Three things to know about TCU’s late-night matchup with BYU’s future NBA star
TCU men’s basketball finishes its grueling four-game Big 12 gauntlet with a road trip to No. 11 BYU at 10 p.m. Wednesday in Provo, Utah on ESPN2.
It’ll be the third straight ranked opponent the Horned Frogs have faced since opening Big 12 play, and it’ll be the fourth straight game that TCU will face a likely a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
While there are still plenty of conference games left, this one will have major implications for the Horned Frogs. After its collapse at Kansas on Jan. 6, TCU (11-5, 1-2) could start league play with three losses in the first four games.
That could be tough to overcome, as the Horned Frogs will likely have to finish around .500 in the Big 12 to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Most bracketologists have TCU on the bubble right now; ESPN has the Horned Frogs as the “last team out” in its latest projection.
However, a victory would give TCU a trio of quality wins over the Cougars, defending national champion Florida and Wisconsin to go along with beating Baylor in the Big 12 opener.
Here are three things to know about TCU’s matchup at BYU (15-1, 3-0):
AJ Dybantsa is best of the bunch
TCU has already faced two players projected to be top-10 NBA draft picks in Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Arizona’s Koa Peat. Peterson scored 32 in the Jayhawks’ comeback win, while Peat led the Wildcats with 20 points and seven rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Horned Frogs.
As good as both players are, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa may be the best of the bunch. The 6-foot-9 freshman forward has dominated college basketball with his size and physicality. Dybantsa has also showcased a polished offensive game in the half court and has been able to get to the rim at will.
A National Player of the Year candidate, Dybantsa is averaging 22.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists while shooting 58.1% from the field. If there are any holes in his game it’s his 3-point shooting, but Dybantsa doesn’t take many and still shoots 33% behind the arc.
Dybantsa is the first Division I freshman in the past 30 seasons to have nine straight games of 20-plus points on 50% shooting from the field. Will TCU be able to snap his streak?
BYU’s strong supporting cast
One thing that’s allowed Dybantsa to flourish so quickly is the talent surrounding him. Senior guard Richie Saunders is one of the best shooters in the country and was the Cougars’ leading scorer on last year’s Sweet 16 team. This year the 6-5 guard is averaging 19.4 points and 5.5 rebounds while knocking down 40.9% of his 3-pointers.
On the rare times Dybantsa is having an off night, Saunders is more than capable of being the No. 1 option.
Adding to the duo is Baylor transfer Robert Wright, whom the Cougars reportedly spent millions on to entice him to leave Waco. It’s been money well spent, as Wright has emerged one of the nation’s best point guards, averaging 17.4 points and 5.4 assists while knocking down 46.3% of his 3-pointers.
With a trio like this, it’s no surprise that BYU has a top-15 offense in the country.
Homecoming for multiple Horned Frogs
A few TCU players will have a chance to go back to the state that helped mold them during the two-game swing at BYU and at Utah at 1 p.m. Saturday in Salt Lake City.
For Tanner Toolson, Wednesday will be an opportunity to face his former team.
The junior guard started his career at BYU in 2022-23 before transferring a few miles down the road to Utah Valley. Toolson is coming off his most impactful performance of the season, as he scored 20 points and knocked down three 3-pointers against Arizona. Toolson could be an X-factor on Wednesday, as he’ll likely match up against Saunders or Dybantsa at times.
Starting center Xavier Edmonds also returns to Utah, where he became the No. 1 junior college player in the country after spending two seasons at Salt Lake City Community College. SLCC is located about 45 minutes from BYU.
Edmonds will need to have a big game against the Cougars’ frontline, as TCU will be short-handed without centers Malick Diallo, who is out for the season with an injury, and Vianney Salatchoum, who is taking time away from the program.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM.
