No. 9 BYU Dominates No. 23 Wisconsin, 98-70
The Wisconsin Badgers suffered their first loss of the 2025-26 college basketball season, falling to No. 9 BYU, 98-70. On Friday, the No. 23 team in the country was outmatched in almost every way, struggling on both ends of the floor.
The Cougars lit it up from three, posting 48-41-76 shooting splits. They dominated at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, while the Badgers couldn’t seem to find a consistent rhythm with 38-24-65 shooting splits.
Wisconsin Let Up an Ugly First Half
The game got ugly right away, with BYU going on a 13-0 run in the middle of the first half to take a commanding lead. Wisconsin looked extremely uncomfortable, shooting 3-16 from three in the first 20 minutes. There were misses on easy layups and too many forced shots against a great defensive team.
Braedon Carrington (14 points) and Nolan Winter (14 points, 14 rebounds) helped mitigate the bleeding throughout, but AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders picked their spots perfectly. The Cougars were clearly hunting for switches and paint touches, shooting 53% from the field in the first half.
A Small Badger Run Was Countered and Stomped On
The Badgers began the second half with a fire lit under them, trading baskets with BYU through the first five minutes. There was serious life after the break, but the Cougars simply knew how to counter, even with Dybantsa in foul trouble. They remained poised and got open looks, particularly from Saunders. Robert Wright III did a great job facilitating with 11 assists.
However, BYU ended up on yet another run halfway through the second half, going up by as many as 20 points without its generational prospect. From there, the game would get even uglier with Dybantsa back in the game.
Wisconsin would get good production from Nick Boyd (16 points, two steals), but the clean looks couldn’t fall. He, too, would end up in foul trouble. The team finished with 12 turnovers, throwing careless passes and getting overwhelmed by BYU’s size and physicality.
The issue, more than anything, was the defense. The Badgers were out-rebounded 44-39, but it felt worse than that. The Cougars got plenty of paint touches and second-chance opportunities. Saunders would finish with 26 points, knocking down five threes.
Key Badgers Struggled, While BYU’s NBA Prospect Flourished
Dybantsa would follow with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists. Wisconsin got a firsthand look at the immense hype surrounding a future NBA player looking to turn around a franchise as he utilized his slashing ability to his full advantage. The 6-foot-9 wing was drawing fouls and scoring in the paint at a high level.
John Blackwell (14 points, 3-13 FG) and Austin Rapp (two points, 0-7 FG) would struggle tremendously, as Winter logged his third double-double of the season. He, Boyd and Carrington were the only real bright spots in an ugly game. Wisconsin fell behind before ‘garbage time,’ giving up 42 points in the final 13 minutes.
The Badgers are 4-1 entering their next matchup against Providence on Nov. 27. They’ll take on the Friars in San Diego for the Rady Children’s Invitational.
