A showdown between potential NBA draft lottery picks awaits when No. 13 BYU heads to No. 14 Kansas for a Big 12 matchup on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan.
In his first season of college basketball, freshman AJ Dybantsa has figured out a recipe for success by averaging 23.6 points a game for BYU (17-3, 5-2).
While he’s a prolific scorer, his all-round game is what has him positioned to be an NBA franchise cornerstone one day.
Dybantsa also pulls down an average of 6.7 rebounds, is second on the Cougars with 72 assists, and knows how to draw fouls from opponents. He has 172 free-throw attempts and shoots 76.2% from the line.
The Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2), meanwhile, played without explosive, high-scoring freshman Darryn Peterson (21.6 ppg) in an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday. The Ohio native leads the Jayhawks in scoring and missed the game with an ankle injury. But coach Bill Self told Inside College Basketball with Jon Rothstein he expects Peterson to return against BYU.
“Has he been 100% up to this point?” Self said. “No, he hasn’t been 100%. But I don’t see any reason why he won’t be ready to roll, have great practices on Thursday and Friday and be ready to go.”
While the dynamic duo could square off in a defensive switch, Self said such a faceoff won’t determine the outcome of the game.
“That storyline is one everyone will run with because it’s two great, great prospects,” Self said. “Two of the better prospects we’ve had in recent memory. They’re really great prospects. But it is still Kansas versus BYU. The players that understand that and can play to that will give their team the best chance to win. It’s not a 1-on-1 deal. It’s a team-versus-team deal. It will be a story line within the game.”
BYU has lost two of its last three games, the latest an 86-83 home setback to No. 1 Arizona on Monday. The Cougars cut into a 19-point deficit in the second half before the Wildcats escaped with the victory.
Due to the Cougars’ mindset, BYU coach Kevin Young said his team is never out of the game. Dybantsa scored 24 points against Arizona despite making just 6 of 24 field-goal attempts.
“We have a never-quit mentality, and our guys are smart in terms of making adjustments on the fly,” Young said. “Every game has a personality of its own and different buttons we need to push. Sometimes it takes a full 40 minutes to figure out the recipe.”
As for Kansas, which has won four straight games, Flory Bidunga led the team with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday vs. Kansas State.
“I was excited because I thought we played the way we are supposed to play,” Self said about the 27 points Kansas allowed after halftime. “We shared the ball and were great in the late clock. It’s nice to see the guys play how you envision them playing. We haven’t done that consistently at all.”
