BYU's Kevin Young Says Rob Wright Will Be the Best Point Guard in the Country

BYU head coach Kevin Young joined Jon Rothstein's "Inside College Basketball" podcast Thursday, discussing a range of topics including his expectations for Rob Wright next season and the impact of Richie Saunders' season-ending injury a few months ago.

The Importance of Retaining Rob Wright

No topic brought more enthusiasm from Young than the outlook for Rob Wright next season, who returns as BYU's undisputed star. Although he played a major role last year alongside AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders, Wright now has the opportunity to take another leap.

"I think he's going to be the best point guard in college basketball this year," Young said.

Young expects more space and freedom in BYU's offense with Wright as the focal point. "I think the ball is going to pop more than it did last year," he said, adding that he and Wright have already discussed a more "free-flowing" system. He believes the team will have a similar style of play to that of his first season in at BYU.

Young also shared insight into the process of bringing Wright back to Provo.

"You have to have all your ducks in a row," Young said of preparing contingency plans in case Wright left. He noted that staying in constant, honest communication with Wright made the difference. "I felt good about it," Young said, "but you can't get too emotional about it all. You just have to be prepared."

Building the 2026-27 Roster

With the roster still being finalized in July, Young offered an inside look at a group he's clearly excited about, which includes newcomers Bruce Branch, Colin Chandler, Jake Wahlin, Tyler Betsey, Brooks Bahr, Dean Rueckert, and Dovydas Buika.

Chandler, in particular, has already stood out in summer workouts. "He's exceeded my expectations," Young said. "He's a really, really all-around good player."

Young also praised Wahlin's experience coming over from Clemson and said Betsey is "going to have a really big year for us."

BYU is still finalizing pieces at center, working through NCAA logistics on a handful of remaining targets. "We'll end up being in a good position," Young said. Following the recent addition of Urbaniak, the Cougars have two roster spots left to fill.

Battling Adversity with Injuries Last Season

The Cougars were 19-6 last season when Saunders tore his ACL, ending his BYU career. Young said the injury affected the rest of the season.

"It was hard," Young said, "but I was proud of our guys." BYU still picked up two top-10 wins down the stretch, against Iowa State and Texas Tech, after the injury, with Young calling it "fun to see the group come together."

Young pointed out that Saunders wasn't the only player BYU missed on the floor. "We had five guys that ultimately had season-ending injuries," he said. Dawson Baker, Nate Pickens, Xavion Staton, and Brody Kozlowski were also sidelined for most, or all, of the season.

Looking ahead, Young said Pickens is a "full go" in summer workouts, while Baker, whose injury was "later and more significant", is being brought along more cautiously.

Building a National Brand, One Star at a Time

In his opening press conference as BYU's head coach, Young said he wanted to make Provo the best place to prepare young men for the NBA. His vision is certaintly trending in the right direction.

Egor Demin was the 8th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dybantsa went No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Saunders was selected 32nd.

Young said Demin's success helped set the stage for Dybantsa's arrival at BYU, and that Dybantsa's success last year has done the same for incoming five-star freshman Bruce Branch.

"AJ was very much impacted by the way he was seeing Egor have success at BYU," Young said. "I think Bruce was impacted by the way he saw AJ have success at BYU, and then it keeps going."

When asked how much landing Dybantsa influenced Branch's commitment, Young credited a snowball effect built on trust. "It set the proof of concept," he said, describing BYU's philosophy simply: "We try to pride ourselves in just putting guys in positions that they can showcase their abilities at the highest level."

The Khadim Mboup Breakout Watch

Young singled out sophomore Khadim Mboup as the returning player he expects to make the biggest leap, pointing to his performance against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament, where Mboup scored 8 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and blocked two shots.

"He's a guy that's going to surprise a lot of people," Young said.

Given that Mboup played minutes at center last season and has the physicality and athleticism to compete in the paint, Young hinted that he could see time there again next season.

A Look Ahead to BYU's Non-Conference Schedule

BYU's non-conference slate includes Ohio State and Northwestern at Salt Lake City's Delta Center, three games at the Maui Invitational, San Diego State in Palm Springs, and a home matchup with Utah State.

Young said he relishes the chance to play in an NBA venue. "I love playing games in NBA arenas for our guys, for our fans as well," he said.

The New Reality of Roster Construction

In this new era of college basketball, building rosters through retention, the transfer portal, and abroad has been harder than ever before, especially with the current state of NIL.

Young acknowledged how difficult it has been trying to navigate everything. "What are the rules, right?", he said. "It feels like every day you wake up and the rules are different."

He described this past offseason as the most difficult yet on that front, though he said he's adjusted his approach to the chaos. "I'm to the point now where it's just whatever the rules are that day, I'm just going to dive into that," Young said.

The Formula for a Deep Tournament Run

Closing the conversation, Young laid out what he believes separates BYU from simply being good to being a legitimate Sweet 16 contender again.

"It comes down to rebounding," Young said.

Offensively, he wants a team built on ball movement and spacing, paired with shot-creators like Wright, Chandler, and Branch. "That's the trick and that's the challenge," Young said of building chemistry quickly among a roster largely assembled in a matter of months. "It's a fun challenge as a coach."

You can watch the full interview below.

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