Fans of both BYU and Arizona will undoubtedly remember the unforgettable clash between the Cougars and Wildcats in Tucson from the previous year.
In what was a fierce battle, BYU limited Arizona to only one successful field goal during the last four minutes, ultimately sealing a shocking 96-95 victory with two crucial free throws with just three seconds left – a win that was both unforgettable and hotly debated.
However, the athlete responsible for those pivotal free throws will be absent from the Cougars’ lineup for Wednesday’s game at McKale Center, as Richie Saunders sustained an ACL tear last weekend during the match against Colorado.
“I’ll forever be grateful for Richie. I think he’s everything that’s great about a college basketball player,” stated BYU coach Kevin Young on Tuesday during his regular press briefing. “The amount of people, including opposing coaches within our league that reached out to me, you know, about Richie in the last couple days, I think says a lot about him.
“I think I do better in situations like this, (with a) back-against-the-wall type of mentality. I’ve kind of operated that way my whole life, and I’m as energized as I’ve ever been as a coach and I’m really taking this challenge head on.”
— BYU coach Kevin Young
“He’s gotten himself to the point he’s at because of sheer work and motor and effort, paid his dues and got a lot better. You know, it’s rare in this day and age for a guy to do what he did here at BYU. … He’s a BYU legend and always will be.”
Saunders’ absence is undeniably a severe blow, particularly due to its timing. The Cougars face two challenging top-10 opponents this week: an initial journey to Tucson for a rematch against No. 4 Arizona on Wednesday, followed by a Saturday home game against No. 6 Iowa State, a team that recently defeated No. 2 Houston on Monday.
With Saunders sidelined, BYU coming off a four-game losing streak, and a demanding schedule looming to conclude the regular season, numerous fans and commentators have tempered their high hopes for the Cougars, now doubting their ability to advance far in the NCAA Tournament given their present situation.
Young, nonetheless, embraces this skepticism from external sources.
“I think I do better in situations like this, (with a) back-against-the-wall type of mentality,” Young remarked. “I’ve kind of operated that way my whole life, and I’m as energized as I’ve ever been as a coach and I’m really taking this challenge head on.
“I know a lot of people are writing us off, and I’m kind of relishing in that, and so are our guys. When you’ve got a group of guys like we do who are good young men, I think that they’re going to rely on each other and band together, and I’m excited to see what this iteration of it looks like.”
Should there be an opportune moment to face a formidable opponent like Arizona, this could be it. Following an impeccable 23-0 beginning to their season, the Wildcats have now endured two consecutive losses, and their exceptional freshman forward, Koa Peat, sustained a lower-body injury last weekend versus Texas Tech, rendering him unavailable for the BYU game.
Furthermore, Arizona’s wing player and impressive 44% three-point shooter, Dwayne Aristode, will also be out for Wednesday’s contest due to illness, leaving the Wildcats with merely six active players in their rotation.
Despite being undermanned, Arizona retains significant offensive prowess – recall how guards Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley collectively scored 55 points against BYU in Provo on January 26 – and Young anticipates the Wildcats will largely stick to the strategies that have brought them success until now.
“One thing I respect about (Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd) is he’s going to do what he does, and you’re going to have to stop it. I think there’s a lot to be said about that,” Young commented. “ … I think for the large majority they’re going to do what they do, and this is a game where we’ve got to make it about BYU, you know, we’ve got to make it about us and not worry so much about what they’re going to do.”
While Arizona boasts Burries and Bradley, BYU possesses its own formidable pair in Rob Wright III and AJ Dybantsa.
Wright has maintained an average of 34.5 points per game with an impressive 65% shooting accuracy in his previous two appearances, while Dybantsa currently leads the nation in scoring and just delivered a performance of 20 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists versus Colorado.
Although Dybantsa and Wright have recently been performing at peak levels, they will need to sustain this trajectory while taking on significantly increased responsibilities as they navigate future games without Saunders.
“We’re going to need him to be a play finisher in conjunction with being a playmaker,” Young stated regarding Wright. “I think the way he’s shooting the ball from 3 and at the (rim) has been extremely impressive, and it allows AJ to play on the ball a little bit more and gives us another guy who can kind of space the floor and be, like I said, a play finisher.
“Rob and AJ and everybody, quite frankly, is going to have a lot of things on their plate, and I know those two in particular are built for this type of thing.”
During Texas Tech’s 78-75 victory over Arizona on Saturday, the Red Raiders successfully netted 11 three-pointers against the Wildcats. Likewise, in BYU’s initial, high-scoring 86-83 loss to Arizona, the Cougars connected on 13 of 34 (38%) of their attempts from long range.
Consequently, proficient long-range shooting will be a vital component for BYU’s efforts to achieve an upset in Tucson, as will strengthening their presence in the frontcourt to prevent Arizona from driving aggressively to the basket.
In the game against Colorado, BYU’s backup players, Tyler Mrus, Aleksej Kostić, and Mihailo Boskovic, collectively sank five three-pointers while Saunders was out. Such contributions will be necessary more often as the season progresses, particularly on Wednesday.
“Everyone’s going to have more opportunity. I think you saw it in the Colorado game,” Young commented. “That particular match was exceptionally challenging from an emotional perspective, one of the most, if not the most, difficult games I’ve ever had to coach, to be frank. However, I think you witnessed several players needing to rise to the occasion.
“Tyler enters immediately and knocks down two three-pointers. Kostic, you know, sinks a crucial one. (Boskovic) also makes a shot. I believe (Kennard Davis Jr.) is performing a bit more naturally, and I intend to help him realize his full potential. I think I may have limited him by attempting to mold him into solely a catch-and-shoot player when he possesses much more talent, and I anticipate we’ll see more of that now.”
“Additionally, we must investigate alternative lineup configurations that we haven’t considered, and those are some aspects we’ve been examining during practice.”
As their season stands at a pivotal juncture, BYU must fundamentally re-imagine its approach to cope with Saunders’ injury, beginning this transformation in two of their toughest games of the season this week.
However, Young believes his team is sufficiently committed to maintain their course – and he plans to draw upon insights from his extensive coaching experience to guide them in pursuit of a significant upset win.
“It’s a band of brothers. … I’m extremely motivated knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but then again, nothing truly ever is,” Young remarked.
“ … I informed our team yesterday, this situation isn’t unfamiliar to me. I’ve been through this before; I coached in the minor leagues for nine years. On numerous occasions, I’ve had my top player get called up on game day. I’ve lost several players over the course of seasons. You simply have to adapt. You must make adjustments instantly.
“ … Leveraging those previous experiences instills confidence in me, and I hope it does the same for the team,” Young added. “Judging by what I’ve observed in practice over the past two days, I believe our squad is prepared.”
