BYU HC Kevin Young Says Unexpected WVU Trio 'Kicked Our Butt'

If you polled one hundred West Virginia fans before tonight's matchup with No. 19 BYU, I'd bet the overwhelming majority would have picked the Mountaineers to lose this game if they knew the duo of Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff would combine to shoot 26% from the floor.

BYU head coach Kevin Young would agree

Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward DJ Thomas (5) celebrates with West Virginia Mountaineers guard Chance Moore (13) during the second half against the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

“It’s why we lost," Young said when asked about the rebounding. "They had 18 offensive rebounds. We’re actually usually really good there. We’re one of the best teams in the conference with that, but they turned it into 15 second-chance points. Every time we had them on the ropes, it felt like they got an offensive rebound, and that made it difficult. You hold their two top guys to 6/23 between Huff and Eaglestaff…most nights they’re going to have a hard time winning, but it was (Brenen) Lorient, (Chance) Moore, and (DJ) Thomas were just men out there. They kicked our butt, so credit to them.”

Moore and Lorient shared the responsibility of guarding projected top-two pick AJ Dybantsa, and did a phenomenal job making his life difficult. In the first half, Dybantsa was out of sorts, going to the locker room with just four points. He heated up for a short stretch early in the second half, knocking down four consecutive shots, but the Mountaineers didn't allow him to truly get going and put up huge numbers like everyone is accustomed to seeing. He finished the game with 20 points on 7/15 shooting, including a 2/7 night from downtown. Nothing came easy for him, and that also showed in the turnover column as he threw it away four times.

Chance Moore made some monumental plays on both ends of the floor, pulling down some monster rebounds in clutch time, coming away with a big steal, and finishing 3/4 from the free-throw line — a place that has been a major issue for him this season. This was by far the best defensive game of the year for him, and it came at a crucial time.

As for the freshman DJ Thomas, he ended up with 13 points on 5/7 shooting, connecting on 2/4 from downtown. He also had a strong night in the paint, using his physicality to finish baskets and also pull down three offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive.

If it weren't for those three, West Virginia likely wouldn't leave Hope Coliseum today with a win. Perhaps this can be the turning point for this group, albeit a late one.