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BYU's Richie Saunders (center) drives to the basket against UC Riverside in a men's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU's Richie Saunders places a placard on the Big 12 Tournament bracket after a 96-92 victory against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Richie Saunders is a unicorn.

Saunders announced on Sunday he had torn his ACL and was going to miss the rest of the BYU men’s basketball season, a crushing blow to the Cougars’ hopes for an NCAA run.

Over social media, fans, coaches and teammates alike praised Saunders for his work ethic, how he bleeds blue and how he showed them what it means to “be a Cougar.”

That got me to thinking: “Who’s going to show anyone what it means to be a Cougar now?” For that matter, how is anyone going to show others what it means to be a Utah Ute, or an Utah State Aggie, or a Kentucky Wildcat, pick a program?

And does that really matter in college sports anymore?

Saunders grew up going to BYU games and wanted to play in the Marriott Center. He wanted to wear the Cougar uniform and play in front of the ROC. He spent all four years in Provo. That kind of player will likely cease to exist over the next few years, or at the very least, will be difficult to identify anymore.

I have nothing against NIL or the transfer portal as it applies to individuals. Freedom to choose where you play is a good thing and if someone wants to give you a bag of money to do it, even better.

But the cumulative effect of NIL and the transfer portal is transforming college sports into something nearly unrecognizable. College football and men’s college basketball programs used to be built on guys like Richie Saunders.

Soon, they will be an afterthought, a memory.

Think about it: If you are a good player on a mid-major team, a power conference program will offer you a bunch of cash to join their program the next season. Just ask UVU’s Todd Phillips, who saw the three best players from his 2025 WAC regular-season champions leave for Clemson, Iowa State and TCU for high six-figure NIL deals.

If you are a freshman on a power conference team, any number of circumstances will have you jumping ship before you can even develop in the program: Another offer, coaching changes, dissatisfaction with playing time, whatever. And if you’re really good, you’re off to the NBA.

No one is staying four years in the same place anymore. It’s commonplace to see players with three or even four schools on their resume during their college career.

It still shocks me when I see that.

Everyone knows AJ Dybantsa is a one-and-done and could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft this spring. If Rob Wright III averages 25 points a game the rest of the way (and if the Cougars want to win without Saunders, he just might have to), he could get a half-dozen power conference offers or opt to start his professional career.

This isn’t to disparage anyone on the current BYU roster, but how many of the players have any ties to the program other than that’s where they get paid to play?

Brody Kozlowski played at Corner Canyon in Draper and his mother played basketball at BYU. But he’s been injured all year. Jared McGregor, a walk-on, played at Westlake High School up the road.

Anybody else?

Director of Basketball Operations Nate Austin is a BYU guy, having played at Lone Peak and spent his entire college career in Provo. Grad assistant Charles Abouo, same deal. But head coach Kevin Young grew up in Georgia, probably wanting to be a Bulldog.

My point is, there are very few players or coaches who can identify with growing up a BYU fan and wanting to wear the blue and white.

Does that matter anymore?

College fans have always loved guys who grew up in state and chose to stay home, who watched games as a kid and longed to be an Iowa Cyclone, or an Oregon Duck, or an Arizona Wildcat. Fans felt a special kinship with those kinds of players. When Richie Saunders got his NCAA moment last season  –the story about his grandfather inventing Tater-Tots during the Cougars’ Sweet 16 run got huge national attention — no one was prouder than BYU fans.

On Tuesday, Young said, “The thing I love about him (Saunders) is he’s a self-made guy. He got where he is with sheer work, with motor, with effort, with sheer want-to. He paid his dues and got a lot better.”

Take a picture.

Guys like Richie Saunders are going to be hard to find in the coming years of college sports.

Scouting Report

No. 4 Arizona won its first 23 games of the 2025-26 season and was No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for nine consecutive weeks. But Arizona lost at No. 9 Kansas 82-77 last Monday then fell at home to No. 16 Texas Tech 78-75 in overtime on Saturday.

The biggest problem for BYU on Tuesday in Tucson will be defending the Wildcats’ guard line. Freshman Brayden Burries (29 points) and senior Jalen Bradley (26) combined for 55 points the last time these two teams played, and Burries blocked Robert Wright III’s shot attempt in the final seconds to preserve Arizona’s 86-83 win in Provo.

But all of that takes back seat to the biggest BYU men’s basketball story this week, which is the loss for the season of Saunders to an ACL injury suffered in the first minute of Saturday’s game against Colorado. Saunders averaged 18 points a game, was BYU’s best rebounding guard and brought invaluable experience and effort to the lineup.

All of that lost production means a variety of backup and second-unit players will need to step up immediately.

“Everyone is going to have more opportunities,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said. “I think you saw that in the Colorado game. It was an extremely difficult game, just from an emotional standpoint. It was one of the hardest games, if not the hardest game, I’ve ever had to coach in. But I think we saw multiple guys step up.”

It’s likely leading scorer AJ Dybantsa and Wright will have to play close to 40 minutes every game. Another starter, Kennard Davis Jr., is going to have to increase his production and minutes. Others, including centers Keba Keita and Abdullah Ahmed, forwards Khadim Mboup and Mihailo Boskovic and guards Tyler Mrus and Aleksej Kostic are all going to have to take on more for the Cougars to be successful.

“We’ve got to explore other lineup combinations that we haven’t looked at,” Young said. “Everything is on the table. I think where I draw the most excitement, I think I do better in these back-against-the-wall situations, that type of mentality. I’ve kind of operated that way my whole life. I’m as energized as I’ve ever been as a coach. Really taking this challenge head on. I know a lot of people are writing us off. I’m relishing in that and so are our guys.”

Men’s College Basketball

No. 23 BYU (19-6, 7-5 Big 12) at No. 4 Arizona (23-2, 10-2 Big 12)

Wednesday, 7 p.m. MT

McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.

TV/Streaming: ESPN

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

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: Arizona leads the all-time series with BYU 22-20, winning 86-83 in Provo on Jan. 26. … The Cougars are 5-15 against the Wildcats in Tucson after winning 96-95 last season. … BYU has the seventh-hardest schedule remaining in the country. Arizona is No. 1 in that category.