College Basketball: Previewing Saturday's Byu-texas Tech Game

1 jam yang lalu

We're now a mates of weeks into convention play and, pinch that, immoderate players are solidifying themselves astatine nan apical of nan assemblage hoops crippled while others are emerging arsenic prospects to watch.

Today's slate of assemblage hoops features galore unthinkable matchups, including Kentucky-Tennessee, Florida-Vanderbilt, Michigan-Oregon, Arkansas-Georgia, Duke-Stanford, Saint Mary's-Santa Clara, and BYU-Texas Tech. Here's who to watch successful today's matchup wherever BYU heads to Lubbock, Texas to look Texas Tech.

BYU Cougars

Jan 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars defender Richie Saunders (15) drives to nan handbasket against nan TCU Horned Frogs during nan first half astatine Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

BYU is highlighted by nary different than projected top-three prime AJ Dybantsa. The prolific freshman is averaging 23.1 points, 3.7 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per crippled while shooting 73.9% astatine nan rim (92 attempts), 51.6% connected non-rim twos (95 attempts), 32% from 3 (50 attempts), and 75.9% from nan free propulsion statement (145 attempts). He's besides signaling a 5.4 violative rebound percentage, 17.7 protect rebound percentage, 2.5 bargain percentage, and a 1.6 artifact percentage.

Dybantsa is 1 of nan astir talented players and talented scorers successful assemblage hoops -- he's been unassisted connected 69.2% of his made section goals this play while besides assisting connected an estimated 22.5% of his teammates' made section goals while connected nan floor.

The projected top-three prime is connected gait to meet nan Productive Young Athlete query this season, a period successful which 65 of nan 84 players (77%) who person met nan aforesaid criteria person played five-plus years successful nan NBA aliases are presently successful nan league.

Richie Saunders is different subordinate to item -- nan 6-foot-5, 200-pound elder defender is averaging 19.3 points while shooting 39.7% from beyond nan arc connected 12.2 3 constituent attempts per 100 possessions.

Other players to show for BYU see Xavion Staton, Keba Keita, and Rob Wright.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Jan 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defender Christian Anderson (4) drives pinch nan shot arsenic Houston Cougars defender Milos Uzan (7) defends during nan first half astatine Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

This Red Raiders squad is led by an awesome duo of Christian Anderson and JT Toppin.

Christian Anderson

Anderson is simply a 6-foot-2, 165-pound sophomore who's averaging 19.7 points, 7.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per crippled while shooting 68.8% astatine nan rim (48 attempts), 45.3% connected non-rim twos (53 attempts), 43.1% from 3 (130 attempts), and 74.6% from nan free propulsion statement (71 attempts).

Anderson was awesome arsenic a freshman -- beneath is simply a quote from a erstwhile article I wrote connected Anderson from August 2025 highlighting 2 under-the-radar prospects to watch heading into this play (the different subordinate being Cameron Carr):

Anderson, a rising sophomore for nan Red Raiders, is simply a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard. He's a highly skilled subordinate pinch morganatic trade to his game. Anderson is not concerningly undersized height-wise (6-foot-2 is not historically detrimental to nan probability of sticking successful nan NBA), but he has a thin framework he needs to proceed to build out. The imaginable 2026 draught prime tin deed catch-and-shoot threes (39.7% connected 126 catch-and-shoot attempts), is speedy downhill retired of nan pick-and-roll, and is simply a coagulated pick-and-roll playmaker (84th percentile successful Points Per Possession successful Pick-and-Roll Plus Passes possessions connected a sample size of 210 possessions).

Additionally, Anderson's expertise to sprout disconnected nan dribble was noticeable past play and will beryllium judge to service him good against driblet successful nan pick-and-roll aliases erstwhile self-creating. The rising sophomore converted 54.3% of his disconnected nan dribble twos (35 attempts) and 33.9% of his disconnected nan dribble threes (62 attempts). His wide live-dribble passing and on-ball defense looked for illustration it had room to grow, however.

Jordan Monaco

While Anderson popped connected movie past season, he's exceeding almost each expectations this play by becoming a existent violative motor for nan No. 15 squad successful nan state -- he's been unassisted connected 70% of his made section goals truthful acold this play while assisting an estimated 33.9% of his teammates' made section goals erstwhile connected nan level this season.

Anderson is connected gait to meet nan Productive Sophomore Query, a period successful which 32 of nan 47 (68%) of nan erstwhile players who person met nan criteria played five-plus years successful nan NBA aliases are presently successful nan league.

JT Toppin

The 2nd half of nan Texas Tech duo, Toppin has antecedently met some nan Productive Young Athlete and nan Productive Sophomore queries mentioned above. He's averaging 21.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per crippled this play while signaling a 14.9 violative rebound percentage, 13.7 assistance percentage, 1.9 bargain percentage, and a 5.8 artifact percnetage.

Other players to show connected Texas Tech see Luke Bamgboye and Josiah Moseley.

Selengkapnya