No. 13 BYU welcomes Utah to Marriott Center on Saturday afternoon

PROVO, Utah - No. 13 BYU opens its two-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Cougars go for the season sweep of their rival Utah. Tip is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. MT at the Marriott Center in Provo. 

WHERE TO WATCH
Saturday's game will be broadcast on FOX with Aaron Goldsmith and Casey Jacobsen on the call. 

THE REVERSE FIXTURE
Saturday will mark the second time in 14 days that BYU and Utah will face off on the hardwood. It will also be the 268th all-time meeting between the two programs and the 128th meeting in Provo, 47 of those taking place at the Marriott Center. 

The Cougars lead the all-time series 136-131, including a 89-84 victory over the Utes on Jan. 10 at the Hunstman Center. In their first win over Utah in Salt Lake City since 2021, Richie Saunders scored a team-high 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds, six of those coming on the offensive glass. Robert Wright III added 23 points and six assists, with AJ Dybantsa scoring 20 points in 37 minutes of action. 

A regular-season sweep of the Utes would give BYU its first three-game win streak over Utah since 2020-22. It would also mark their fifth straight victory over their rival at the Marriott Center, which would be the longest streak since winning seven straight from 2007 to 2012. 

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Cougars' 12 straight home wins dating back to last season are tied for the 18th most in NCAA Division I men's basketball as of Wednesday morning. They are scoring 90.3 points per game during the streak that began with an 80-65 win over Kansas State on Feb. 15, 2025. They are shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three and 75.4 percent from the free throw line. BYU has knocked down 10 or more 3-pointers in five games this season, including a season-high 16 in a win over Eastern Washington on Dec. 22, 2025. 

In its eight home wins this season, BYU is outscoring opponents 93.8-65.6 while shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 76.8 percent from the free throw line. They are also outrebounding teams by more than 10 boards (41.8-31.0) per game. 

In 25 home games under Kevin Young, Richie Saunders and the Cougars have gone 23-2 with the senior guard averaging 17.9 points while shooting 54.1 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from three and 82.1 percent from the charity stripe. Entering Saturdayís showdown with the Utes, Saunders has scored in double figures in 16 straight games at the Marriott Center, including a career-high 31-point performance in a win over Arizona State on Jan. 7. 

THE PRICE IS (W)RIGHT
With a career-high 28 points on Saturday, Robert Wright III has now scored 20 or more points six times, which is three more than he had in 35 games during his freshman season at Baylor. Saturday also marked the first time this season with 20 or more in the second half as he has now scored in double figures 11 times after halftime. 

The Wilmington, Delaware native is one of four players in NCAA Division I men's basketball this season to average at least 17.0 points and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range. 

In 18 starts for the Cougars, Wright III has already knocked down a career-high 33 3-pointers for the Cougars after going 33-of-88 from behind the arc during his one season in Waco. He also knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 16 straight games, which is tied for the 10th-longest streak in a single season in program history. 

THE HEADBAND HERO
A season removed from being voted the Big 12's Most Improved Player by the head coaches of the league, Richie Saunders has not rested on one's laurels as the senior is averaging a career-high 19.2 points per game.

He is shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three and 83.0 percent from the free throw line and could be just the second Cougar in program history with consecutive 50/40/80 seasons. 

Saunders doesn't just score for the Cougars, as his 127 steals are the 15th most in program history, two away from tying and three away from passing current BYU women's basketball head coach Lee Cummard. His 1.049 steals per game are the 19th most in program history. 

RISE AND SHOUT
AJ has scored in double figures all 18 games of his collegiate career, which is the fourth-longest streak to begin a career by a freshman in Big 12 history. Another double-digit performance on Saturday against the Utes would leave the native of Brockton, Mass., one game away from tying former Colorado Buff, Alec Burks. 

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
With its current 12-game home win streak, BYU has more 10-game home winning streaks since the beginning of the 2000-01 season than it has back-to-back losses at the Marriott Center, 13-5. 

The Cougars are 662-156 (80.9 percent) at the Marriott Center, having won 10 or more games in Provo in every season since 2005-06, when they went 6-8. 

Second-year head Coach Kevin Young is 23-2 at home, leaving him two wins short of becoming the second-fastest head coach in program history to reach 25 wins, as Dave Rose accomplished the feat in 26 games.