Joe Lunardi Projects BYU as a Top Seed in the NCAA Tournament

Dec 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) celebrates in the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The BYU basketball program is about to tip off the 2026 conference slate. The Cougars will look to continue to build off a strong non-conference performance. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi projects BYU as a top seed in his latest bracket projections.

Lunardi has BYU as a no. 3 seed projected to face no. 14 Hawaii in the first round of the tournament. The winner of BYU-Hawaii would advance to take on the winner of Virginia-Indiana.

Lundardi has eight Big 12 teams in the field as of Tuesday. Arizona (1), Iowa State (1), BYU (3), Houston (3), Kansas (4), Texas Tech (5), UCF (9), and Baylor (10).

Four of BYU's non-conference opponents are projected to be in the tournament as well: UConn, Clemson, Miami, and Villanova. BYU went 3-1 in those four games.

It's still the very early days for BYU's NCAA Tournament resume. The Cougars will have chances to improve their seeding over the next few months.

AJ Dybantsa Named Big 12 Player of the Week

AJ Dybantsa continues to impress as a true freshman. On Monday, Dybantsa was named the Big 12 Player of the Week and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. Below is an excerpt from the official BYU press release.

The 6-foot-9 forward becomes the first men’s basketball player to sweep the weekly awards since the Cougars joined the conference after recording the first 30/10/10 triple-double in program history in their 109-81 win over Eastern Washington.
In BYU’s final non-conference game, Dybantsa finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists to become the second player in Big 12 history with a 30/10/10 triple-double and first of the points/rebound/assist variety. He went 11-of-13 from the field, 2-of-3 from three and 9-of-11 from the free throw line as BYU scored 109 points, its most since a 114-89 win over San Francisco in February 2016.
Through 13 games, Dybantsa ranks first in the Big 12 and second in the nation in scoring as the freshman is averaging 23.1 points per game. He has scored in double figures in every game as a Cougar, which is the fourth-longest streak by a freshman to begin a career in league history.

byucougars.com

BYU will tip off conference play on Saturday on the road against Kansas State. The Wildcats rank 73rd in KenPom, but they have the potential to put up some points on offense. Kansas State ranks 51st in offensive efficiency.