Fans Welcome BYU Basketball Home After NCAA Tournament Win

On Saturday night, the BYU basketball program secured a spot in the Sweet 16 for the third time in program history and the first time since 2011. The high-scoring contest between BYU and Wisconsin captured the attention of college basketball fans across the country, as the Cougars narrowly held on to beat the Badgers. A late Wisconsin surge nearly sent the game to overtime. Instead, a terrific defensive effort by Mawot Mag forced a Wisconsin miss and BYU held on to win.

After the game, the BYU basketball team traveled back home to Provo where they will spend a few days before traveling out to New Jersey for the Sweet 16.

When BYU arrived at the Provo airport in the early hours of Sunday morning, students were gathered to welcome the team home.

BEST FANS IN THE NATION. pic.twitter.com/TBKVsAhiEd
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 23, 2025

This NCAA Tournament run has been an unprecedented moment in BYU basketball history. The Cougars are led by first-year coach Kevin Young. Young has tallied the most wins by a first-year head coach at BYU (26) and he is the first BYU coach to win a game in the NCAA Tournament in his first season.

When Young was hired as BYU's head coach, expectations were really high that he would take the program to new heights. Young arrived after the transfer portal was open and he had a late start on assembling a roster. Despite those obstacles, Young has exceeded expectations in every way.

Young's bread and butter has been player development. Richie Saunders went from a role player to BYU's leading scorer, the Big 12's most improved player, and a First Team All-Conference selection.

Then there are players like Trey Stewart and Mawot Mag who, prior to this season, were defensive stoppers. Now both are capable of scoring in critical moments.

Not only has Young proven capable of getting the most out of this BYU basketball roster, he has also proven to be the best recruiter in BYU basketball history. Young secured a commitment from the nation's top prospect in the 2026 class, AJ Dybansta. The Cougars have a top 10 recruiting class and they will have a lot of transfer options at their disposal as well.

The future is bright for the BYU basketball program.