Richie Saunders Recaps BYU Basketball's Win Over Central Arkansas: 'There Were a Lot of Assists'

Twenty one, to be exact. If you watched BYU’s first regular season game, unselfish play was one of the biggest takeaways from the Cougars’ win. Teamwork, and hustle were also on full display during the dominant 88-50 blowout. Richie Saunders emphasized this in a postgame interview with BYU Sports Nation: “There were a lot of assists in that game. I feel like we shared the ball really well.”

While there were definitely some first game jitters, the Cougars quickly settled in, ending the half with an explosive 11-0 run. Saunders described the electric atmosphere in the Marriott Center, saying, “You put everyone in here, and the place was buzzing, which was awesome. It just took a little bit to relax.” Once the players found a rhythm, they were able to control the tempo and settle into their fast-paced style of play.

Saunders is excited about his evolving role among so much talent, especially playing with Demin, whose presence “just opens the floor up.” He added, “I love playing with him because I know that if I cut, he’s going to find me.”

If you're more of a pictures and videos kind of person and this article feels like a lot of words, I get that. Assist highlights coming your way.

It’s lob city in Provo right now 🔥

(via @BYUMBB)
pic.twitter.com/xK6mkLOQXg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 6, 2024

Three freshmen have led college basketball in assists. I'd bet BYU's Egor Demin becomes the fourth. Had 11 in his debut. Every pass is on target and with touch. Sees everything. Controls the defense with his eyes. Shot is pretty too. Just an awesome talent. pic.twitter.com/ygxuRlBRCz
— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) November 6, 2024

Saunders is also looking forward to a bright future under Kevin Young. “It’s really cool to learn so much from him and have him as my coach”, he said. “He’s an expert, and I get to work on specifics, especially defensive strategies.” In a post-game interview, Coach Young commented on the squad's performance.

𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙏-𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿𝘽𝙄𝙏𝙀𝙎: Central Arkansas

Coach Young pic.twitter.com/JVr3VQYGyh
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 6, 2024

It was just the first game of the season, and there will be much harder tests ahead, but Cougar fans can agree things are off to a good start.