BYU basketball has yet to defeat the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the hardwood as members of the Big 12 Conference. That's a sobering reality, and one that only becomes more challenging to absorb as you recall every meeting between the two programs. But with Kansas up next on the schedule, I feel that the Cougars' history with the Jayhawks is likewise worth mentioning.
Taking down seventh-ranked Kansas the last time these two met in Allen Fieldhouse, visions of Dallin Hall's top-of-the-key dagger over the outstretched arms of Hunter Dickinson are forever seared in my long-term memory stores. Last season's meeting in the Marriott Center wound up as the biggest ranked loss in the history of Kansas basketball -- a 91-57 drubbing in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains. But last year's Kansas team is not the staggering, stumbling bunch from last season. They're much closer to that top-ten squad Mark Pope faced in 2024, only this bunch has the potential number one overall selection in the upcoming draft.
Darryn Peterson requires no introduction. If you've kept a finger on the pulse of college hoops this year, you've heard the name. You've seen the highlights. You've questioned the rumors and validated them with your own eyes. Peterson is as good as advertised, and there's good reason that this meeting against AJ Dybantsa, Peterson's greatest competition for the top spot this summer, will attract the eyes of the nation.
BYU basketball is on the hunt for a quality, ranked Q1 victory, and a win at Allen Fieldhouse would certainly be a resume-maker.
Kansas has likewise struggled against the very elite of the game to this point in the season, having lost big to UNC, slipped against Duke and UConn, and collapsed against West Virginia and UCF in Big 12 competition. Were it not for a 20+ point win against Iowa State, there would be very little reason to predict a Jayhalk walk on Saturday night.
But with that home win in their back pocket, this edition of Kansas basketball proudly proclaims that there is no team in America safe from an upset when the Jayhawks enter their home gym in Lawrence, Kansas.
Led by senior guard Tre White and Congolese forward Flory Bidunga, this team is strong, physical, and gritty. They love to punish their opposition, and nobody leaves their house unscathed.
But BYU hoops have plenty to prove to onlookers themselves. Their most recent result, a gut-wrenching failed comeback against top-ranked Arizona, left many wondering if the Cougars really had the fuel and reserves to power forward to a final four berth. Slow first half output has doomed Dybantsa, Saunders, and Wright against the best in the nation. Climbing back in every second half is not an ideal situation for a team that wants to be in the driver's seat, wear you down with inside and midrange shot attempts before taking the lid off from distance as the defense collapses toward the paint.
But in Allen Fieldhouse, I expect the visitors to make an early statement and never look back.
Look for fireworks from Saunders beyond the arc, and Rob Wright's dribble drive twisting the guts of the Jayhawk defense into knots. And as he always does, look for Dybantsa to make a big statement after a disappointing previous performance. The last time he was shut down, he responded with a 43-point career high against rival Utah. After a nightmare against Arizona, anticipate another Dybantsa eruption.
Success in this clash will come down to the duo of Dybantsa and Peterson, but more specifically, how they utilize the pieces around them like chess masters anticipating their adversary's moves. If Dybantsa can find open teammates when he inevitably gets treated to a double-team, the offense can flow through the cylinder, rather than pray to splash over the boulder in its path. Slow, isolation-heavy sets are not conducive for long-term success on the offensive end, and I expect Kevin Young's preparation to anticipate this.
Despite a big performance from Peterson, expect Dybantsa and the visiting Cougars to protect their unbeaten streak against KU in the Big 12.