No. 9 BYU returns to Marriott Center, hosts Arizona State on Wednesday evening

PROVO, Utah - No. 9 BYU returns to the friendly confines of the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when the Cougars host Arizona State in their Big 12 home opener. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. 

WHERE TO WATCH
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on Peacock with Pete Sousa and Brendan Haywood on the call.

WHAT THE DEVIL?
Wednesday will be the 48th all-time meeting between the two schools and 24th in Provo. The Cougars have won four straight over the Sun Devils and lead the all-time series 28-19 including a 20-3 record at home and six consecutive wins at the Marriott Center.

Keba Keita has faced the Sun Devils six times during his collegiate career, four of those coming during his time at Utah. The senior has averaged 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.5 blocks while shooting 64.5 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the free throw line.

In his two appearances against Arizona State last season, Richie Saunders averaged 28.0 points per game including a career-high 30 points on New Year's Eve where he went 6-of-11 from behind the arc. He shot 56.8 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from three and 50.0 percent from the free throw line. 

BACK WHERE THEY BELONG
BYU is back in the Marriott Center for the first time since a 109-81 victory over Eastern Washington where AJ Dybantsa became the first player in program history and second in Big 12 history with a 30/10/10 triple-double. The Cougars are 6-0 at home this season and have won 10 straight dating back to last season, tied for the 25th longest active home win streak in the nation with Arizona, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Utah State. 

During its current home win streak, which includes a 34-point victory over No. 23 Kansas, BYU is outscoring opponents by 27.2 points per game (90.3-63.1). The Cougars are shooting 52.6 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three and 74.3 percent from the free throw line. 

SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END
Since missing his first nine 3-pointers of the season, Mihailo Boskovic is shooting 85.7 percent from behind the arc including going 2-of-3 from deep in Saturday's win at Kansas State. It marked the first time the senior from Serbia has connected on multiple 3-pointers since knocking down a career-high three 3-pointers in BYUís double overtime victory at Iowa State last season. 

KING KEBA
After going 4-of-4 from the field in the win over Kansas State, Keba Keita now ranks ninth among active NCAA men's college basketball players in field goal percentage (min. 300 FGM). 

Saturday also marked the sixth time in his career that he shot 100.0 percent from the field with a minimum of four field goals made. Last season in league play, Keita shot a program record 68.9 percent from the field (min. 30 FGM). 

HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS
AJ Dybantsa has scored in double figures in all 14 games of his collegiate career which is the fourth-longest streak to begin a career in Big 12 history. Baylor's Tounde Yessofou isn't far behind as his 10-point performance in a loss to TCU kept his streak alive. 

Season	Player, School	Streak
2017-18	Trae Young, Oklahoma	30
2006-07	Kevin Durant, Texas	30
2009-10	Alec Burks, Colorado	20
2025-26	AJ Dybantsa, BYU	14
2025-26	Tounde Yessofou, Baylor	13

The freshman has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games, tied for the sixth-longest streak in program history. Another 20-point performance on Wednesday would move him up to a tie for fifth with Timo Saarelainen and Michael Smith. 

KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON
Richie Saunders moved up to 24th on the all-time scoring list on Saturday as the senior passed former high school and BYU teammate Fousseyni Traore and Marty Haws. He is 52 points away from becoming the 22nd player in program history with 1,400 points. 

The native of Riverton went 3-of-11 from 3-point range in the win over Kansas State marking the fifth straight game he has knocked down multiple 3-pointers, tied for the longest streak in his career. It also marked the 25th time in his career with three or more triples, breaking a tie for ninth on the all-time list with Mike Rose and Jaxson Robinson.