Preview: No. 23 Wisconsin at No. 9 BYU
SALT LAKE CITY — Eight months later they meet again. After BYU knocked Wisconsin out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament Round of 32, the two schools will face off in a highly anticipated non-conference bout at the Delta Center.
The ninth-ranked Cougars (3-1) present a revenge opportunity of sorts for the 23rd ranked Badgers (4-0), but UW’s motivation for their first big test of the 2025-26 season is finding out where they stand nationally.
“I don’t know if there’s a chip on their shoulder,” UW head coach Greg Gard said. “They obviously know how good of a team they are. They obviously ended our season last year, but we have so much road in front of us. It’s a really important game, because it’s the next one and it’s against a terrific team in a semi-road environment.”
GAME INFO
TIME: 3 p.m. CT
WHERE: Delta Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)
TV: Peacock
STREAM: PEACOCK
VEGAS LINE: BYU – 5.5
SERIES HISTORY: Wisconsin leads 2-1
LAST MEETING: BYU won 91-89 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament Round of 32
NUMBERS TO KNOW
2: The Badgers have lost their last two games against ranked opponents.
4: Friday marks the fourth all-time meeting between BYU and Wisconsin.
5: A win would give the Badgers their second consecutive 5-0 start.
5: BYU head coach Kevin Young is 5-6 against ranked opponents.
15: Under Gard, UW has defeated 15 top-10 ranked teams.
STARTING LINEUPS
BYU
G Robert Wright (6-1 So.) – 17.8 ppg, 4.3 apg
G Richie Saunders (6-5 Sr.) – 19.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg
G A.J. Dybansta (6-9 Fr.) – 20.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg
F Mihailo Bošković (6-10 Sr.) – 3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F Keba Keita (6-8 Sr.) – 5.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
WISCONSIN
G Nick Boyd (6-2 Sr.) – 19.3 ppg, 2.3 apg
G John Blackwell (6-4 Jr.) – 18.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
G Andrew Rohde (6-5 Sr.) – 7.7 ppg, 1.7 apga
F Austin Rapp (6-10 So.) – 10.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Nolan Winter (7-0 Jr.) – 16.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg
WHAT TO WATCH
Can Wisconsin Slow Down Saunders?
We know Dybantsa is going to get his. Saunders was a difference-maker in last season’s win for BYU, scoring a team-high 25 points. The senior guard has been in double figures in all four games for the Cougars this season. When Saunders scores 20 or more points, BYU is 13-2 under Young.
Is Keita Healthy For Friday?
BYU has two key players who could miss Friday’s game. Keita suffered a concussion against UConn on Saturday. Young said earlier this week that the senior forward was still day-to-day. Meanwhile, junior forward Kennard Davis was arrested for DUI last week and isn’t expected to be available.
Will the Badgers Be Able to Settle in Defensively?
It took Wisconsin about 30 minutes before they were able to find some footing defensively in the March defeat. Despite scoring 53 second-half points, UW couldn’t overcome a 14-point deficit as BYU shot 49 percent from the field, including a blistering 46 percent from 3-point range.
PREDICTION
Bart Torvik gives Wisconsin a 42 percent chance of winning and predicts a 79-77 win for BYU.
The Badgers have won all four of its games by an average of 28.3 points. Safe to say that won’t happen on Friday. On one hand, this is a revenge spot for UW. On the other, the Cougars have been tested a lot early. The Badgers have not.
This is a pair of top 10 KenPom offenses. Like last season’s duel, I expect a track meet with both teams trying to outscore rather than stop each other.
I’m going to bank on Keita playing. If not, that probably changes my pick as BYU isn’t a deep team as it is. Keita’s presence also forces a three-point-heavy team to play outside-in. The Cougars have a tendency to start slow. If the Badgers don’t jump on them early, I’d question their ability to win this one.
This game feels very close on paper. There’s not a lot separating these two teams. As much as I love picking the team that lost the first meeting, I’m going to go with the squad that’s been tested early in what’s essentially a home game.
BYU 88 Wisconsin 85
