Jaden Bradley was named Big 12 Player of the Year yesterday, and AJ Dybantsa seems to have caught the news. BYU’s star freshman went for 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists as BYU beat Kansas State 105-91 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament Tuesday evening. AJ was just the second player ever to score 40+ in a Big 12 Tournament game and BYU’s 105 points set a Big 12 Tournament record.
BYU led just 50-49 at halftime behind some lackluster defense, but BYU’s offense didn’t let up and the defense improve in the second half as BYU grew its lead to 23 in the final minutes before Kansas State hit a few shots at the end.
Three other BYU players scored in double figures, including 15 from Kennard Davis, 14 from Rob Wright, and 11 from Alexsej Kostic. Khadim Mboup went for 8 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Dominique Diomande has his best game as a Coug with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Diomande got more run after Rob Wright left the game with about 10 minutes left and didn’t return after taking an elbow to the mouth. Diomande gave BYU a long lineup, and BYU stymied the Wildcats.
With the win, BYU avoids a bad loss and is in position to be a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. A win tomorrow against West Virginia would strengthen that case. The game tips off at 6pm CT on ESPN2.