College Basketball Preseason Rankings: No. 9 BYU Cougars

Top-25 College Basketball: BYU Projected Roster & Outlook

In this series, we'll be taking a closer look at RotoWire's preseason college basketball top-25, with an in-depth roster analysis and projected rotation for the 2025-26 season for each team. Today's feature will be the BYU Cougars.

9. BYU

There were not many expectations last season for BYU after Mark Pope left for Kentucky. Enter Kevin Young from the NBA ranks, who helped the Cougars to 26 wins and a Sweet Sixteen appearance -- two things Pope did not accomplish once in five years with the program. Young helped BYU become one of the best offenses in the country and also saw Richie Saunders emerge as one of the best players in the Big 12 (16.5 PPG). 

BYU will lose some key players from last year's squad, but thanks to some bigger investment into NIL, this will be one of the most talented rosters in the country next season. 

Saunders will come back for his senior season and he will form a "Big 3" of sorts with Baylor transfer Robert Wright and the No. 1 recruit in A.J. Dybantsa. Wright was dynamic as a freshman and outplayed veteran Jeremy Roach for much of the season. He'll be a great player for coach Young to give the keys to the offense to. Dybantsa has been a celebrated prospect before he even entered high school. The 6-9 wing has a ton of length to be able to completely affect the game on both sides of the ball. He's a fluid scorer from all ranges and will cause havoc for opposing Big 12 coaches. 

There are plenty of solid role players to work around those top three options, such as Keba Keita, Dawson Baker, Kennard Davis and Xavion Staton. Keita should be a nightly double-double threat at the center position, while Staton is a top-75 recruit who is one of the better shot blockers in the class. Baker and Davis will be great floor spacing options for coach Young to deploy. 

BYU has the top tier talent to challenge Houston for the Big 12 crown.

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

2025-26 BYU Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Robert Wright (11.5 PPG, 4.2 APG at Baylor)

SG: Dawson Baker (7.5 PPG)

SF: Richie Saunders (16.5 PPG, 2.3 3PM)

PF: A.J. Dybantsa (No. 1 in ESPN 100)

C: Keba Keita (7.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG)

Key Reserves: Kennard Davis (16.3 PPG at SIU), Xavion Staton (No. 55 in ESPN 100), Mihailo Boskovic (3.6 PPG), Tyler Mrus (9.7 PPG, 2.4 3PM at Idaho), Brody Kozlowski (Redshirted), Dominique Diomande (Redshirted)

Following another active transfer portal period, RotoWire's college basketball depth charts are updated with the latest in roster movement.

2025-26 Full Preseason College Basketball Top-25

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9. BYU Cougars
10. UConn Huskies
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders
12. Auburn Tigers
13. Arkansas Razorbacks
14. UCLA Bruins
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
16. Iowa State Cyclones
17. Arizona Wildcats
18. Michigan State Spartans
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
23. Oregon Ducks
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Wisconsin Badgers