Keba Keita ties, AJ Dybantsa share 22 points in Delta Center rout of Cal Baptist

Already down two rotation players thanks to season-ending injuries, nobody would blame BYU basketball for easing back into normalcy since Dawson Baker's recent ACL tear. BYU does not wait up, however, nor do they look back. The mourning period is over, as is evidenced by the Cougars' 91-60 victory over preseason WAC favorites, Cal Baptist.

Just a quick reminder: Cal Baptist entered this game with a 7-1 record and a top 75 NET rating. BYU basketball is just a bowling ball rocketing down the lane -- the Lancers were the unfortunate pins in its path of destruction, or at the very least, the television seconds from meeting an unstrapped Wii remote.

In a game that saw Kevin Young's squad light up the Delta Center (BYU basketball's home away from home this Winter) with 55% from the field and 39% efficiency from beyond the arc, the visiting Lancers were essentially out of this game by halftime.

In the first half, AJ Dybantsa put his offensive talents on full display, stepping, weaving, and twirling through every weak spot in a Cal Baptist defense that struggled to keep pace with his length, athleticism, and control of pace. Scoring when he wanted, how he wanted, Dybantsa was like a cat pinning its prey down by the tail. Fight as you may, the predator is in control, and you are at his mercy.

22 points on the night for AJ were tied for a team-high, as Keba Keita matched Dybantsa's 10-15 shooting split for an identical sum. Keita added a monstrous 14 rebounds and three blocks for good measure.

Kennard Davis, officially back with the team, has comfortably slotted into his role in the BYU offense. He was aggressive in hunting his shot, and quick on the trigger from distance. This lack of hesitation played to his benefit, as he knocked through three of his six attempts from distance.

Rob Wright, a point guard who I could go on about for several articles' worth of content, was exactly the type of player this team needed him to be to maximize their potential. Equal parts shot-seeker and shot-creator, Wright's 15 points aren't a drop in the bucket compared to the 11 assists he distributed in Salt Lake City. Charitable and giving aren't the words one would typically use to describe an assassin of Wright's caliber, yet here I am gushing about his selflessness.

Like I said: I could go on for days. I'll cut it there and spare you.

With the win, the 9th-ranked Cougars advance to 7-1, standing at the door of their final "real" test of the non-conference, a Jimmy V Classic matchup against the Clemson Tigers, the second ACC team BYU will face this year.

For now, though, the team can rest comfortably knowing that they're moving in the right direction, shaking off injury concerns and stomping inferior opponents as a top-10 team should be. They're looking the part so far -- how will they fare against the 7-2 Tigers who just gave 12th-ranked Alabama a scare in Tuscaloosa.