BYU Star Saunders Suffers Season-Ending Injury on Valentine's Day

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No. 22 BYU defeated Colorado 90-86 in overtime on Saturday, but the victory was marred by a season-ending injury to senior forward Richie Saunders. Just 45 seconds into the game, Saunders jumped and landed awkwardly, tearing his ACL. The 6-foot-5 forward, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season, will miss the remainder of the year, dealing a major blow to the Cougars' hopes of making a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Why it matters

Saunders was described as the 'heart and soul' of the BYU basketball team, and his absence will be felt both on and off the court. The Cougars were already dealing with several key injuries, and now they must find a way to overcome the loss of their senior leader and leading scorer as they try to secure a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Saunders was injured just 45 seconds into the game when he jumped and landed awkwardly, immediately grabbing his right knee. After being evaluated in the locker room and undergoing further testing, it was determined that Saunders had torn his ACL and would miss the rest of the season. The injury comes as a major blow to the Cougars, who were hoping to make a deep NCAA Tournament run with Saunders leading the way.

• Saunders was injured just 45 seconds into the game on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
• BYU defeated Colorado 90-86 in overtime on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Cougars will now have to find a way to overcome the loss of Saunders as they travel to face No. 1 Arizona and host No. 5 Iowa State in their next two games. The NCAA Tournament begins next month, and BYU will need to rely on the scoring of Dybantsa and Wright to make a deep run without their senior leader.