AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders and Rob Wright III were all named to ESPN's top 100 players list for the 2025-26 season of NCAA men's basketball.
They were placed at No. 2, No. 23, and No. 52, respectively.
With all the top talent that coach Kevin Young has brought in, there is a real expectation of greatness for this year's squad. In Young's first year in charge, he led the team to a Sweet 16 appearance, making him only the third coach since 1981 to achieve this feat.
When asked about the pressure going into this season, Young said, "In some ways, it's more scary because we know what's coming."
Each of these three players on this list will play a crucial role in what Young looks to accomplish this season.
No. 52 Rob Wright III
The second-year transfer will add a new dynamic to Kevin's young offense this year. Coming off a great season a Baylor where he averaged 11.5 points per game along with 4.2 Assists, Wright is an excellent ball handler and passer. He will create lots of great opportunities for Dybansta and Saunders, but is also more than capable of adding to the scoring himself.
Saunders, when asked about guarding Wright in practice, called him a "nightmare" to defend.
The point guard will bring Big 12 experience to this team as a leader and primary ball handler. Look for the BYU offense to be run through him this season.
No. 23 Richie Saunders
MR. MONEY IN THE BANK pic.twitter.com/kFUohO96gr
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) October 10, 2025
Saunders, last year, unexpectedly became the Cougars' main man for much of the season. He led the team in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game, shooting 51.8% from the field.
Named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team with AJ, he has the most experience on this BYU team and will add more to the scoring column with his outside shooting and ability to get to the rim.
Jeff Borezello of ESPN said that "the preseason buzz about him is overwhelmingly positive."
No. 2 AJ Dybantsa
The hype surrounding Dybantsa in Provo has been present ever since BYU announced that they were landing the No. 1 player in the 2025 recruiting class.
Dybantsa certainly has a lot of pressure on his back with many analysts having him as the favorite for the No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft. Dybantsa, however, is much more focused on the job that he has in front of him this season.
"Everybody has a lot of expectations for me," Dybantsa said, "but my main thing is to win the Big 12, to win a national title."