Pacific takes on No. 10 BYU tonight as Cougars push for bench development in Provo, and the reserves might steal the show

Pacific takes on No. 10 BYU tonight in Provo as the Cougars push their bench development agenda. Coach Kevin Young wants to see his reserve players continue growing before Big 12 competition begins.

Bench Development Becomes Key Focus for BYU

Kevin Young has made bench growth a priority heading into Big 12 play. The No. 10 Cougars demonstrated that capability Saturday when reserves contributed 36 points in a dominant home victory.

The development of Aleksej Kostic has become especially important. Young described the freshman as “a hybrid between Trevin Knell from last year and Dawson Baker“. Kostic shot 5-of-8 from three-point range while adding four assists in just 22 minutes of playing time.

Young explained Kostic‘s development is critical after Dawson Baker suffered a torn ACL. “If he can play off the dribble next to A.J. Dybantsa, that’ll be a huge weapon for us,” the coach said.

Red-Shirt Freshman Mboup Stepping Up Off the Bench

Khadim Mboup, a red-shirt freshman, posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double on 5-of-8 shooting against the Highlanders. His energy and effort embody Young‘s coaching philosophy for reserve players.

“I tell the bench guys whatever they are good at, go do that,” Young explained. “Khadim is an energy guy, so come in and play with energy. Aleksej is a shooter so he’s got to make shots.”

Young emphasized the importance of production on a consistent basis. “Sports is a brutal world because you’ve got to produce,” he said, noting the challenge for reserves is duplicating their effort night after night.

Pacific Tigers Enter on Hot Streak

Stat	Pacific	BYU
Record	8-3	9-1
Recent Form	Won 5 of 6	Won 2 straight
Leading Scorer	Elias Ralph (16.8 PPG)	AJ Dybantsa (27.0 PPG this week)
All-Time Series	Trailed 18-7	Led 18-7

Pacific rolled into Provo off a 104-50 home win against Simpson University on Saturday. TJ Wainwright, a senior transfer from Long Beach State, scored a game-high 22 points while Isaac Jack contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Tigers have won 5 of their last 6 games, with their only setback a 67-61 loss to Cal on December 6. Coach Dave Smart‘s team showed resilience in that contest, having a chance to tie with seconds remaining.

AJ Dybantsa Earns National Recognition

AJ Dybantsa was named the Lute Olson Award National Player of the Week after his performances against Clemson and UC Riverside. The freshman phenom averaged 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 58.8% from the field.

His 26-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist performance against UC Riverside on Saturday marked just the second player this season to achieve a 25/5/5/5 line. Dybantsa has now recorded 20 or more points in five games this season, tying Eric Mika and Yoeli Childs for the fifth-most by a freshman in BYU program history.

BYU extended its non-conference home win streak to 23 games Saturday, the ninth-longest streak in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Coach Young improved to 18-2 at the Marriott Center, the second-most wins by a head coach in his first 20 games at the arena since it opened in 1971-72.

Can BYU Maintain Bench Momentum Against Strong Pacific Squad?

Pacific presents a motivated opponent that has shown it can compete with strong programs. The Tigers tested themselves against Cal earlier this month, keeping things close against a Power Five school.

BYU holds an 18-7 all-time advantage over Pacific, including a 9-2 record in Provo. The Cougars have won 6 straight against the Tigers at home, most recently 81-66 on February 4, 2023, in their final West Coast Conference meeting.

The focus on bench development provides Young with an opportunity to evaluate rotations before Big 12 play intensifies. Kostic and Mboup‘s growth could prove invaluable as BYU faces elite conference competition. Watch whether these reserves can replicate Saturday’s performance in front of the Marriott Center crowd.

Sources

• CBS Sports – Bench growth focus and player performance analysis
• BYU Official Athletics – Schedule confirmation and team records
• ESPN – Game preview and matchup information