Overview
- BYU opened its season with a 71-66 win over Villanova, led by AJ Dybantsa’s 21 points and six rebounds, including 13 after halftime and six during a decisive 10-0 run late.
- A pro-BYU crowd of more than 16,000 at T-Mobile Arena produced a near home-game feel for the Cougars in the Hall of Fame Series.
- Richie Saunders added 15 points and Rob Wright III scored 14, while senior center Keba Keita delivered key late stops with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks as BYU committed only four turnovers.
- Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay scored 22 and Duke Brennan grabbed 15 boards, and the Wildcats held a 31-10 edge in second-chance points but shot 36% and managed just two baskets over the final six minutes.
- Dybantsa entered as the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class and the FIBA U19 World Cup MVP, with analysts expecting a one-and-done path for 2026, and media reports citing very large but undisclosed NIL figures up to $7 million.