BYU basketball to honor Richie Saunders, others, on Senior Night – Deseret News
Lack of protection, rebounding and overall effort have been the principle causes for the BYU males’s basketball crew’s collapse the previous few weeks because the Cougars have gone about playing without star senior Richie Saunders.
But coach Kevin Young’s squad can be clearly lacking some offensive firepower from guys not named AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III.
Amid the current three-game losing streakHowever, freshman Aleksej Kostic has emerged as a doable third scoring choice. The 6-foot-4 taking pictures guard from Austria by means of the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions of the Austrian Superliga has scored in double figures in these three video games, nearly totally from the 3-point line.
Kostic has gone 12 of 24 from 3-point vary and scored 40 factors within the final three video games, losses to UCF, West Virginia and Cincinnati.
“I just always believe in myself, believe in my work, and am just trying to step up into a bigger role since we lost so many players, and also trying to use the opportunity coach gave me,” Kostic instructed the Deseret News after scoring 14 points against Cincinnati.
During his coaches present Thursday evening, Young credited former BYU star Charles Abouonow a graduate assistant on the teaching workers, “for keeping him in a space where he is very confident.”
Kostic’s position has elevated since Saunders went down with a season-ending ACL harm in BYU’s first possession towards Colorado on Feb. 14. He scored 6 factors and performed quarter-hour towards the Buffaloes, his most enjoying time since he had 15 factors in 22 minutes in a December win over UC Riverside.
“He’s been a bright spot, no question. His ability to come in and stretch the floor has helped,” Young stated. “He’s playing with a high, high level of confidence. … He’s been really good.”
When BYU signed Kostic again in July as the ultimate addition to the 2025-26 roster, it was extra of an insurance coverage coverage than anything. After all, the Cougars already had a number of skilled guards of their anticipated rotation, most notably returning senior Dawson Baker and UC Riverside switch Nate Pickens.
Pickens suffered an harm that required season-ending surgical procedure earlier than the season started, whereas Baker was misplaced within the Miami sport in November. When Saunders went down, Kostic’s minutes went up, understandably.
“He puts the work in. That’s something that I love about him,” Young stated. “He wasn’t expected to come in and get as big of a role. But just given the situation we are in (he has). He is the epitome of a ‘stay ready so you don’t have to get ready’ guy. He has been great for us, and we are going to continue to need him.”
BYU hosts No. 10 Texas Tech on Senior Night
BYU (20-10, 8-9) will honor Saunders, Keba Keita, Mihailo Boskovic and walk-on Jared McGregor On Saturday evening earlier than it hosts No. 10 Texas Tech (22-8, 12-5) on the Marriott Center. Tipoff is at 8:30 pm and the regular-season finale for each groups can be televised by ESPN.
That Baker and Pickens are usually not scheduled to be honored most definitely implies that they plan to return to school basketball, presumably at BYU. Obviously, the majority of the highlight can be on Saunders, a rare bird who performed for the Cougars all 4 seasons of his excellent school profession.
Saunders graduates and strikes on to skilled basketball as some of the beloved Cougars ever.
“I am excited for our seniors to be honored,” Young stated. “They all deserve it, and it should be a great night.”
What’s at stake for backsliding BYU?
Regardless of what occurs Saturday, BYU will play in a Big 12 event first-round sport Tuesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Entering the weekend, BYU was tied with West Virginia for ninth place within the league standings. If the Mountaineers beat UCF Friday evening in Morgantown, they’ll get the No. 9 seed within the convention event and BYU will get the No. 10 seed and face No. 15 seed Kansas State within the first spherical at 5 pm MST Tuesday.
If West Virginia loses and BYU beats Texas Tech, the Cougars would get the No. 9 seed and would play No. 16 seed Utah at 1 pm MST on Tuesday in Kansas City.
Young stated Thursday evening that the losing skid has not divided the team.
“The thing I love about our group is it hasn’t turned the team apart,” Young stated. “The last road trip was difficult, but guys are in a great place.”
