BYU basketball advances to 4-0 with a comfortable 86-71 win over Montana State. No surprises there for a 23rd-ranked squad that took down a solid Ohio State team and has likewise handled business against their subsequent buy games.
It's been an ideal start for Kevin Young's third year with BYU basketball. A roster stuffed with talent in the starting lineup, while remaining deep and balanced, the Cougars have shown promise against talented teams and have taken control against lesser foes. Not quite an airtight team, but one that appears to have legs to weather a Big 12 gauntlet and enter March with second-weekend expectations.
It was a game the Cougars led nearly the whole way through, but what have we learned about this team?
3 takeaways from BYU basketball's win over Montana State
Robert Wright III is an elite point guard
Retaining Robert Wright III over the offseason is proving to be one of the most objectively impressive accomplishments in Kevin Young's tenure at BYU. They nearly lost him to Kentucky when they couldn't meet his NIL demands, but still managed to retain his services.
Through four games, he's clearly steadily improving and has built an early All-American campaign.
Wright scored 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor. It's his fourth consecutive game leading the team in points, and he added 7 assists with just 2 turnovers as the cherry on top. The junior struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 4 of his 8 attempts, and that will need to be cleaned up for conference competition.
He's been steady, patient, and showing clear development as a lead playmaker. Wright's name will be at the top of every Big 12 team's whiteboard when the calendar flips to BYU.
Bruce Branch continues to produce
I don't know if word has gotten to you yet, but Bruce Branch III is pretty good at basketball. The second player with a suffix on BYU's roster, Branch the Third is likewise the third consecutive 5-star freshman to play in Provo under Kevin Young, and the third to wear the number 3 in their stead.
He posted 17 points in 25 minutes today on strong 6-for-8 efficiency. Better yet, he cooly knocked down both of his three-point looks against the Bobcats, a refreshing sight after he hit just 26.7% of his attempts in his first three games.
Broad shoulder and long arms, he's drawing comparisons to Jayson Tatum and generating buzz as perhaps the best prospect in the entire upcoming draft class. Keep an eye on his stock.
Culture guys off the bench
BYU has two players coming off the bench who struggle to put the ball in the basket, but excel at energizing their teammates and playing ferocious defense. Their names are Brooks Bahr and Khadim Mboup.
Mboup is especially raw on the offensive end, but his footspeed and ability to keep pace with smaller guards as a primary defender makes him an immensely valuable weapon off the bench. Freshman Brooks Bahr has likewise kept himself valuable by tormenting the opposing team's guard line. The pair may never individually score in double-digits all season, but don't be surprised to see them take the floor regularly.
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