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BYU's Dominique Diomande (24) celebrates with teammate AJ Dybantsa (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against West Virginia in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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BYU head coach Kevin Young is seen on the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against West Virginia in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

Charlie Riedel, AP Photo

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BYU's Robert Wright III, left, looks to the basket as Houston's Milos Uzan defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young referred to the most difficult part of the Big 12 season as “dark times.”

The two-loss road trip to West Virginia and Cincinnati was tough, but likely the darkest time was a week earlier in a 97-84 home loss to UCF.

Trailing by 24 points (52-28) at halftime, the Cougars immediately surrendered a 14-0 run to the Golden Knights and were looking up at a 36-point deficit (64-28) just 3:29 into the second half.

That was a team that looked hopelessly lost without injured senior Richie Saunders and was searching for any kind of an identity.

It’s now a little less than a week before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and BYU has righted the ship. The Cougars upset No. 10 Texas Tech 82-76 in the regular season finale and won twice in the Big 12 Tournament (105-91 vs. Kansas State and 68-48 vs. West Virginia). BYU lost to No. 5-ranked Houston 73-66 in the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday, a great effort against a national championship contender.

“I can see it on the guys,” Young said after the loss. “Everyone in our locker room is extremely competitive. We had some dark times recently, but we were able to push through it. There’s always a way to pound the rock. We’ve used every cliche in the coaching book in that space, but it’s been rewarding. When you go through adversity it really does bring groups together. I think it’s brought our group closer together. I think it’s brought our fan base closer together.

“I think that the moment we had at home in our last home game (Texas Tech), the fans knew how much we needed that win. I think it’s really galvanized all of Cougar Nation. It’s galvanized our locker room, our coaching staff.”

Young has simplified things, specifically on defense, to allow the team to play more confidently. Freshman AJ Dybantsa and point guard Robert Wright III have been dominant on the offensive end and Young has utilized youngsters Aleksej Kostic, Khadim Mboup and Dominique Diomande to add intensity and energy to the lineup.

“I think we’ve found our identity as a team,” Wright said. “We’ve got role players stepping up, like Dom and Aleksej making big shots for us, Moo (Kennard Davis Jr.) is playing great the last couple games. So I think it’s just figuring out who we are as a team.”

The resurgence is giving the Cougars confidence heading into the post-season.

“I think these guys have an inner belief where they are as a team right now,” Young said. “We’re extremely ready. It makes me feel good because, as I told them in the locker room about two weeks ago, I was honestly not sure. These guys have proven that we can make some noise in the tournament because of these two guys right here (Dybantsa and Wright) and because of how everyone else in the locker room has stepped up. We’re disappointed in the outcome tonight, but we’re looking forward to getting back home and getting some much needed rest so we can gear up for what I’ve told these guys is the best time of year in all of basketball.”

Dybantsa said he appreciated the lessons learned in BYU’s three-game run in the Big 12 Tournament.

“We needed some extra games under our belt,” he said. “We’re about perseverance and about resiliency. And then to play Houston, I don’t think any other team plays as hard as Houston in the country. So to be able to play them twice and get that type of feedback and look at that type of film, we can be prepared for the tournament.”

At one point this season, a No. 2 or No. 3 NCAA seed seemed to be within reach for BYU. The late-season swoon has erased that possibility but the Cougars still have a strong resume and could earn a No. 6 seed — the same spot they were slotted in last year’s NCAA Tournament that resulted in a Sweet 16 run.

BYU was fortunate to play close to home last year (Denver) in the first two rounds but the options for this year’s Thursday-Saturday regions are Portland (Ore.), Buffalo (NY), Greenville (SC) or Oklahoma City.

Like the other 68 teams who will make the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Cougars will find out their matchup on Sunday during the selection show beginning at 4 p.m. MT on ESPN.

“I was fortunate in the NBA to be (coaching) on some really good teams,” Young said. “What I shared with the guys was that was cool, but there’s absolutely nothing like playing in March Madness in the tournament. It’s even cooler for me than going to the NBA Finals. I can’t wait for AJ and Rob to have that experience under their belt. To be able to have some good energy heading into that unbelievable opportunity that we’re going to getting ready to get into, it’s just super exciting.”

Rip it up

The hype before the Big 12 Tournament included excitement over the use of a glass LED floor to enhance the experience for fans and players alike.

That experiment has ended early due to complaints about the surface and consultation with coaches. Wright slipped a half-dozen times driving to the basket against Houston and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson and LeJaun Watts suffered injuries when slipping in the quarterfinals.

On Friday morning, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark released this statement: “After consultation with the coaches of our four Semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Tournament. We look forward to a great Semifinals and Championship Game.”

The glass LED surface, made by German company ASB GlassFloor, was previously used in FIBA competitions and the NBA All-Star weekend.