BYU vs. West Virginia: Three thoughts entering Big 12 Tournament matchup
Mar 11, 2026, 3:00 AM | Updated: 1:07 pm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU basketball looks to earn another postseason victory on Wednesday in a revenge opportunity against West Virginia.
West Virginia defeated BYU on February 28 in Morgantown, 79-71. Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Honor Huff scored 24 points in that upset win for the Mountaineers.
BYU is moving on in the Big 12 Tournament. pic.twitter.com/QdlKeKKICe
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 11, 2026
BYU will need to slow down Huff, who’s the top scoring threat for the Mountaineers.
Today’s game moved from ESPNU to ESPN2, while the TCU/Oklahoma State game following the BYU/West Virginia matchup was assigned to ESPNU.
This game will be a Quad 2 opportunity to add to BYU’s resume. The winner will face the No. 2-seed, Houston, on Thursday in the Quarterfinals.
KSL Sports will be inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City with coverage throughout the day.
BYU vs. West Virginia: Three Thoughts
Here are three thoughts entering the Big 12 Tournament matchup between the Cougars and Mountaineers.
1. What’s the follow-up act on day two at the Big 12 Tournament for AJ Dybantsa?
BYU star AJ Dybantsa was sensational on the opening day of the Big 12 Tournament, setting a Big 12 Tournament scoring record for freshmen with 40 points in the win over Kansas State.
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“I mean, what he was doing was super impressive because he was scoring every way possible,” said BYU head coach Kevin Young after Dybantsa’s 40-point performance. “He was scoring in the post, he was scoring in transition, scoring in pick and roll, scoring in isolations, coming off some pin downs, making good passes out of the post, making good passes out of the pick and roll.
“I thought it was probably one of his most complete, outside of the lob — we already talked about that on the way, the lob he threw shot to Khadim at the end there. But I thought it was just a full display of his skill set. I think he’s the most skilled offensive player in college basketball, and it was on full display tonight.”
In the first meeting between BYU and West Virginia, the Mountaineers held Dybantsa to only four points in the first half. He finished with 20, but it was a difficult road to get there.
Dybantsa was a threat everywhere on the floor against K-State. That’s what he needs to be again for BYU against West Virginia.
2. West Virginia looks to slow it down
After a game in which BYU set a single-game Big 12 Tournament record for most points scored by a team, 105, that’s going to be trickier to accomplish against West Virginia.
In BYU’s loss at West Virginia on February 28, it was the third slowest tempo game the Cougars played during their Big 12 Conference schedule.
West Virginia looks to keep the game in the 60s, while BYU wants to get up-and-down the floor with great spacing.
Since January 13, only two Big 12 teams have hit more than nine three-pointers against West Virginia. Last night, BYU knocked down 11 threes in the win over K-State.
Valuing possessions and taking care of the basketball will be critical for BYU.
The good news is that BYU has been trending up in avoiding turnovers. Last night, BYU had 11 turnovers in the high-paced game against K-State, with six of those by Dybantsa.
3. BYU basketball role players have to continue stepping up
BYU’s bench produced 19 points in the win over Kansas State. On top of that, starter Kennard Davis Jr. scored 15 points and was 4-of-9 from three-point range.
BYU is 9-2 in games where Davis hits two or more three-pointers in a game. He’s knocked down eight in the past two games.
“Arguably, the biggest X-factor on our team in a lot of ways, because we brought him here to be a two-way player,” Young said. “He’s a really good defensive player, and he’s found a nice offensive rhythm, I think, in the last little bit.
“When Richie (Saunders) went down, he was a guy we started to put in a lot more actions. He’s been getting a lot more open 3’s as well. He’s hitting them at a higher clip. I think he’s comfortable, but more than the offense, I just think he’s playing with an edge that permeates our group. I think the other night we played Texas Tech at home, he was kind of the — he and Rob were the key to defensive intensity, and our guys feed off of that. When he’s making shots, it really opens up things for AJ and Rob, too. He’s a huge part of what we’re doing.”
10-seed BYU vs. 7-seed West Virginia
2026 Big 12 Basketball Tournament Second Round
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2026
Tip-off: 5 p.m. (MDT)/6 p.m (CDT)
TV: ESPN2
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 BYUathletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
