“I can answer,” junior guard Collin Chandler spoke up. “It’s been the whole focus of practice.”

Kevin Young’s first two Cougar teams have been excellent offensively (top 25 both seasons) but has struggled on the defensive end. In 2024-25, BYU was 206th in points allowed (72.8 per game) and 357th (out of 364 teams) in 3-pointers allowed (9.8 per game). BYU fans are still shaking their heads over the Sweet 16 loss to Alabama, where the Crimson Tide — admittedly the No. 1 ranked offensive team in the country that season — made 25 3-pointers in a 113-88 rout.

Last season, BYU was 225th nationally in points allowed (75.4) and 284th in 3-pointers allowed per game (8.5). Again, the NCAA’s ended when the Cougars couldn’t defend the paint or the perimeter consistently against Texas in a 79-71 first round loss.

In the win against Nebraska last Friday, BYU held a very good offensive team to 37.3% from the field (19 of 51) and caused 18 turnovers, though the Huskers did made 10 of 24 (41.7%) from the 3-point line in a 72-61 Cougar victory.

“Every practice is defense,” Chandler said. “It was nice to go out and actually execute what we’ve been working so hard at. I think that’s what kept us in the game the first half. We obviously didn’t have a great offensive half, but defensively I thought we were actually solid, and elevated that second half.”

Guards Nate Pickens and Brooks Bahr provide some spark on the defensive end, especially with ball pressure that led to turnovers.

“I think with those two guys in particular, that’s the value that they can bring coming in off the bench,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said. “Brooks is tough as nails, and Nate can guard, too. I thought their energy, Brooks in particular, really helped us in the second half. It’s something we’ll mix in, for sure.”

Post player Jaxon Kohler, who got good news earlier this week when a judge in California ruled an injunction dealing with player eligibility was extended, played four years in one of the top defensive programs in the country at Michigan State.

“We’ve been working on getting our hands in the passing lanes, deflections and rotating a lot,” Chandler said. “We’ve really been aggressive on defense as teams go baseline and as teams throw it in the post, we’re really aggressive. It takes a lot of second effort and communication because we do a lot of rotating. It takes a lot of reps and we’re getting a lot of reps in practice.”

SCOUTING REPORT

BYU and UNLV had an intense rivalry during their years together in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV leads the overall series 19-17, with BYU winning the last meeting 83-50 at the Delta Center in 2019.

UNLV hasn’t been the NCAA Tournament since 2013 (under former BYU assistant Dave Rice) and was 18-17 last season under first-year head coach Josh Pastner. The Rebels lost leading scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (20.7 points per game, 101 3-pointers) to Texas Tech and and seven other players transferred. The best of the returners is former Layton Christian standout Tyrin Jones, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 11.9 points per game last season.

UNLV also signed much-traveled guard AJ Storr, who is seeking a fifth years of eligibility with a fifth different team. He’s had previous stops at St. John’s, Wisconsin, Kansas and Ole Miss, averaging 15.5 points per game last season.  Storr didn’t play in the Rebels first exhibition game, a 79-69 loss to Utah at Thomas & Mack Center on October 7. Sebastian Mack, a 6-4 Missouri transfer, scored 25 points in that game and Florida State transfer Cam Miles added 16.

Men’s College Basketball

Exhibition Game

BYU at UNLV

Saturday, 2 p.m. MT

Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas

TV/Streaming: MW+ (subscription)

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: UNLV leads the overall series with BYU 19-17. … The Cougars won the last meeting 83-50 at Delta Center in 2019. … UNLV won the last meeting in Las Vegas 92-90 in overtime at T-Mobile Arena in 2018. … The Rebels were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference.