Go ahead.

Say it out loud.

BYU just took No. 23 Kansas out to the woodshed and put belt to, well, you-know-what.

The Cougars raced to an early lead in front of a sellout crowd of 17,978 on Tuesday and never really let up, pounding the Jayhawks into submission, 91-57.

Kansas and its blue-blood pedigree hadn’t been to Provo for a men’s college basketball game since 1960, and that was at the Smith Fieldhouse because the Marriott Center was still just a gleam in J. Willard’s eye.

On this night, the Marriott Center was as miserable of a place as the Jayhawks have ever seen.

Even Kansas coach Bill Self knew they’d been had.

“I thought we were awful, and I thought they were great,” Self admitted after the game. “I think BYU could have beat anybody tonight. They were great, and then we didn’t do anything to make them play less than great. That’s the best anybody’s played against us this year.”

The two teams from the Sunflower State (Kansas and Kansas State) would just as soon never come back to Utah: The Jayhawks and Wildcats went 0-4 against BYU and Utah in the past four days.

“We’ve been waiting for a win against a really storied program and a team that’s good,” Cougar coach Kevin Young said. “So we’ve had a couple (wins) that we could build on. This three-game span that we’ve been on, it’s been by far most dialed-in stretch of the year as it relates to focusing on exactly what we’re trying to do with the game plan.”

Richie Saunders was electric for BYU, making 9 of 13 shots (4 of 8 from the 3-point line) for 22 points, his seventh 20-point game of the season. Trevin Knell finished 4 of 7 from distance and had an active line with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Mawot Mag contributed 13 points, Keba Keita added 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and Dallin Hall turned in a 10-point, eight-assist night.

Against what was the best defense in Big 12 play coming into the game, BYU shot 52% from the field (34 of 66) and finished 14 of 36 (39%) from the 3-point line. The Cougars outrebounded the Jayhawks 43-33 and had 14 steals. BYU assisted on all 15 baskets in the first half and finished with 24 assists on 34 baskets.

“To start with, our pace in transition, I’ve said it’s what we do best,” Saunders said. “When we are playing on attack, whether that’s in the half court or transition, we call it ‘Point .5,’ .5 seconds to make a read, whether it’s drive it, shoot it or pass it. I feel like when we do that, it just creates so many open looks for each other. It’s such a special thing, like, how basketball should be played is when we’re moving that thing, we’re getting downhill an making the extra pass.”

Hunter Dickinson led Kansas (17-9 overall, 8-7 Big 12) with 12 points and 14 rebounds, but the Jayhawks shot just 37% from the field (23 of 63) and finished 9 of 32 (28%) from the 3-point line.

The Cougars had a terrific start, racing to a 22-7 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. BYU dropped in a trio of 3-pointers (Knell, Saunders and Mag) and got every good bounce. Even when the Jayhawks did something right — a massive alley-oop to K.J. Adams, for instance — BYU matched it with a Knell lob to Keita for a ferocious slam the next time down the floor.

The Cougars then went nearly six minutes without a field goal as Kansas cut the deficit to eight, 25-17, with 8:34 to play.

BYU erupted on offense again on a 16-5 run. Saunders scored eight points and another triple from Knell got the Cougars out to a 41-22 lead with 2:35 to go. Knell dropped yet another shot in from beyond the arc to give BYU its largest lead, 46-26, at the half.

Saunders led the Cougars with 14 points on perfect shooting (5 of 5 from the field, including 4 of 4 from the 3-point line) and Knell scored 13, finishing 4 of 6 from distance. Mag added ten points (he was 2 of 3 from the 3-point line) as BYU was 10 of 24 (42%) from beyond the arc.

The whipping got even worse in the second half. A 10-0 BYU burst gave the home team a 27-point lead at 56-29 with 16:06 left to play. The Cougars extended the advantage to 29 points, 64-33, on a 3-pointer from Egor Demin at the 14:01 mark, causing Kansas coach Bill Self to use his last time out.

Three points from Traore and five points from Hall, plus a dunk on a loose ball by Traore, gave BYU a whopping 36-point lead, 78-42, with 5:50 remaining and Mihailo Boskovic made two free throws for a 38-point lead moments later.

BYU (18-8, 9-6) takes on its second straight ranked opponent on Saturday, traveling to Tucson to play No. 19 Arizona.

With the huge win against Kansas — the Cougars largest margin of victory (34 points) against a ranked team ever — BYU is making a good case for post-season play.

“The two biggest things for our team is if we can rebound and not turn the ball over, I think we can beat any team in the country, and I really mean that,” Young said.