‘We’re just rolling at the right time’: Battle-tested BYU readies for NCAA Tournament matchup with Texas
The Cougars' past hardships have become something of a blessing ahead of the Big Dance, where they’ll face 11-seeded Texas Thursday in Portland.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, right, reacts beside guard Jared McGregor (51) during a practice the day before a first-round college basketball game against Texas in the NCAA Tournament held at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. , on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News PORTLAND — BYU’s road to the NCAA Tournament has been anything but smooth.
The Cougars have dealt with an abundance of adversity. There have been injuries, inconsistency and other instances of drama. At one point, BYU lost nine of 13 games, dropping out of the national rankings after opening the season ranked at No.
8. But for the Cougars, their past hardships have become something of a blessing ahead of the Big Dance, where they’ll face 11-seeded Texas Thursday evening at the Moda Center in Portland. “I think we just persevered,” BYU star AJ Dybantsa told reporters Wednesday in Portland.
“A lot of teams deal with injuries, a lot of teams deal with a lot of things. We had about four season-ending injuries. We still persevered and showed we’re resilient, we still made it this far.
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