When Kevin Young was hired as BYU's new head coach before the 2024-25 season he made a claim that sounded almost preposterous to long-time Cougar fans. Young said he was going to turn Provo into a pipeline for NBA talent, a bold claim for a program whose last NBA draft pick was Jimmer Fredette in 2011.
Before taking the helm of the BYU men's program, Young was one of the NBA's hottest assistant coaches and was destined for a head coaching job sooner than later. He knows what it takes for players to succeed in the NBA. Even with that experience, more than a few BYU fans were skeptical that he could create an NBA factory with his new program.
But then Kevin Young landed Egor Demin, a skilled freshman from Russia, and developed him into a one-and-done talent who was recently selected No. 8 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Young then signed AJ Dybantsa who many project to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. But Dybantsa may not be the only Cougar to have his name called in next year's draft.
Richie Saunders' 2026 draft prospects
Sam Vecenie covers the NBA, college basketball, and the NBA Draft for the New York Times and hosts the Game Theory podcast. In his recent 2026 NBA mock draft, Vecenie had Saunders going No. 46 in next year's draft. And Vecenie isn't alone. ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo recently had Saunders being taken with the No. 59 pick in the 2026 draft.
Saunders is coming off a phenomenal 2024-25 season in which he averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 51.8% from the field and 43.2% from the 3-point line. The 6-foot-5 wing received All-Big 12 First Team honors for his stellar play. He was also named the conference's Most Improved Player, a nod to coach Kevin Young's ability to develop talent.
I've written before that Saunders's age could prevent him from being taken in the 2026 draft, but NBA teams are becoming increasingly willing to take older, inexpensive, "win now" guys in the second round like Richie. Saunders' 3-point shooting, defense, and basketball IQ could trump is age and a competitive team with limited cap space could snap him up next year.
As Richie plays next to AJ Dybantsa this year and with BYU poised to be a national contender, don't be surprised if Saunders' draft stock only rises from here.