Three Thoughts Entering BYU-Arizona Showdown At Marriott Center
Jan 26, 2026, 2:07 PM | Updated: 2:11 pm
PROVO, Utah – The top KenPom’s “Thrill Score” in college basketball tonight is BYU-Arizona in Provo.
For those of you who are not into the advanced metrics, it’s the game of the night in the sport.
ESPN’s Big Monday rolls into town with the voices of the Big 12 on the call, Jon Sciami and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.
BYU will look to improve its all-time record of 1-9 against AP No. 1 teams as they host an undefeated Arizona squad, which is off to a 20-0 start for the first time since 2014.
BYU vs. Arizona: Three Thoughts
Here are some quick thoughts as tip-off approaches tonight in Provo.
1. 3-point shooting
When Arizona shoots from 3-point range, they knock them down at a high clip, hitting 36.4% of their attempts this season. However, they don’t attempt many, only attempting 17.2 per game, which is ranked 352nd nationally.
The Wildcats knocked down three 3-pointers in their win over West Virginia on Saturday.
BYU has been up and down this season on hitting threes. In Saturday’s win over rival Utah, BYU knocked down 42% from beyond the arc, which included AJ Dybantsa burying four-of-five from distance.
Neither team needs to hit threes at a high clip to win tonight; however, it could be an x-factor in a close matchup.
A player to watch is Richie Saunders. The All-Big 12 performer averages 7 3-point attempts per game in Big 12 play. If he catches fire, BYU could be ready to pull off the upset.
2. AJ Dybantsa vs. Koa Peat
The matchup that everyone will be waiting for tonight is when BYU star freshman AJ Dybantsa squares up against Arizona star Koa Peat.
Both players are projected to be highly-drafted players in next June’s NBA draft.
It will be interesting to see the battles when these two lock up on the floor together, if at all.
Peat is an elite athlete, while Dybantsa is incredibly skilled and is riding high after a career-high 43 points in Saturday’s win over Utah.
3. Down to the wire: Who comes out on top?
To this point in Big 12 play, both BYU and Arizona have had light conference schedules. Arizona has cruised through its league foes, defeating teams by an average of 18 points per game.
BYU has experienced some closer calls against weaker competition. The one game they faced a top-six team in the Big 12, at Texas Tech, they lost.
If the game comes down to the wire, as many expect, who rises to the occasion and closes out the game?
For BYU head coach Kevin Young, the midweek break a week ago saw a big focus for him and his staff on running down games in the final six minutes. In Lubbock, they struggled, allowing a 32-10 run.
With the Wildcats, you have to go back to the road win at UConn in November to find the last time they were challenged with a game on the line.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 13 BYU
Date: Monday, January 26, 2026
Location: Marriott Center
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
