‘Games you live for’: No. 9 BYU turns attention to rival Utah after walloping Arizona State

After scoring a career-high 31 points in BYU’s 104-76 thrashing of Arizona State on Wednesday night in front of more than 18,000 fans at the Marriott Center, senior Richie Saunders was more interested in talking about the No. 9 Cougars’ next game than their last.

That’s because the Cougars still feel like there is some unfinished business to attend to at the Huntsman Center after they lost 73-72 in overtime on the Hill a year ago. Then-first-year coach Kevin Young and the Cougars avenged that bitter defeat 85-74 in Provo nearly two months later, but the sting really won’t dissipate until they can get a win in Salt Lake City.

Advertisement

Tipoff is at 8 p.m. MST Saturday, and the Utes (0-2, 8-7) and Cougars’ third meeting as Big 12 foes will be televised by ESPN. While BYU was embarrassing ASU Wednesday, Utah was losing 85-73 at Colorado.

Kenpom says BYU is a 14-point favorite and has an 89% win probability. But the Cougars to a man say it will be much more difficult than that. Last year was a prime example, as favored BYU attempted just 10 free throws and home-standing Utah went to the line 32 times.

“Playing there is tough. I am excited to go and get a win for my senior year there,” Saunders said. “But yeah, they turn up the jets. Everything is a lot more crazy than any other game. Those are the games that you live for.”

“I am still ticked that we lost that one. … We just want to go up there and get a win, bottom line. … I never really grew up a super huge BYU fan. I always respected the program and what it stood for and things like that. But I didn’t grow up with the hate (for Utah), right?”

BYU coach Kevin Young on Saturday’s game at Utah Saturday night

BYU point guard Rob Wright III also hit a career high Wednesday night, scoring 27 points on 9 of 15 shooting. Wright was 3 of 6 from 3-point range and has now shot 40% or better from 3-point range in 11 straight games.

Advertisement

The Baylor transfer who is from Wilmington, Delaware, said he has already been filled in on the rivalry.

“I think I watched a little bit of the game last year and it looked pretty crazy,” Wright said. “I think it is going to be a crazy game. That’s all I know.”

After scoring 23 points on 7 of 13 shooting against the Sun Devils, superstar AJ Dybantsa told BYUtv that he is looking forward to his first and probably only visit to Utah’s arena, and called on BYU fans to turn the Huntsman Center blue.

Dybantsa has scored 20 or more points in 10 games this season, the third most by a BYU freshman; Danny Ainge leads that category with 18. Dybantsa has scored 20-plus points in eight straight games, which is tied for the eighth-longest all-time at BYU.

Advertisement

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley had nothing but praise for BYU’s “Big 3” after the game, but reserved the most for Saunders, who has averaged 29.0 points in three Big 12 games against ASU dating back to last year.

“He’s a very good player and I have a lot of respect for him,” Hurley said. “He’s not even talked about because of just all the hype (for Dybantsa). And it is deserving for AJ, but I think I voted for (Saunders) for Player of the Year in the conference last year. He was that good.

“You can’t lose him,” Hurley continued. “He knows how to play. We have guys sometimes off the ball who just have no clue that they are guarding a guy who can make shots like that.”

The Cougars surpassed the 100-point plateau for the first time in a Big 12 game and the fourth time in two years. It was the first time BYU has scored more than 100 points against a Power Five opponent since it put 112 on Stanford in 2013.

Advertisement

The Big 3 combined for a season-high 81 points, five more than ASU’s entire team.

“Those are three really mature guys that understand the game and that allows them to be great,” Young said.

As far as facing Utah in Salt Lake City again is concerned, Young said that “Trevin Knell is somewhere mad that he missed those free throws” in overtime in the 1-point loss.

“I am still ticked that we lost that one. … We just want to go up there and get a win, bottom line,” Young said. “I never really grew up a super huge BYU fan. I always respected the program and what it stood for and things like that. But I didn’t grow up with the hate (for Utah), right?

Advertisement

“Now that I’ve been here and kind of experienced it, I just want to go up there and beat those guys,” he continued.

Young said there will be a “little personal flavor” for him because he’s known new Utah coach Alex Jensen and new Utah general manager Wes Wilcox for a long time from their days coaching in the NBA and the G League.

“So it will be fun to compete against those guys,” he said. “You tack on the rivalry component, and it will mean a lot for guys like Richie. It will be his last time to be able to try to get a win in that building.”