BYU's Dybantsa leads Cougars past West Virginia in Big 12 tournament

Freshman star scores 27 points as 10th-seeded BYU advances to quarterfinals

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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AJ Dybantsa, one of the top NBA draft prospects, scored a game-high 27 points to lead BYU to a 68-48 victory over West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday night in Kansas City, Missouri. Dybantsa, who set a freshman tournament record with 40 points in the Cougars' opening-round win over Kansas State, finished 11-of-24 from the field with seven rebounds and three assists. Kennard Davis Jr. added 20 points for BYU, which advanced to the quarterfinals where it will face second-seeded and 5th-ranked Houston on Thursday.

Why it matters

BYU, the 10th seed in the tournament, pulled off an impressive upset over West Virginia to advance in the Big 12 tournament. Dybantsa's standout performance has further cemented his status as one of the top NBA draft prospects in the country.

The details

BYU jumped out to a 17-11 lead midway through the first half and took a 31-23 advantage into halftime. West Virginia closed the gap to 43-40 in the second half, but BYU responded with a 14-2 run to pull away. The Mountaineers turned the ball over a season-high 22 times and matched a season-low with just 48 points.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 12, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • BYU advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Houston on Thursday, March 13, 2026.

The players

AJ Dybantsa

A top NBA draft prospect who set a freshman tournament record with 40 points in BYU's opening-round win and followed that up with 27 points in the victory over West Virginia.

Kennard Davis Jr.

The BYU guard scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half to help the Cougars pull away.

Honor Huff

The West Virginia player led the Mountaineers with 17 points in the loss.

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What’s next

BYU will face second-seeded and 5th-ranked Houston in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament on Thursday, March 13, 2026.

The takeaway

BYU's upset victory over West Virginia was fueled by another standout performance from star freshman AJ Dybantsa, further cementing his status as one of the top NBA draft prospects in the country. The Cougars will now have the opportunity to pull off another upset when they take on the highly-ranked Houston Cougars in the quarterfinals.