Instant takeaways from No. 25 BYU’s season-opening win over Ohio State
Nov 2, 2026, 10:36 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — BYU basketball tipped off the 2026-27 season on Monday night against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Delta Center.
The Cougars came away with a 94-83 victory to open the year.
Rob Wright III looked every bit the part of the best point guard in America
When Rob Wright III exited the transfer portal to re-sign with BYU basketball, Kevin Young said that Wright was the best point guard in America.
That’s lofty praise from the third-year head coach for his star point guard. But the preseason All-American candidate was backing it up on opening night.
You could argue Rob Wright III had the look of a player who has the potential to be the best, regardless of position, this season.
Wright III finished the night with 33 points and five assists. He was 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.
60 points in one half is outstanding
Down by three at the half, BYU was beginning to find its groove offensively at the end of the first half. That carried over into the first five minutes of the second half.
The first shot attempt to open the second 20 minutes was a corner three from Collin Chandler to tie the game at 37.
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Then freshman Bruce Branch III took a page from former BYU star AJ Dybantsa with a “middie” in the paint to give BYU its first lead of the game at 39-37.
A few possessions later, Jaxon Kohler catches a pass from the three-point, goes down the baseline, spins, then pump fakes to draw an and-one.
BYU hit the first media timeout with a two-point lead at 50-48, but the strong start out of the second half was key to the win on Monday night.
The BYU offense didn’t slow down throughout the second half.
BYU went on to score 60 points as they rolled to a double-digit victory over the Buckeyes.
The Delta Center was getting loud when BYU got its first double-digit lead at 71-61 after a smooth three-pointer by Wright.
This win over Ohio State will hold up throughout the season
Ohio State was a talented team. According to Kevin Young, the Buckeyes had a roster construction similar to BYU’s, in terms of fits for what they want to run.
Amare Bynum was excellent, scoring 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
What was surprising was that heralded freshman Anthony Thompson felt invisible all night. He didn’t make a field goal, and his two points, both from the free-throw line, did not come until the 4:27 mark in the second half.
Jake Diebler has a talented team, and with a 76-team NCAA Tournament this year, the Buckeyes should definitely be in the dance this March.
It wouldn’t be surprising if this ended up being a Quad 1 victory for BYU at season’s end.
BYU basketball was scrappy on the defensive end
A focus for Kevin Young and this BYU basketball team over the summer and in training camp, since Jaxon Kohler arrived at the five, was to be scrappy and more aggressive on the defensive end of the floor.
On paper, it might not look like they were scrappy. But if you watched a lot of BYU last season, it was a big difference in terms of effort on the defensive end on Monday night.
BYU still gave up 46 points in the second half to the Buckeyes. But the chemistry for a team that added Kohler late in the offseason seems to be in a good spot for one game. There’s still room to grow, but the defense showed more aggressiveness.
Also, returned missionary Brooks Bahr gave valuable minutes off the bench, playing 14 minutes. One of his highlight defensive stands was against John Mobley Jr.; he forced the star guard into a tough shot that resulted in a shot-clock violation.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL 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.
