BYU star AJ Dybantsa dunks the ball in Provo, Utah (Photo by BYU Athletics)
With a new college basketball season here, I’m going to continue something I started with baseball and football this year and have a weekly look at the Division I teams across the state of Utah. Basketball in the Beehive State looks to be great with Utah’s seven teams in the 2025-2026 season!
#8 BYU 2-0 (0-0 in the Big 12)
BYU started this season with maybe the highest expectations in program history. The return of stars Richie Saunders and Keba Keita, the transfer players of Rob Wright III and Kennard Davis, and the super freshman AJ Dybantsa make this the most loaded starting five in BYU history. BYU’s big three of Dybantsa, Wright, and Saunders scored at least 14 points in both of their games.
Dybantsa had 21 points against Villanova and 17 against Holy Cross. Wright had 14 and 15, and Saunders had 15 and 20. The Cougars have a tough schedule this year, including some big games outside of the Big 12. A tough four-game stretch begins with UConn, then Wisconsin, Miami, and Dayton. Only the Wisconsin game is in Provo. They’ll also play the ACC’s Clemson. If BYU is to have a historic season, they’ll have to earn it the hard way. The Cougs play Delaware this week on Tuesday, before a huge showdown with UConn on Saturday in Boston.
Utah 2-0 (0-0 in the Big 12)
The Utes got things started this year with two wins. They beat San Jose State, 84-75. They then battled in state rival Weber State, and the Wildcats pushed the Utes all the way to overtime. Utah would prevail at home 92-89. Terrence Brown, the transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson, has already proven to be a big get for Utah. Brown had 13 points against SJSU, but rocked Salt Lake City against Weber State with 36 points in the win. This week, Utah plays Holy Cross and Sam Houston State.
Utah State 2-0 (0-0 in the Mountain West)
The Aggies started strong with a win over Westminster (UT), 110-54. They then had a tougher opponent when they played Virginia Commonwealth out of the Atlantic 10. It was a battle, but USU came away the winners, 80-77. Utah State has an early-season star in MJ Collins. Collins had 23 points against Westminster and 22 points against VCU. This week, they host in-state opponent Weber State and then welcome UTEP to Logan.
Utah Valley 1-1 (0-0 in the WAC)
UVU started with an overpowering victory against West Coast Baptist, 116-35. I’ve heard of cupcakes on the schedule, but good grief! They then had to travel north and play at Boise State. The Broncos were much more competitive against the Wolverines and came away with a 101-77 win. Utah Valley has a budding star in their first two games in Jackson Holcombe, who had 19 points against WC Baptist and 22 points against Boise State. This week, they play Westminster (UT) and then go on the road to the Mountain West again, this time against Fresno State.
Weber State 1-1 (0-0 in the Big Sky)
The Wildcats split their first two games. They also whacked West Coast Baptist, 130-38. They had a taller task when they left Ogden for Salt Lake City to play in-state rival the Utah Utes. It was a close game, going into overtime, but Utah won 92-89. A pair of Wildcats played well in both contests for Weber. Nigel Burris and Trevor Hennig both scored in the double digits. This week, they’ll play another in-state rival in Utah State before traveling west to play UC Irvine.
Utah Tech 2-2 (0-0 in the United Athletic Conference)
Tech started their season with a marathon. They had four games in their first week! They won at South Dakota, 81-79 in overtime. They won at home against Bethesda, 110-65. Then they had to go on the road and play two Big 12 teams. They played Arizona State and Arizona. Arizona, fresh off their upset of defending champion Florida, beat the Trailblazers, 93-67. ASU beat them 81-66. They have a solid player who is leading the team in Ethan Potter. The transfer from UVU is averaging over 13 points and six rebounds per game. UT has another full week ahead of them with three games. They play Manhattan, Mississippi Valley State, and Hawaii.
Southern Utah 0-2 (0-0 in the United Athletic Conference)
It was a rough start to the season for the Thunderbirds. They went down to Tempe, Arizona, and battled Arizona State, but fell to the Sun Devils, 81-64. They debuted at home against Texas-Rio Grande Valley. They lost to Texas-RGV, 95-72. The bright side was a great game from forward Jaiden Feroah, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. This week they play Bethesda University on Tuesday, and Omaha on Saturday.
Jimmer Fredette-Keith Van Horn Player of the Week
As a BYU fan, I wanted to go with AJ Dybantsa, who had a strong debut. However, I have a great love for the unsung and unlooked-for star, which is why I went with Terrence Brown of Utah for his huge game against Weber State. Brown’s 36 points in the double overtime victory propelled Utah to victory. Besides, I get the feeling I’ll have plenty of opportunities for Dybantsa to earn this as the season goes on.
