What a wild ride it was when AJ Dybantsa exploded for 30 points in his very first college basketball appearance – yet BYU still came up just a single point short in an exhibition loss to Nebraska! This gripping tale from Provo perfectly captures the highs and lows of preseason action, where expectations soar but reality can deliver a tough lesson. But here's where it gets controversial: Was this just a fun tune-up, or a sign of deeper issues for the Cougars' defense? Stick around as we break down every detail, and you might just be surprised by what unfolds.
On that exciting Saturday in Lincoln, at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, AJ Dybantsa lived up to the hype in BYU's unofficial college debut against Nebraska. For those new to the game, an exhibition matchup like this is essentially a practice scrimmage played against another team – it's not an official league game, but it helps squads prepare for the real season ahead. Dybantsa was a force, racking up 30 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and even a block. However, BYU's defensive efforts left a lot to be desired, as opponents Rienk Mast and Connor Essegian teamed up for a whopping 51 points to secure a 90-89 victory.
Nebraska, who were forecasted to end up 14th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten by media experts, got solid contributions from Price Sandfort with 12 points. Mast, a senior transplant from Bradley and the Netherlands, dazzled with 31 points, five rebounds, and three assists, including a perfect 7-of-8 from beyond the arc on his triples. Essegian chipped in 20 points and three assists. On the BYU side, Khadim Mboup delivered 12 points and 11 rebounds, with Richie Saunders and Aleksej Kostic each netting 11 points. It's worth noting that BYU was ranked as the No. 2 team in the Big 12 preseason predictions, setting up this clash as a fascinating preview of talent.
This felt more like a showcase for potential NBA prospects than a typical game. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Mast held his own against Dybantsa, hitting 11-of-15 shots overall, 7-of-8 from three-point territory, and adding five rebounds and three assists in just 29 minutes. Dybantsa himself praised Mast, saying, 'He's tough. … I would draft him first, too,' which mirrored the sentiments of BYU coach Kevin Young. And this is the part most people miss: The shooting from downtown was a stark contrast. BYU held their own from deep, but Nebraska lit it up, sinking 16-of-34 threes to keep the home crowd buzzing.
Young reflected on the experience, explaining, 'If you look at our early season 'real' schedule, it's pretty jam-packed. We want to test ourselves. I know a little bit about this place; my wife is from Omaha, and her family comes to all of these games. I've heard about the atmosphere here, as well. We got what we wanted out of it.' For beginners wondering about team strategies, this highlights how coaches use exhibitions to simulate pressure without the stakes of official games, helping players adapt to different environments.
BYU's starting lineup featured familiar names like Saunders and Keba Keita, alongside newcomers Dybantsa, point guard Rob Wright III from Baylor, and Kennard 'Moo' Davis Jr. from Southern Illinois. Dybantsa hit the ground running, scoring 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, going 5-of-5 at the free-throw line, and adding four rebounds, three steals, and an assist in his initial 13 minutes of action.
But the game swung dramatically. Mast drained five threes in the first half alone, amassing 19 points as Nebraska built a lead of up to six with just over three minutes remaining in the period. Dybantsa fought back with two treys of his own, and Wright contributed eight points and five assists to fuel a comeback. At halftime, Dybantsa had notched 19 points (6-of-10 shooting, 2-of-3 from three, 5-of-5 free throws), plus five rebounds, three steals, an assist, and a block. He shared, 'Any time we lose, I set myself to a high standard; we've got to win for me to feel like it was a good game. But I think we meshed with the team well. I kind of had jitters in my first college game. But I think I played solid.'
Wright's eight points and five assists helped BYU surge with a 10-0 run to end the half, grabbing a 50-46 edge. Note that Wright, a former Big 12 freshman all-star, skipped last week's internal scrimmage and didn't return for the second half due to minute restrictions. Coach Young elaborated, 'Rob's obviously on a minutes restriction. I really had three things I wanted to look at in this game: our starters together, then Rob out and AJ with shooters around him, and then a defensive group. In between that, it was fuzzy with the lineups that we had. I feel good about learning more about our group based on those three criteria — and no matter who we had out there, being able to play a team like that is really well-coached … was a good thing for us to experience.' This is a great example for fans to understand how coaches rotate players to build chemistry and manage fatigue.
Both squads shot over 45% from the field in the opening frame, but Nebraska heated up to 83.6% early in the second, with another 3-pointer extending their lead to 71-59 at the 13:09 mark. The Huskers nailed 7-of-14 from deep in that period, overcoming BYU's 37-34 rebounding advantage.
Dybantsa sparked a 9-2 rally to close the gap to three points (88-85) with under three minutes left, but he exited for good at 1:41 remaining. BYU struggled from distance, going 7-of-14 on threes, with Mboup's free throws bringing it to within one at the buzzer. Kostic, who grabbed three rebounds and sank three threes in 11 minutes, had a chance for a game-tying shot from beyond the arc with four seconds left, but it missed.
Looking ahead, BYU heads home for another exhibition on Friday against No. 25 North Carolina, with tip-off at 7 p.m. MDT at the Delta Center, followed by their season kickoff on Nov. 3 versus Villanova in Las Vegas.
But here's the controversial twist: With stars like Dybantsa and Mast dueling it out, some might argue that BYU's loss exposes a weak defense that could haunt them in conference play – or is it just preseason jitters that will iron out? And what about those predictions? Should BYU really be favored over Nebraska's underdogs? Do you think exhibitions like this truly prepare teams, or are they misleading? Share your thoughts in the comments – do you agree with the hype around these players, or disagree on what this game reveals about their potential?
