No. 6 Iowa State Takes Aim at No. 23 BYU in Ranked Matchup

Cyclones look to continue strong play against another top opponent on the road

Feb. 20, 2026 at 9:49pm

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The No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones, fresh off wins over Top 10 teams Kansas and Houston, will face a tough road test against the No. 23 BYU Cougars on Saturday night. Iowa State has been playing at a high level, but will have to contend with a raucous BYU home crowd and the scoring prowess of Cougars freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa, who has set the school's freshman scoring record this season.

Why it matters

This matchup features two ranked teams battling for a key win that could impact their NCAA Tournament seeding and standing in their respective conferences. Iowa State is looking to continue its strong play against top opponents, while BYU is trying to regroup after losing leading scorer Richie Saunders to a season-ending injury.

The details

Iowa State is coming off impressive home wins over No. 9 Kansas and No. 2 Houston, but will face a tough challenge on the road against a BYU team that is 10-2 at home this season. The Cougars are led by freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa, who has set the school's freshman scoring record and is the nation's leading scorer at 24.8 points per game. BYU will have to find a way to replace the production of Richie Saunders, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the team's last game.

  • Iowa State beat No. 9 Kansas 74-56 on Feb. 14.
  • Iowa State beat No. 2 Houston 70-67 on Feb. 20.
  • BYU lost to No. 4 Arizona 75-68 on Feb. 22.

The players

T.J. Otzelberger

The head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones.

Nate Heise

A sixth-year senior backup for the Iowa State Cyclones who had a big game against Houston.

AJ Dybantsa

A freshman sensation for the BYU Cougars who has set the school's freshman scoring record and leads the nation in scoring at 24.8 points per game.

Richie Saunders

The leading scorer for the BYU Cougars who suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury.

Kevin Young

The head coach of the BYU Cougars.

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What they’re saying

“Every night out, it's a heavyweight fight going on the road. You're playing really tough teams, it's hard to win. You feel like you gotta play perfect on the road.”

— T.J. Otzelberger, Head Coach, Iowa State Cyclones

“I am a natural playmaker. I grew up playing the point so it comes pretty natural to me. Just learning how to do it quicker now when guys double me, getting off it quicker so guys can have open shots.”

— AJ Dybantsa

“It (stinks). There is no way to get around it. Richie Saunders epitomizes everything that is good about college basketball. Hate that he is not out there with us. I texted him on the way to shootaround, just thinking about him and missing him.”

— Kevin Young, Head Coach, BYU Cougars

What’s next

The winner of this matchup will take a big step towards securing a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This game features two ranked teams battling for a key win, with Iowa State looking to continue its strong play against top opponents and BYU trying to regroup after a season-ending injury to its leading scorer. The outcome could have major implications for both teams' postseason aspirations.