A trio of gifted freshmen might be on show when No. 1 Arizona travels to No. 13 BYU for a pivotal Massive 12 Convention showdown Monday in Provo, Utah.
The Wildcats (20-0, 7-0) smothered West Virginia 88-53 at dwelling on Saturday. Brayden Burries led 4 scorers in double figures with 22 factors. The freshman guard was final 12 months’s Gatorade Participant of the 12 months in California, a five-star recruit and the No. 9 prospect within the nation, per 247Sports.
Mixed with main scorer Koa Peat (14.7 factors per recreation), Burries (14.6 ppg) offers the Wildcats a pair of freshmen atop their scoring ledger. When the calendar flipped to 2026 and Massive 12 play acquired into full swing, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd envisioned Burries additional acclimating to the school recreation.
“I am not placing a ceiling on any of those guys,” Lloyd mentioned. “… Brayden is getting numerous confidence. Brayden has wonderful instincts for a younger basketball participant. Now I feel he is layering that with some expertise the place perhaps he understands what’s occurring earlier than it is coming just a little bit.
“That enables him to control sure conditions and he is responding to conditions within the recreation versus reacting. That is pure progress for a younger participant. He is form of in his candy spot. I felt like January could be a giant month for him to make a giant bounce and it appears like he’s.”
Arizona has been the No. 1 staff within the nation for seven weeks and it isn’t anticipated to vary when Monday’s new AP ballot arrives. The Wildcats common 89.8 ppg and solely enable 67.6. The 21-point scoring margin ranks fifth nationally.
Recent off a record-setting 91-78 dwelling win Saturday towards Utah, its largest rival, BYU (17-2, 5-1) hosts one other massive recreation.
AJ Dybantsa set the BYU freshman scoring mark with 43 factors towards Utah. A contender to be the No. 1 decide within the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa related on 15 of 24 subject aim makes an attempt, drained 4 of 5 3-pointers and shot 9 of 10 from the free throw line. He rounded out his spectacular stat line with six rebounds and three assists.
Robert Wright III added 21 factors and Richie Saunders chipped in 12 factors, nevertheless it was Dybantsa that had everybody buzzing, together with coach Kevin Younger. Final Saturday, Dybantsa scored a season-low 13 factors in an 84-71 loss at then-No. 15 Texas Tech. It was an emphatic bounce-back recreation for Dybantsa (23.6 ppg), the Cougars’ main scorer.
“I used to be impressed whereas he was doing it,” Younger mentioned. “In my thoughts, he is a particular participant. I’ve mentioned it so much. I feel he’s, arms down, the clear-cut No. 1 decide within the upcoming NBA draft … The factor I like about it greater than something is it is coming off his worst efficiency of the 12 months. He wasn’t good at Texas Tech and he got here out unfazed and had a transparent need to exit and dominate a recreation.”
The groups break up two video games final season, with every staff successful on the opponent’s dwelling courtroom. On Feb. 4, Arizona gained 85-74, then just a few weeks later, BYU went to Tucson and escaped with a 96-95 victory.
–Area Stage Media
