BYU’s addition of 2025 five-star small forward AJ Dybantsa has electrified college basketball, but in Provo, his arrival is just one piece of a larger story.
The Cougars are gearing up for what many are calling the most anticipated season in the program’s history, with BYU eyeing a potential top seed in the NCAA Tournament. What is going on in Provo?
AJ Dybantsa, BYU Cougars Gearing Up For Most Anticipated Season in Program History
The buildup to BYU’s 2025–26 men’s basketball season has reached a level previously unseen in Provo. With preseason expectations soaring and a national spotlight fixed on the Cougars, the arrival of five-star phenom AJ Dybantsa is just one factor in a historic moment for the program.
BYU is widely projected as a preseason top-10 team, with some polls placing the Cougars as high as No. 5. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently lists them as a No. 2-seed, highlighting the belief that BYU is not merely talented but primed for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
National college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein has called it “the most anticipated season in the history of BYU basketball,” pointing to the perfect storm of factors fueling the buzz.
BYU is about to embark on the most anticipated season in the history of its basketball program. pic.twitter.com/toKHN9Cyel
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 3, 2025
“You’re coming off a Sweet 16 appearance,” Rothstein said. “You are bringing back a potential preseason All-American in Richie Saunders. You are bringing back a Big 12 team, not a team in a non-power conference.”
The Cougars’ aggressive nonconference slate reflects its ambition. “BYU is scheduling [itself] to be a top seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament,” Rothstein noted.
The Cougars open against Villanova in Las Vegas, face UConn at TD Garden in Boston on November 15, then take on Wisconsin at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on the 21st. They’ll also compete in the ESPN Events Invitational during Thanksgiving week and face Clemson at Madison Square Garden in December’s Jimmy V Classic.
“You are looking now, in my opinion, at the most anticipated season in BYU basketball history,” Rothstein emphasized.
Much of the national conversation centers around Dybantsa, who many believe could be the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. BYU head coach Kevin Young encourages a broader view of the freshman’s impact.
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With high-level returners, elite newcomers like Baylor transfer Rob Wright, and a schedule designed to boost tournament seeding, expectations are no longer hopes—they’re standards.
Should BYU reach the second weekend of March Madness again, it would mark the first time the program has done so in consecutive seasons. This campaign isn’t just about potential. It’s about confirming BYU’s place among college basketball’s elite.
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