The Memphis Grizzlies selected BYU legend Richie Saunders with the No. 32 pick in this year's NBA Draft, and they landed a gem. It's going to be a while still until Saunders fully recovers from an ACL injury and can suit up in Memphis, so in the meantime, I wanted to provide Grizzlies fans with some examples of just how dominant Richie was. Here are the top five games from his career at BYU.
No. 5 - Wisconsin, March 2025 (Round of 32)
Stats: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist; 9-16 FG, 3-4 3PT
BYU faced Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament back in March 2025, and Richie Saunders introduced himself to the Big Ten and basketball fans everywhere. With the eyes of the nation on him, Richie carried BYU to a two-point win to advance to the Sweet 16. It only took him 16 shots to score 25 points in one of the biggest wins in recent program history.
No. 4 - Almost every Arizona State game
Three-game average: 29.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals; 62% FG, 60% 3PT
Okay, I'm lumping "Arizona State" together because Richie torched the Sun Devils so many times it could almost warrant its own article. Richie had three 30-point games in his career and two of them came in blowout wins against Arizona State. He dropped 31 on them in January 2026 and 30 back in December 2024. In February 2025 he scored 26 points with six rebounds in another BYU double-digit win over ASU.
In those three games Richie averaged 29.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting a mind-bending 31-50 from the field (62%) and 18-30 from the 3-point line (60%). The Sun Devils are more than happy they won't be facing Richie Saunders in Big 12 play going forward.
No. 3 - Utah, January 2026
Stat line: 24 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal; 9-16 FG, 2-7 3PT
While BYU basketball is operating in a different universe than their struggling neighbors to the north who play in a mostly empty Huntsman Center, you can throw records out the window when BYU and Utah play in any sport. In this masterpiece of a game, Richie Saunders went up to Salt Lake City and owned the Utes. He scored an efficient 24 points on 9-16 shooting while pulling down a career-high 14 rebounds. Behind Richie's performance, BYU racked up yet another win against Utah on the hardwood.
No. 2 - Alabama, March 2025 (Sweet 16)
Stat line: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals; 10-14 FG, 1-2 3PT
Yes, BYU got their doors blown off in the Sweet 16 by an Alabama team that hardly missed a shot all night. The game was out of reach early, but Richie never quit. His grit, hustle, and never-say-die nature was on full display despite the blowout loss. While many of Richie's teammates shrank from the moment under the bright lights of the Sweet 16 that dreadful night, Saunders shined with 24 points on 10-14 shooting with four steals.
No. 1 - Kansas, January 2026
Stat line: 33 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal; 11-19 FG, 6-14 3PT
In a game that featured the first two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Richie Saunders was far and away the best player on the court. He led all players in scoring that night with a career-high 33 points while also pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds.
NBA scouts and front office personnel were in attendance that night to watch Dybantsa (17 points) and Peterson (18 points), and instead they got a full dose of the Richie Saunders experience. While Dybantsa and Peterson have much greater long-term potential than Richie, he was the best player on the court that night.
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