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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa dunks the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, right, is pressured by Kansas State guard C.J. Jones (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU's AJ Dybantsa places the school's name on the bracket after a win against Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

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BYU forward Dominique Diomande drives during the second half of an NCAA college basketball against Kansas State game at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) looks to shoot under pressure from Kansas State forward Taj Manning, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU guard Robert Wright III (1) is pressured by Kansas State forward Taj Manning, right, as he prepares to shoot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU forward Kennard Davis Jr. (30) shoots over Kansas State forward Taj Manning (15) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 Conference tournament Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU's Khadim Mboup, right, greets a young fan after a win against Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

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BYU's Richie Saunders offers encouragement to teammates against Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

❮ ❯

For BYU, offense travels.

Sure, the Cougars got lost defensively in the first half of their Big 12 first round tournament game against No. 15 seed Kansas State, but it didn’t really matter because AJ Dybantsa and the offense couldn’t be stopped.

Dybantsa set the Big 12 Tournament freshman record with 40 points, adding nine rebounds and six assists in a dominant performance at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, leading the Cougars to a 106-91 victory.

“I think he’s the most skilled offensive player in college basketball, and it was all full display tonight,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said. “In terms of where that stacks up, you’ve got to put it right near the top, just given the fact that it was in the Big 12 tournament and helped propel us to a big win.”

Dybantsa’s 40-piece broke the tournament’s freshman record of 37 points held by one of his idols, Kevin Durant.

“I’m just trying to win games,” said Dybantsa, who was 15 of 21 from the field and 8 of 9 from the foul line. “That’s just the main goal, trying to get a championship. If I need to score 43 for that, then yeah, but I’m not going for the record.”

The 106 points was also a Big 12 Tournament record.

“Obviously, it was a high scoring game,” Young said. “They got off to a great start and were shooting the heck out of the three. I thought our guys did a good job of responding. That run we made to end the first half was critical for us to cut the lead within the game and gain momentum. Then we were able to get some enough stops and string enough stops together there in the second half to get a spread. So it was a good game for us.”

BYU led 76-71 with ten minutes to play when Dybantsa — running the show because point guard Robert Wright III was in the locker room after being elbowed in the mouth playing defense — directed a 16-2 run. He scored four points and dished to Kennard Davis Jr. for a 3-pointer, then Khadim Mboup scored on back-to-back offensive rebounds for a 92-73 lead at the 5:30 mark.

The lead eventually reached 23 points, 98-75, on a length-of-the-court pass from Dybantsa to Dominique Diomande for a layup with 4:07 remaining.

Davis scored all 15 of his points in the second half and Wright had 14 before having to leave the game. Aleksej Kostic started his second straight game and score 11 points, Mboup totaled eight points and 14 rebounds and Diomande was impactful as a defender, especially in the second half.

So accolades all around for important contributions from multiple players.

“I’m just super happy for those guys,” Young said. “Dom’s a guy, I’ll speak to him. I’ll speak about Aleksej. They all contribute to the win. And the thing I love about it is it’s been an up-and-down season, but none of those guys have batted an eye. They just stayed in the gym and they’ve stayed hungry. They’ve earned trust to get out there and be able to help contribute to a win. So it was really cool to see. I thought Dom’s play was extremely inspirational for them, and something we can build on.”

But it was Dybantsa  — who was named the Associated Press Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year on Tuesday — who powered the offensive attack. He scored 21 points in the first half and 19 in the second, displaying a dizzying array of offensive moves that left defenders grasping at air.

“What he was doing was super impressive, because I thought he was scoring every way possible,” Young said. “He was scoring in the post, he was scoring in transition, he was scoring in the pick and roll, he was scoring in isolations, he was coming off some pin downs and making good passes out of the post, making good pass out of the pick and roll. So I think it was probably one of his most complete games.”

Kansas State (last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .344) shot 62.1% (18 of 29) from the field and 63.6% (7 of 11) from the 3-point line in the first half. BYU trailed 49-43 with just over a minute to play in the half but went on a 7-0 run to close, including a 3-point play from Wright and a pair of dunks from Dybantsa, for a 50-49 edge at the break.

BYU’s defensive intensity improved in the second half and Kansas State’s shooting settled back to their mean. The Cougars hit four 3-pointers (two each from Kostic and Davis) and Dybantsa scored twice for a 68-57 advantage with 15:40 remaining.

Davis dropped in a 3-pointer and Dybantsa spun in a layup for a 3-point play and it was 76-67 at the 11:52 mark. From there, the Cougars dominated and ran away for the victory.

No. 10 seed BYU (22-10) moves on to the second round Wednesday against No. 7 seed West Virginia. The Mountaineers earned a 79-71 victory in Morgantown on Feb. 28.