AJ Dybantsa Has UConn HC on Alert Before BYU Clash
In this story:
The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team couldn’t have asked for a stronger start. The Huskies are three games in and have won all of them. They had a 79-55 opener against New Haven, followed by a 110-point blowout of UMass Lowell. Their most recent match ended with an 89-62 rout over Columbia.
With Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. leading a 56.6% shooting night, the Huskies were brilliant on the court. Soon after the match, coach Dan Hurley spoke to the press. Instead of dwelling on the win, he was already looking ahead to his next challenge. Next up, UConn faces BYU, a program with a rising freshman phenom who already has Hurley’s full attention.
The Huskies will take the court in Boston this weekend to face one of their most formidable opponents yet. And for the first time this season, Hurley isn’t talking about execution or pace, but fear.
“When you watch clips of BYU and AJ (Dybantsa) and (Richie) Saunders, they’ve got one of the best point guards in the country,” Hurley said. “When you see that quality on film, you get scared straight. You know, things that worked the first three games won’t work.”
It’s not hard to see why. Dybantsa was the No. 1 recruit in the nation and a projected 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick, who has been brilliant in the two games that BYU has played. In his college debut, he scored 21 points against Villanova, joining BYU legend Jimmer Fredette as one of the few Cougars ever to earn AP Preseason All-America honors.
Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa in a 45 point win:
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 9, 2025
17 PTS | 7-10 FG | 8 REB | 3 AST pic.twitter.com/7SIUXBkYeA
Dybantsa followed that up with a near-flawless 17-point, eight-rebound outing in a 98-53 win over Holy Cross. BYU, now 2-0, has been efficient and balanced, shooting over 50% from the field in both wins. Hurley knows the deep water ahead.
“It’s a good barometer for where you’re at,” Hurley said. “I think you have a pretty good sense of where you’re vulnerable, but it’s really going to expose those vulnerabilities, especially when you go into the deep water now with BYU and whoever’s coming up after that.”
The Huskies have looked nearly untouchable so far, but BYU’s mix of explosive youth and veteran steadiness presents the kind of matchup that could test even a top-three team. And leading that charge, alongside Dybantsa, is a familiar face that has quietly become one of college basketball’s most consistent scoring threats.
Who Exactly Is Richie Saunders, and Why Did Dan Hurley Mention Him?
Dybantsa might be the headline this season, but Sauders has been the backbone. The senior guard brings experience and shooting, and Hurley is aware of it. Saunders, a four-year veteran with over 1,000 career points, has developed into one of BYU’s most reliable two-way players.
Saunders is averaging 17.5 points this season, including a 20-point performance against Holy Cross, where he shot 70% from the floor and had four steals. Against Villanova, he added 15 points and seven boards.
Richie cashing in 💸
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 9, 2025
Richie Saunder Highlights vs. BYU 🎬#Big12MBB | @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/4TxjitlEGV
Over his career, he’s shot 39.2% from three, scored 20-plus fifteen times, and made a legacy as one of BYU’s most dependable perimeter threats. Hurley’s words paint the picture of a coach both wary and excited.
“This time of year, people are challenging themselves in these non-conference games,” Hurley said. “We’re excited to get a chance to play in Boston this weekend against one of the best teams in the country. So it should be fun....You just focus on a one-game-at-a-time mentality.”
Boston will bring a neutral-court battle between an undefeated powerhouse and an ambitious challenger with NBA-level talent.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.