Three Game Day Thoughts Entering No. 13 BYU vs. No. 14 Kansas
Jan 31, 2026, 10:50 AM
LAWRENCE, Kan. – It’s a cold, sunny, wintery day in the Midwest as BYU gets set to take on Kansas in a highly anticipated Big 12 matchup.
ESPN’s College Gameday concluded with a large crowd of Kansas students, who have been camping out in the concourse of Allen Fieldhouse since Tuesday.
It was a clean sweep in favor of Kansas from the College Gameday crew on who they believe will win the game.
BYU vs. Kansas: Three Game Day Thoughts
As we inch closer to tip-off, here are some thoughts on gameday.
1. Strong NBA presence
ESPN reported during College Gameday that 32 NBA scouts and executives from 16 teams will be on location at Allen Fieldhouse to see the potential No. 1 and No. 2 NBA draft picks in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.
ESPN reports that 32 scouts and executives from 16 NBA teams will be in attendance for BYU vs. Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 31, 2026
Among the executives who will be in attendance is Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The Hawks own the best of the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans picks, so they project to be among the top contenders to land one of these stars.
It’s the first time potential No. 1 and No. 2 NBA draft picks are facing off against each other since Duke matched up against Gonzaga in 2022, featuring Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren.
2. Which supporting cast steps up?
All eyes will be on AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, but as Kansas coach Bill Self noted this week, the game is still “BYU versus Kansas.”
Which supporting cast is going to step up?
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Along with Dybantsa, BYU has Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III. Both of those players gave Kansas headaches last season.
They are the highest-scoring trio in college basketball this season, averaging 60 points per game.
But who else will perform at a high level to assist BYU’s big three?
Kennard Davis enters today’s game with some momentum after knocking down five 3-pointers in the second half during the loss against Arizona.
Aleksej Kostic and Mihailo Boskovic have also shown flashes of offensive pop off the bench, while Khadim Mboup is a versatile defender in BYU’s second unit.
3. Stars need to play like stars
In a game with as much fanfare as this one has, everyone wants to see the stars perform at a high level.
Cougar Sports Saturday from Lawrence.
Breaking down BYU vs. Kansas, headlined by AJ vs. DP.
⏰: Noon (MST)
📻: @kslnewsradio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
📱: @kslsports pic.twitter.com/envGUrE8Rx— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 31, 2026
Darryn Peterson is knocking 42% of his 3-point attempts during Big 12 play. AJ Dybantsa has been an elite performer throughout the season. He comes into this game looking to bounce back after a 6-of-24 shooting performance against Arizona.
In these big games, everyone wants to see the stars perform like the stars that they are. Who wouldn’t love a down-to-the-wire finish with AJ and DP going back-and-forth?
No. 13 BYU vs. No. 14 Kansas
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Location: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kansas)
Tip-Off: 2:30 p.m. (MST)/3:30 p.m. (CST)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Coverage begins at Noon from Lawrence
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.
