Kansas State Looks to Upset No. 10 BYU in Big 12 Opener

The Wildcats look to begin Big 12 play by upsetting the Cougars on their home court, but it will not be an effortless task to accomplish.

A Brigham Young Cougars guard passes the ball during the second half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Here are three keys to K-State upsetting BYU.

P.J. Haggerty outperforms AJ Dybantsa in a scoring battle of both teams that like to put points on the board. People in college basketball will be paying a lot of attention to BYU's AJ Dybantsa, who is expected to be the first or second choice in the 2026 NBA draft and just had a 30-point triple-double against Eastern Washington. But K-State's P.J. Haggerty will be responsible for who wins this game. Haggerty and Dybantsa are now averaging about 23 points per game and are proficient at getting to the free-throw line. In an upset, Haggerty doesn't only equal Dybantsa; he also gets to the foul line more frequently, hoping to put BYU's best wing defenders in foul trouble early, and he needs to score 30 points to win the game. However, Dybantsa is a very talented player, but Haggerty has more experience and has proven time and time again that he can produce outstanding performances on nationally televised games.

The Wildcats need to stop BYU's 3-point attack to secure the win in this game. For most of the season, BYU's offensive game plan has focused on taking a high volume of shots, including many from beyond the three-point line. Jerome Tang's defensive plans are designed to limit teams like BYU from shooting threes wherever and whenever they want on the basketball court, and K-State needs to prevent BYU, which averages more than 9 three-pointers per game, from making more than 25% of their shots from beyond the arc to win. K-State's athletic guards, like Nate Johnson and Abdi Bashir Jr., will play tough defense, making it hard for the Cougars to make contested mid-range jumpers and taking away the rhythm that BYU's coach Kevin Young's NBA-style offense needs to work.

"The Octagon of Doom" and the K-State home crowd to cause BYU to turn the ball over 15 times in this game. This year, BYU has been disciplined, but they haven't played in a conference road game like Bramlage Coliseum yet. K-State's home court plays a major factor in making the Cougars turn the ball over as many times as possible, helping the Wildcats pull off the upset. BYU's freshman-led core may lose its composure due to the loud crowd and K-State's tough trapping and aggressive defense. Wildcats won't simply win if they can turn those 15-plus turnovers into 20 or more fast-break points, they will win and not need a last-second shot to pull off the upset

Finally, the two experienced players contributing the most to the Cougars this season are Richie Saunders and Kennard Davis Jr., and the Wildcats have to limit their impact in this game. This is BYU's first true road game this season and K-State needs to have their crowd be loud and vocal throughout the game. K-State has been inconsistent this season, but they are on a four-game winning streak, and their game plan must be similar to what Clemson attempted, which the Tigers almost pulled off the upset against the Cougars.

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