PROVO, Utah — Fresh off a comeback victory over Ohio State, No. 25 BYU welcomes Omaha to the Marriott Center for its home opener on Friday, Nov. 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
WHERE TO WATCH Friday’s contest will be streamed on ESPN+, with Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler and Spencer Linton on the call.
WHAT PEYTON MANNING SAID... Friday will mark the second all-time meeting between the two schools and their first since Dec. 22, 1943, when the Cougars earned a 45-40 victory. The teams' first and only previous meeting came on the same day British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in the United States for a three-week visit to meet with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and military advisers to discuss wartime strategy.
The Cougars are 14-2 against schools from the Summit League since the 1980-81 season, with half of those victories coming against Southern Utah during the Thunderbirds' membership in the conference from 1997-2012.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT The Cougars won their eighth consecutive season opener on Monday with a 94-83 victory over Ohio State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
After trailing by as many as 11 points midway through the first half, BYU shot 64.5 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point range in the second half, outscoring the Buckeyes 60-46 over the final 20 minutes to secure its third consecutive win over a Big Ten opponent.
Robert Wright III was one of five Cougars to score in double figures, finishing with a game-high 35 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, 4-of-5 from 3-point range and 11-of-12 from the free throw line. Tyler Betsey (15), Collin Chandler (15), Jaxon Kohler (11) and Bruce Branch III (10) also reached double figures.
HEAVEN TO BETSEY Tyler Betsey opened his BYU career with a bang on Monday as the junior from Windsor, Conn., finished second on the team in scoring with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. He also tied a career high with seven rebounds, including two on the offensive glass.
The 6-foot-9 forward's four 3-pointers are tied for the second-most in a debut in program history, while his 66.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc is tied for the third-highest percentage.
Collin Chandler's nine 3-point attempts were one shy of his career high but rank as the third-most in a BYU debut.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS With BYU's win over Ohio State on Monday, Kevin Young earned his 50th career victory, tying him with G. Ott Romney for the sixth-fastest coach in program history to reach the milestone. Young needed just 72 games to reach the mark.
A trip to the NCAA Tournament in March would mark a third consecutive appearance for the Cougars under Young, a feat only Roger Reid accomplished in his first three seasons as head coach in Provo.
YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT After missing eight of its first nine 3-point attempts on Monday, BYU knocked down 10 of its final 17 shots from beyond the arc, finishing 42.3 percent from 3-point range. It marked the 22nd time under Young that the Cougars have shot at least 40 percent from deep (20-2). It also marked the 34th time since the beginning of the 2024-25 season that BYU has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers.
The Cougars knocked down their final five 3-pointers in Monday's win, marking the sixth time under Young that BYU has connected on five consecutive 3-pointers in a game. Two of those instances have come at the Delta Center.
BYU has also improved to 30-1 under Young when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, with the lone setback coming against Oklahoma State last season.
MARK IS ALWAYS (W)RIGHT Robert Wright III had himself a night against Ohio State as his 35 points are the second-most of his career and most scored in a regulation game as his 39-point performance last season came in an overtime victory over Colorado on Valentine's Day. He also tied a career-high with four 3-pointers as the junior went 10-of-16 from the field, 4-of-5 from three and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.
The junior's 35 points are tied for the third-most in a season opener in program history and most since current BYU head women's basketball head coach Lee Cummard had 36 points against Long Beach State in the 2008 season opener.
Wright III also had five assists and one turnover making him just the fifth NCAA Division I menís basketball player with 35+ points, 5+ assists and one or fewer turnovers in a season opener since 199697. He is the only one to accomplish the feat against a major conference team.
