PROVO — 5-star freshman AJ Dybantsa’s legitimate, on-court creation to his new house fan base could not have long past a lot better Saturday evening.
And Richie Saunders? Neatly, the Riverton local was once additionally satisfied to be house.
Saunders poured in 20 issues, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and two assists; and Dybantsa added 17 issues, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a block as No. 8 BYU rolled to a 98-53 win over Holy Go in entrance of a sold-out, balloon snake-enthused crowd of 17,918 on the Marriott Middle.
Kennard Davis, Jr. added 12 issues and two assists for BYU, which shot higher than 64% from the sector till head trainer Kevin Younger started completely pulling his starters throughout the ultimate 10 mins.
Baylor switch Rob Wright III equipped 15 issues, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for the Cougars (2-0). In all probability there is a fear that BYU’s start line guard — as Wright has been touted, a part of the crew’s “Large 3” with Dybantsa and Saunders, without a doubt — accounted for simply 3 of the host’s 20 assists (on 39 made box targets).
However 8 gamers completed with a couple of dimes, which — when paired with an total 61.9% taking pictures share and simply 4 offensive rebounds — tells extra of the tale of a crew transitioning to play extra position-less basketball than Younger’s first season.
“It was once like that closing yr a bit of bit, however I feel we’ve got a large number of guys who’re much more flexible, and will get to the rim — and likewise shoot,” stated Dawson Baker, one in every of six seniors at the crew and the eighth-oldest participant in NCAA Department I. “However I do know trainer Younger likes that position-less basketball, and places guys available in the market who can all shoot, dribble and move. I feel that is one of the simplest ways to play. It is a laugh for all folks that may do this.”
Additionally other: BYU made simply seven 3-pointers and took handiest 25. Does that imply the tip of “3-Y-U”?
Now not hardly ever. However it is great not to need to depend at the 3-and-D moniker at all times.
“I am not only a instantly shooter, and so I feel it suits proper to the mould of me,” stated Baker, who scored 12 issues on 4-of-7 taking pictures, together with a couple of triples. “It is a laugh to be available in the market with guys like that, like Rob and AJ, who can roll and get to the paint in reality simply.
“It is a little bit other from closing yr, as you guys can inform,” he added. “However I am certain there shall be video games that may call for extra threes, and that may occur naturally. However we’ve got been attending to the rim in reality smartly.”
Tyler Boston led Holy Go (0-2) with 12 issues.
The eighth-ranked Cougars did what groups with the funding — and preseason score — will have to do to a winless Patriot League squad of their house opener. BYU jumped out to leads of 17-2, 21-4 and 21-9 ahead of Holy Go hit double figures.
Saunders had 10 issues on 3-of-4 taking pictures in simply 9 mins, and tied Wright with a game-high 12 ahead of the ruin.
Dybantsa added 11 issues and 7 rebounds in quarter-hour ahead of halftime, together with a dunk that introduced the overloaded scholar phase at the back of the basket subsequent to the visiting bench to its toes.
It wasn’t very best; the Cougars ignored their first 8 3-point makes an attempt ahead of Baker tired a triple with 3:07 left within the part. However that was once a part of a 23-3 run that helped BYU salt away a 58-25 halftime lead ahead of the Cougars led via up to 46 issues in the second one part.
So what did Younger be informed from this recreation, which was once — with all due appreciate — no longer the similar stage as BYU’s opener Monday evening, a 71-66 win over Villanova in Las Vegas?
“I assumed our protection was once in reality just right, and I assumed offensively — we had moments,” Younger stated.
Nonconference play continues Tuesday when the Cougars host Delaware (7 p.m. MST, CBS Sports activities Community).
The Key Takeaways for this newsletter have been generated with the help of massive language fashions and reviewed via our editorial crew. The item, itself, is just human-written.
