BYU's Kevin Young and Texas' Sean Miller Share Their Thoughts on Upcoming NCAA Tournament Matchup

BYU's first game of March Madness is here. The Cougars will face Texas Thursday night as they look to win a first round tournament game for the second consecutive season under Kevin Young.

The Longhorns are coached by Sean Miller, one of the top coaches in college basketball over the last 20 years. After a difficult stretch to close the regular season, his team was firmly on the bubble but earned a spot in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, where it secured a win over NC State.

Miller has built an impressive coaching career and, interestingly, has ties to several programs that participated in the First Four. Earlier in his career, he served as an assistant at both Miami (OH) and NC State—stops that eventually led to his first head coaching opportunity at Xavier.

He later made a name for himself at Arizona, where he spent 12 seasons. After a brief return to Xavier, he is now in his first season as head coach at Texas.

This tournament marks his 14th appearance in the Big Dance as a head coach, making it to the Elite 8 in four of those seasons.

Coach Miller Discusses Playing BYU

Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller answers questions during a press conference before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Following Texas' win over NC State, Miller was asked how playing two games in four days might impact his team heading into the matchup with BYU.

"I know it's a long trip from Dayton, Ohio to Portland. I know the time of our departure is midnight. I know what that means. We're going to be in the west, so we have a big night ahead of us," he said.

He was later asked whether there were any advantages to having already played a tournament game.

"I do think there's power in playing a game in this tournament," Miller said. "I don't want to say jitters, but March Madness looms large. I think our nerves can settle through game one. You can gain confidence. You already have one game to your advantage."

He continued, "But we're going to have to play a really good team, and we're definitely going to have to play better than we played [against NC State]. We know that. But we get that opportunity—that's the thrill of it.

In the afternoon press conference the following day, Miller shared his thoughts on AJ Dybantsa, offering high praise for the BYU star.

"He's an amazing player and talent. I would call him generational," Miller said. "AJ is a position-less player—I don't really know what position you want to call him. He can do it all."

He added, "I can't give you enough words or accolades to describe him. He is a great, great player. You can go a long time without seeing someone like him. In the Big 12—a great league—averaging 25 a game really jumps off the page."

Coach Young Shares His Perspective on Facing Texas

Kevin Young also shared his perspective heading into the matchup.

When asked about his preparation, Young said, "I'm big this time of year on 'you can't just make stuff up.' You have to rely on what you've done throughout the course of the season. For our team, that season has been somewhat shortened in terms of the iteration of this group that's playing now."

When asked about Cougars' recent success and how it can carry over to the NCAA Tournament, Young said, "The things they've really embraced are what allows you to win in the postseason—defense, rebounding, and playing together offensively."

He added, "That's where this group has found success, and those are the things we're trying to carry into the tournament."

You can watch Young's full press conference address below.