Dybantsa, who is averaging 24.9 points per game, nearly put up a triple-double against the Cyclones.

But the 6-foot-9 freshman also pretty much shut down Iowa State’s top offensive weapon, Milan Momcilovic.

Is there anything Dybantsa can’t do?

“It was unbelievable,” Cougar head coach Kevin Young said. “AJ can do whatever he wants on the basketball court. Whatever he puts his mind to, he can do.”

Dybantsa blocked Momcilovic’s first shot attempt and never let one of the country’s most accurate 3-point shooters get untracked.

“That’s their leading scorer and AJ held him to 1-of-5 (shooting),” Young said. “Lets just put it into perspective. AJ played 40 minutes, didn’t come out, had 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two turnovers against a team that turns over everybody more than anyone in country.

“The guy is an absolute stud. He’s showed people night in and night out how reliable he is. What I liked about tonight is he did it on both ends of the floor, which is what I challenged him with from the second I met the young man. I was really proud of his compete game. I thought it was his most complete game of the season.”

Momcilovic, who came into the game averaging 18 points and shooting better than 50% from the 3-point line, finished with five points in 25 minutes, shooting 1 of 5 overall (1 of 4 from the 3-point line) and sitting a large portion of the game due to foul trouble coming from trying to guard Dybantsa.

“Yeah, I was watching his film,” Dybantsa said. “He was knocking down one-legged fades. Quick trigger, he’s about my height, so Tim (assistant coach Tim Fanning) wanted me to take the challenge. It’s a tough guard. I’m not used to running around a lot of screens. I just decided to take the challenge and try to limit his three-point attempts, not just makes.”

Oh, what a night

The Cougars were still trying to adjust to losing senior Richie Saunders, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Colorado on Feb. 14.

Winning at home in front of a sellout crowd against a Top 10 team on Saturday was a big boost.

“It was an emotional game,” Young said. “I try to stay even keel the best I can but I’m not going to lie, it’s been a long couple of weeks mentally and trying to keep the boys in the boats. We’re trying to keep everybody focused on the task at hand. (After the game) I was pointing at my son. I told hm before the game we were going to get it, so I was like, ‘I told you!’ I was fired up. I have to say that the ROC (Roar of Cougars student section) is special, it really is. That was the loudest I’ve personally ever heard this building. it was unbelievable. They do so much for our guys.

“Commissioner Yormark (Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yorkmark) was here. I believe it was his first time in the building. I said ‘Buckle up, buddy, get ready.’ And they (the fans) delivered in a major way. I know I’m the head coach but at the end of the day I’m a fan of basketball. I love basketball and I love the passion that surrounds it. I don’t know if you’ll find a more passionate fanbase than BYU and they carried us to a huge win.”

Scouting Report

This year’s UCF team is typical of what BYU has faced since the two teams joined the Big 12: Nearly all transfers and tremendously athletic. The Knights didn’t return a single player who scored points in the 2024-25 season. Over the past four seasons, UCF has had 48 different players on its roster.

Johnny Dawkins has somehow made it work. The Knights started 12-1 and were 17-4 when they upset then-No. 11 Texas Tech in Orlando 88-80 on Jan. 31.

UCF lost three in a row to No. 8 Houston, Cincinnati and West Virginia but has won its past two games against TCU (82-71) and at Utah (73-71) on Saturday.

Fifth-year senior Themus Fulks, a transfer from Milwaukee, leads the Knights at 14 points and six assists per game.

Mississippi State transfer Riley Kugel also averages 14 a game but was listed on the injury report and didn’t play against the Utes. Georgetown transfer Jordan Burks (6-9) averages 13 points and another Milwaukee transfer, Jamichael Stillwell, is at 11.9.

This is the fastest UCF team to 19 wins since the 2019 squad that reached the second round of NCAA Tournament, losing to No. 1 seed Duke and Zion Williamson 77-76.

BYU is trying to re-invent itself after losing Saunders, so another home game is a big plus.

“We’re just going to keep pursuing,” Dybantsa said. “We were neck and neck with Top 5 or Top 10 teams. We knew we were right there, so it’s a matter of executing for 40 minutes. We were probably executing for 35 of those 40 minutes and that five-minute stretch would just lead us to losses. So we just want to execute for 40 minutes.”

Men’s College Basketball

UCF (19-7, 8-6 Big 12) at No. 19 BYU (20-7, 8-6 Big 12)

Tuesday, 9 p.m. MT

Marriott Center, Provo

TV/Streaming: ESPN2

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

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: BYU is 4-0 all-time against UCF, winning the last meeting 81-75 last season in Orlando. … Cougar freshman AJ Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring at 24.8 points per game. … The Golden Knights own an 88-80 victory against then-No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 31. … BYU is 11-2 at home this season, with the losses to No. 2 Arizona and No. 5 Houston.