BYU basketball is playing with the end in mind this season, and how could they not? With talent like potential top-3 NBA Draft selection, AJ Dybantsa, First Team All-Big 12 inclusion Richie Saunders, and, as UConn head coach Dan Hurley refers to him, "one of the best point guards in the country" in Rob Wright III, Kevin Young has dialed up a squad simply unlike anything
Even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints itself, the sponsoring religion of Brigham Young University, has eliminated the Saturday evening session of their semi-annual General Conference in April, purely in anticipation of the biggest Final Four of BYU basketball history (for legal reasons, this is a joke. Not the fact that they canceled the evening session -- that's real -- but there is a 99% chance that this change has nothing to do with BYU's postseason hopes).
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has decided that beginning in April 2026, general conference will no longer include a Saturday evening session. pic.twitter.com/z1jZrkC6d7
— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@Ch_JesusChrist) November 19, 2025
Shoutout to former president of Brigham Young University and current president of the church, Dallin H Oaks.
With all this talk about the Final Four and March Madness, however, now seems like a fitting moment to take a straw poll and gather intel about where BYU basketball projects in the field of the NCAA Tournament. This can help us measure our own expectations against those of the experts, and also gives us a nifty bookmark to recall when the team is a one-seed in the national championship, as we all know they will soon be.
Glancing at the latest bracketologies, here is where the Cougars stand in the eyes of the oracles.
BYU basketball in NCAA Tournament Bracketology
Joe Lunardi's ESPN Bracketology: 3-seed vs St. Thomas
CBS Sports' Bracketology: 4-seed
On3 Sports' Bracketology: 4-seed vs Hawaii
Clearly, the Cougars still have work to do, as a narrow loss to a championship contender like UConn doesn't carry the same positive momentum in hoops as it does on the football field. Coach Young has work to do in Provo, and BYU basketball is more than equipped to climb higher in the coming months.