PROVO, Utah – For the first time in program history, BYU men’s basketball will enter a season ranked in the Top 10 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
The Cougars are one of six Big 12 programs ranked in the Top 25, coming in at eighth with 1,078 points, four spots higher than they were ranked in the 1973 preseason poll, their previous high.
BYU is scheduled to face eight ranked teams this season, including its exhibition matchup against No. 25 North Carolina at Delta Center on Friday, Oct. 24.
EIGHT. pic.twitter.com/MYWjL0tyDp
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) October 13, 2025
Second-year head coach Kevin Young has the program ranked in a preseason poll for a seventh time after leading the Cougars to a Sweet 16 in 2024-25. First Team All-Big 12 performer Richie Saunders returns for his senior season after averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game and leading the Cougars to a 26-win season. The Riverton native is joined by fellow seniors Keba Keita, Dawson Baker and Mihailo Boskovic.
The nation’s top recruit, AJ Dybantsa, headlines the newcomers after earning MVP honors at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland, guiding Team USA to the gold medal. The 6-foot-9 forward is joined by other newcomers Robert Wright III, Kennard Davis Jr., Xavion Staton, Tyler Mrus and Nate Pickens.
The Cougars open the 2025-26 season on Saturday, Oct. 18, with an exhibition contest at Nebraska. Tip is scheduled for Noon CT at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., and can be found on B1G+.