BYU senior guard Richie Saunders went down early against Colorado with an apparent leg injury. Hobbled, he delicately paced across the Marriott Center floor, finishing under his own power and signaling to the anxious crowd that he was okay before disappearing into the tunnel.
On Sunday afternoon, we got the news that nobody wanted to hear: ACL tear. Saunders' season, and by extension his college basketball career, was over.
"To end my BYU career like this is heartbreaking," Saunders shared via Instagram. "I've loved every moment and every challenge that came with representing the school I love. These past four years have shaped who I am -- on and off the court."
Saunders was the heartbeat of the BYU basketball program and had been since his sophomore season under Mark Pope, in which his undying hustle and limitless motor drove him to the reputation of one of basketball's most pesky defenders, sharpest shooters, and the ultimate "glue guy" for an excellent BYU team.
As a junior, he improved across the board, rounding out his offensive game with a barrage of floaters, an under-the-basket utility belt, and, of course, one of basketball's most prolific three-point shots. With a rock-solid elbow and a lightning release, it didn't take long for a jumper to leave his fingertips. The moment he received a pass in the shooting pocket, that shot was gone, and more often than not, it was a great look.
He clinched the go-ahead free throws to take down Caleb Love and Arizona in Tucson. He dropped a career-high 33 points in a second-half barrage in the historic Allen Fieldhouse. Perhaps the crowning moment of his BYU career was his game-sealing three-pointer in a Big 12 Tournament matchup with Iowa State.
He took no plays off, made no excuses, and steadily improved year by year. Now without Saunders, the Cougars' infamous Big 3 are now down to 2. A shallow and unbalanced team's problems are magnified in his absence, and their ceiling is now drastically lower.
Saunders' career-path used to be the standard at BYU. A Utah native and lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year mission and played four years in the BYU basketball program.
Saunders never transferred, never caused NIL drama, and steadily improved from a 5.5 PPG scorer as a freshman to 9.6, then 16.5, and finally 18.0 in his 25-game senior campaign. Known for his grit and exceptional work ethic, there's good reason why head coach Kevin Young fought so hard to keep him in the program instead of transferring to Kentucky with Mark Pope.
The nucleus of last season's historic Final Four run, and forever a BYU hoops legend, Saunders' legacy in Provo is one of determination, competitive drive, and crowd-popping effort. His presence will be severely missed for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
"My story has never been one of ease," he continued in his farewell post. "And while I didn't plan for this, my career is not over."
