KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU basketball took center stage at Big 12 Media Day at the T-Mobile Center.
The Cougars were picked to finish second in the preseason Big 12 coaches poll. It shows how far BYU has come since joining the Big 12.
Two years ago, BYU was a preseason 13th-place pick in a 14-team league. Fast forward to the 2025-26 season, BYU is one of the top stories in the Big 12 as a preseason Top 10 team in the AP Top 25, and boasting one of the top players in the country in freshman AJ Dybantsa.
Here are some notes from the day at Big 12 Basketball Media Day with BYU hoops.
Not the “toy poodle league”
BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young participated in a roundtable discussion with seven other Big 12 coaches. It was a chance for the league’s coaches to prop up the conference.
When asked for his thoughts on the league, Young, who has primarily spent his career in pro basketball, pulled from Houston coach Kelvin Sampson to describe the Big 12 last year at the Final Four.
“It’s not the toy poodle league, as he said, I think, in the postseason last year. And he’s right. This is a man’s game,” Young said. “And that was something I learned quickly last year. Almost every Big 12 game feels like a tournament game, so you have to bring it every night.”
Kelvin Sampson pointed out Kevin Young
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has built a powerhouse with the Coogs. Since joining the Big 12 in 2023, Houston has won back-to-back outright Big 12 regular-season titles.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson at Big 12 Media Day:
“One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about being in the Big 12 is watching these new coaches come in. And see the success they’re having like what Kevin (Young) is doing at BYU. I think that’s great for our conference.” pic.twitter.com/6TFgt5daXo
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 22, 2025
During his made-for-TV roundtable at Media Day, Samspon called out Kevin Young and the work he’s putting in at BYU.
“One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about being in the Big 12 is watching these new coaches come in,” Sampson said. “And see the success they’re having, like what Kevin (Young) is doing at BYU. I think that’s great for our conference.”
BYU hosts Houston at the Marriott Center on February 7.
Personnel Update
Kevin Young told KSL Sports that BYU senior Dawson Baker participated in “live work” on Tuesday and that he is “progressing really well.”
As for UC Riverside transfer guard Nate Pickens, Young noted that Pickens is on a “slower” track to returning to the court from an undisclosed injury.
BYU basketball hangs out with puppies
One thing that the Big 12 Media Day events are known for is side attractions.
Among the stations at Media Day was a spot with puppies—players from all sixteen Big 12 teams spent time with puppies from Best Friends Animal Society.
Cats and dogs can get along. pic.twitter.com/mhI1xnC1Qx
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 22, 2025
KSL Sports saw BYU’s Richie Saunders and Rob Wright interacting with the puppies. Rob Wright noted his favorite type of dog is a golden retriever.
Richie Saunders said he had never had a pet dog before, so holding a puppy was new to him.
Then, the BYU mascot, Cosmo, got in the mix and held a puppy as well, proving that cats and dogs can get along.
AJ Dybantsa draws up a play for Kevin Durant
A credentialed media member had a whiteboard for players to draw up plays. He approached BYU star AJ Dybantsa and asked him to draw up a play for Dybantsa’s favorite player, Kevin Durant, going 94 feet with eight seconds remaining.
Dybantsa then grabbed the marker and started drawing up a play like he was Kevin Young, and he called the play for Durant, “Get him the ball.”
Lethal Shooter: I understand it now
The Big 12 hired some social media influencers to create content during Big 12 Media Day. One of those influencers was a basketball content creator, “Lethal Shooter.”
“I understand it now.”
BYU hoops with @LethalShooter__ at Big 12 Media Day. pic.twitter.com/CxEVrqIe3T
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 22, 2025
Chris Matthews is his real name, and he creates content where he can get buckets on any hoop or playing surface at a high clip.
Matthews made his way out to Provo over the summer to work with AJ Dybantsa for a day. Red Bull sponsors both individuals.
Dybantsa and his BYU teammates took the time to get a photo with Matthews.
G-League players to college basketball
There’s a lot of talk in college basketball right now about G-League players being able to play in college. Louisville signed former G-League player London Johnson, and it’s caused a firestorm of reactions around college hoops, most notably from Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
BYU head coach Kevin Young is supportive of G-League players coming to college basketball. He compared it to European prospects who play professionally overseas, joining college basketball.
Coincidentally, BYU is currently in the mix for a Winchester Knicks player Abdullah Ahmed. He has a top three of BYU, Houston, and Mississippi State.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
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