No. 9 BYU (3-1) vs. No. 23 Wisconsin (4-0)
- Tip: Friday, 2 p.m. MDT
- Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
- TV: NBC Sports Network (Youtube TV only)
- Streaming: Peacock
- Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM/Sirius XM 143
- Series: Wisconsin leads 2-1 (most recent meeting: 2025)
The trends
- For BYU: 3-1 on the season, No. 17 in KenPom, averaging 84.5 points scored and 68.3 points allowed per game.
- For Wisconsin: 4-0 on the season, No. 16 in KenPom, averaging 93.3 points scored and 65 points allowed per game.
The stakes
For BYU: The Cougars suffered a narrow loss against No. 3 UConn this past weekend, with an electric second half from AJ Dybantsa leading them back from a 20-point deficit to ultimately fall by two.
Thus, BYU needs to get back in the win column against Wisconsin — a team it defeated 91-89 in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32 just eight months ago — in order to remain in the top 10 and national title contender mix.
But the Cougars may be a bit shorthanded against the Badgers as the status of two starters remains unclear. Center Keba Keita may be held out due to injury, and Kennard Davis’ recent off the court situation may keep him out of action again as well.
For Wisconsin: The Badgers will obviously be looking for revenge against BYU for ending their season back in March. That should go without saying.
But Greg Gard’s high-scoring group has been excellent thus far in four games against middling competition, and facing a team of the Cougars’ caliber will offer Wisconsin an opportunity to show it belongs in the conversation of the 10-20 best teams in the sport.
Players to watch
- For BYU: Forward AJ Dybantsa, guard Rob Wright III, guard Richie Saunders.
- For Wisconsin: Guard Nick Boyd, guard John Blackwell, forward Nolan Winter.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UConn, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Boston. | AP
