BYU Cougars vs. Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball: Probable starters, tipoff, TV
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Game at Allen Fieldhouse Saturday 3:30 p.m., televised on ESPN and radio.
- BYU leans on freshman AJ Dybantsa’s scoring streak and high 3‑point output.
- Kansas emphasizes balanced scoring, strong first halves and rim protection.
The Kansas Jayhawks and BYU Cougars will meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a Big 12 men’s basketball battle at Allen Fieldhouse.
Here’s what you need to know before tipoff:
BYU vs. Kansas: How to watch
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday.
Where: Allen Fieldhouse.
TV: ESPN.
Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; ESPN Wichita (92.3 FM).
Probable starters
BYU (17-3, 5-2)
C (No. 13) — Keba Keita, 6-9, Sr., 6.9 ppg.
F (3) — AJ Dybantsa, 6-9, Fr., 23.6
G (15) — Richie Saunders, 6-5, Sr., 18.8
G (30) — Kennard Davis Jr., 6-6, Jr., 7.2
G (1) — Robert Wright III, 6-1, Soph., 17.5
Kansas (15-5, 5-2)
F (No. 40) — Flory Bidunga, 6-10, Soph., 14.4 ppg
F ( 15) — Bryson Tiller, 6-11, Fr., 8.4
G (3) — Tre White, 6-7, Sr., 14.9
G (14) — Melvin Council Jr., 6-4, Sr., 13.7
G (22) — Darryn Peterson, 6-6, Fr., 21.6
About No. 13 BYU (17-3, 5-2): The Cougars are 1-2 this season and 4-3 overall under second-year coach Kevin Young in games decided by three points or less. … BYU is 1-3 this season and 3-12 under Young when the opponent has a better shooting percentage. …
The Cougars, who went 13 for 34 from beyond the arc in an 86-83 loss to No. 1 Arizona on Monday in Provo, Utah, had won their previous 13 games when making 10 or more 3’s. Ten of the Cougars’ 3’s came in the second half. …
AJ Dybantsa has scored 10 or more points in all 20 of his games at BYU, tying for the third-longest streak to begin a career in Big 12 history. The freshman has had 20 or more points in 14 games. He erupted for a BYU freshman record 43 points in a 91-78 win over Utah on Jan. 24. Danny Ainge had the old freshman record of 36 points back in 1977. The opponent was Idaho State. … Prior to Dybantsa’s 43-point performance and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler’s 46-point output at Purdue, a true freshman hadn’t score 43 or more in a game Siena’s Jalen Pickett had 46 points on Feb. 17, 2019. …
Kennard Davis Jr. tied a career-high with five 3’s (in eight attempts) against Arizona. … Keba Keita, who had two blocks vs. Arizona, is tied with Fred Roberts for the most blocks in program history (75). … Richie Saunders has 194 3-pointers for his career which is tied for the eighth-most in program history with Alex Barcello. …. BYU averages 86.7 points a game while allowing 70.9. The Cougars have hit 48.6% of their shots and 35.6% of their 3’s.
About No. 14 KU (15-5, 5-2): KU leads the all-time series 4-3. KU has dropped two in a row in the series, falling 91-57 last season in Provo, Utah, and 76-68 on Feb. 27, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. … If KU loses Saturday it will mark the first time in the 23-year Bill Self era a league team has won its previous two appearances in Allen Fieldhouse. Last league team to win back-to-back seasons in Allen was Iowa State in 2000 and 2001. …
Kansas is 15-5 or better for the fifth-consecutive season and the 21st time in the Self era. KU is 5-2 or better in league play every year since the 1988-89 season. … Self is 624-161 while at Kansas, 831-266 all-time. … Kansas is 13-3 in games the led at halftime. … Kansas shot 55.6% (15 of 27) from the field in the first half of Saturday’s victory at K-State, marking the highest shooting percentage in a first half of Big 12 play this season. It’s Kansas’ highest first-half shooting percentage since shooting 58.3% (21 of 36) against Davidson on Dec. 22, 2025. …
Kansas had five players score in double figures vs. KSU, marking the second time this season and the first time in Big 12 Conference play with five or more players with 10+ points. Kansas had six players score in double figures against Davidson. … Kansas’ 19 assists on Saturday at KSU were the most in a Big 12 Conference game this season. The Jayhawks finished with 12 offensive rebounds and now have double-digit offensive rebounds in 10 games. …
Sophomore Flory Bidunga recorded three blocks vs. K-State marking his 15th multi-block game this season and the 28th of his career. Bidunga now has two or more blocks in each of his last five games. With his three blocks vs. KSU, Bidunga passed Drew Gooden (2000-02) into 19th on the Kansas career blocked shots list with 108. …
Freshman Bryson Tiller has scored in double figures in eight games. … Senior Melvin Council Jr., scored 17 points and dished 12 assists against KSU, marking his first double-double of the season and the sixth of his career. Council became the first Jayhawk with a points/assists double-double in Big 12 Conference play since Devon Dotson did so against TCU on Feb. 8, 2020 (18 points, 11 assists).
