It's been a while, Pacific. Welcome back to the Marriott Center, home of the BYU Cougars, who have flourished as a national power since leaving the West Coast Conference and planting roots in the Big 12.
Pacific (8-3) approaches the top 10 Cougars (9-1) with losses against Nevada, Florida Atlantic, and Mark Madsen's California Golden Bears, but most recently enjoyed a crushing 104-50 victory over... NAIA Simpson University. So that's neat.
Since BYU's departure, the WCC remains a two-bid league with Saint Mary's and the once-again potent Gonzaga leading the charge. Pacific was picked to finish 10th in the WCC preseason poll, and faces off against a familiar foe wearing an unfamiliar face.
BYU basketball has become a force in the national conversation of college basketball since their exit from the WCC, which was a big surprise for most who saw Mark Pope's final year in the league struggle with managing a top five finish in the conference standings. Just one year later, the Cougars were a top 25 team with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and they've only gathered momentum since then.
Honest-to-goodness NBA talent, size, athleticism, and skill populates every corner of head coach Kevin Young's roster, and a the Provo-based program has transformed into something of an NBA pipeline, already sending Egor Demin to the Brooklyn Nets in this year's draft, going eighth overall and since blossoming into the face of Brooklyn's unorthodox, yet exciting, class of youngsters.
This year, however, the talent is even more undeniable. Richie Saunders is a senior coming off an All-Big 12 First Team nod. Rob Wright III is a transfer from Baylor with perhaps the most unguardable dribble in the nation. And AJ Dybantsa? He's a projected top-3 pick and the core of BYU's Final Four aspirations.
So Pacific, when you set foot onto the BYU campus this time around, don't be surprised when things feel a little different than your last visit.
How can I watch BYU vs Pacific?
Date: Tuesday, December 27, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM MT
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Channel: ESPN+