AJ Dybantsa's triple-double overshadows defenseless win over Eastern Washington

Hey you! Yes, you! How would you like to witness a basketball game in which only one side of the game was played? Wouldn't it sound great for all of the exciting bits of the sport -- namely, shooting, dunking, running and gunning -- to be every part of the game? Then I have the game for you! May I introduce BYU vs Eastern Washington, a game that nearly reached 200 total points between the two competitors?

In a 109-81 final, BYU basketball thoroughly dominated lesser competition in the end, though yet again struggled to officially put away their prey until well into the second half. Another slow start, matching the likes of recent results like Pacific or Abilene Christian? Well, yes and no. Yes, if by slow start you mean BYU wasn't able to truly separate themselves until later than one would like to see. No, if by slow start you mean the offensive engine wasn't able to kick into gear until that point.

BYU's offense had no issue in this one -- just take a gander over at the scoreboard. Kevin Young's offense surpassed the 50-point mark in both halves thanks to 38% shooting from beyond the arc. Kennard Davis sizzled the nylon for 5-of-11 from the outside (a breath of fresh air considering his recent struggles), Rob Wright and Richie Saunders combined for seven three-balls, and Khadim Mboup had six points on 100% FG shooting off the bench.

But when it comes to offensive production, look no further than BYU's superstar and the youngest player to ever record a triple-double in NCAA history, AJ Dybantsa.

Dybantsa was a man among boys out on the floor of the Marriott Center. Inflicting his will in every aspect of the game, he torched the Eagles of EWU for 33 points, while tearing the defense apart by the seams with 10 assists, and how about 10 rebounds (4 on the offensive end) for good measure?

This is the first triple-double at BYU since 2016, when Kyle Collinsworth set the NCAA men's triple-doubles record at 12 if you're cool enough to remember that.

But Dybantsa was everywhere in this one, flying through the air and rocketing a slam through the cylinder on one possession, and hitting a long three the next. In typical fashion, AJ dominated from the foul stripe, drawing 11 free throws and converting on nine of his attempts.

Also, in what became something of a footnote as the night progressed, former NBA G-League center Abdullah Ahmed made his first appearance in Cougar blue, scratching just nine minutes of gameplay and gathering one point and five boards.

But the defense was tremendously troubling through the night, as BYU just couldn't seem to kill a team that has gone 2-11 to this point in the year, and 0-9 on the road. Against a Big 12 contender and hopeful for the national title in April, EWU managed to make BYU sweat through the first three quarters of play. Now, through the non-conference schedule, the Cougars have shown plenty of signs of weakness and inconsistency in the games leading to the Big 12 Conference schedule.

Is this a matter of playing to the level of one's competition? Perhaps. Could it be that Kevin Young is still testing his personnel, sets, and defensive strategies? Likely so. But understanding that experimentation can lead to unsatisfactory results doesn't excuse the fact that BYU basketball hasn't been meeting expectations in the previous few games, and has given its supporters more than enough to lose hair over in the non-conference. A narrow win against Dayton, and uncomfortably competitive matchups with Villanova and Delaware are just a few examples of why this team isn't quite ready to compete for a national championship.

Yet.

With the Big 12 slate up next, tipping off against Kansas State in early January, this year's BYU basketball squad will have the chance to cut its teeth against many exceptional teams who will likewise set a course for the Final Four in March. BYU, having only lost to top-5 UConn to this point in the season -- by two points no less -- has held up its end of the bargain to this point. All the same, in a loaded top 15, BYU will need to mesh in all the right ways if they want to shock the world in the postseason.

They did it last year, catching fire in the final weeks of the year on the way to a Sweet 16 appearance, so hold on to hope that this year's team can likewise achieve their potential.