BYU Ends Season with Disappointing First Round Exit to Texas
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars dribbles the ball while being guarded by Tramon Mark #12 of the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images AJ Dybantsa tried to will BYU to a win, but the Cougars didn’t get enough from outside AJ and fell to Texas 79-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Missed threes and BYU’s inability to slow down Texas big man Motas Vokietaitis were two of the Cougars’ down falls.
Motas had a double-double in the first half with 15 points and 10 rebounds and finished the game with 23 points and 17 rebounds. BYU as a team shot 4-22 from three compared to 8-22 from Texas. Motas was 3-11 from the foul line and opened the door for BYU to get back in the game in the final 90 seconds, but two empty possessions for BYU down 75-71 closed the door on any comeback attempt.
BYU had several injuries this season, but this season is arguably the most disappointing season in program history. AJ was every bit as good as advertised, but the Cougs weren’t good enough defensively and didn’t get enough for anyone outside of AJ to make BYU a serious threat against tournament-caliber teams.