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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, right, collides with Utah forward Keanu Dawes (8) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City.

Rick Egan, AP Photo

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BYU's AJ Dybantsa defends Utah's Terrance Brown in a Big 12 men's basketball game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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Several times during the BYU at Utah men’s basketball game on Saturday, Ute fans chanted “Overrated!” when Cougar freshman AJ Dybantsa was at the foul line.

You know who didn’t think Dybantsa was overrated? Utah coaches, which generally double-teamed him whenever he touched the ball most of the night.

BYU head coach Kevin Young calls it “showing a crowd” and despite the extra attention, Dybantsa scored 20 points (his ninth straight 20-point game) on just 11 shots, making 8 of 12 from the foul line and dishing out four assists.

“Even when teams sell out on AJ, he can still get his and that just speaks to his talent,” Young said. “It’s quick decision making. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot. I learned that when I had some great players in the NBA, if you hold the ball and the double teams coming, you’re going to have a long night. But he figured out how to go quick on some of those rejects, some of the double teams. He’s such a high IQ guy so he still got to the line a bunch.

“I thought he made the right play more than he didn’t. He’ll learn from some of the mistakes that he made with the double teams. I think it surprised him with how many bodies they were throwing at him. They were determined to not let AJ beat them, but in a lot of ways, I think he did beat them because he made a lot of good reads. We got a lot of wide-open shots because of the attention he drew.”

The defensive focus on Dybantsa opened things up for Richie Saunders (24 points, 14 rebounds) and Robert Wright III (23 points, six assists).

“You saw it unfold the other night,” Young said. “They (Utah) were determined to take AJ away, and then Rob essentially walked the game down for us, along with Richie hitting some big free throws. So I think it puts a lot of stress on the defense, You kind of have to pick your poison. The thing I love about our guys is they understand that they need each other, and so they look for each other. They know where each other’s spots are, and I think that’s an area that we’ve really grown in.”

As for the hostile chants during the Utah game, Dybantsa just shrugged them off.

I’ve been dealing with it since I was 13,” he said. “I’ve been getting hate comments, hate phrases, sayings during games. I’ve heard it all. So I mean, I’ve just got to play my game. Just make the right decisions.”

Dybantsa is averaging 22.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 58.1% from the field, 74.6% from the foul line and 32.6% from the 3-point line.

Saunders is at 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 51.3% from the field, 82.9% from the foul line and 40.9% from the 3-point line. Wright is averaging 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field, 77.4% from the free throw line and 46.3% from three.

Through 16 games, Dybanta, Saunders and Wright have combined for 955 of BYU’s 1,412 total points (68%).

“It’s a huge luxury to have three guys that you feel like you can call their number and they’re going to get something done,” Young said.

Unexplainable

Despite two wins last week, BYU dropped from No. 9 in the Associated Press Poll to No. 11, with undefeated teams Nebraska and Vanderbilt jumping past the Cougars. It’s the first time this season BYU has not been ranked in the Top 10.

“Someone just told me we dropped to 11, which I still don’t get,” Young said. “I really don’t understand how the polls work. I’m not trying to be funny. We have one loss by two points against the No. 3 team in the country (UConn), in their backyard, and we were down two starters.”

Scouting Report

After losing its top five scorers to graduation or transfer, TCU was picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll but has fashioned a NET ranking of 42 while playing a strong schedule. The Horned Frogs beat both No. 10 Florida and Wisconsin to win the Rady Children’s Invitational in November and knocked off Baylor 69-63 in the Big 12 opener.

The Horned Frogs had No. 22 Kansas on the ropes last week and led by 16 points in the second half but ended up losing 104-100 in overtime. On Saturday, No. 1 Arizona romped past TCU 86-73.

Sophomore forward David Punch (6-7) has more than doubled his 2024-25 scoring average (6.5 points per game) to 14.1, shooting 53% from the field. Xavier Edwards, who transferred in after an All-American career at Salt Lake Community College, is averaging 10.4 points per game and Providence transfer guard Jayden Pierre is at 10.9.

Tanner Toolson played his first college season at BYU before transferring to Utah Valley, then joined TCU for 2025-26. He’s shooting just 33% from the 3-point line but made 3 of 4 from distance and scored 20 points in the loss to Arizona.

Another former Cougar, 6-11 Adam Stewart, has played in four games for the Horned Frogs. Another TCU player with a Utah tie is 6-9 sophomore Malick Dialo, who prepped at Wasatch Academy.

Men’s College Basketball

TCU (11-5, 1-2 Big 12) at No. 11 BYU (15-1, 3-0 Big 12)

Wednesday, 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 leads the overall series with TCU 20-4 and is 10-1 against the Horned Frogs in the Marriott Center. … TCU won the last meeting between the two teams, a 71-67 victory at Fort Worth on Jan. 11, 2025. … AJ Dybantsa has scored at least 20 points and shot at least 50% from the field in nine straight games, which is the longest streak by any NCAA Division I freshman over the past 30 years. … The Cougars have won 11 straight games as home, including a 6-0 mark in the Marriott Center this season.