BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts after a play in the first half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament. Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

AJ Dybantsa's massive game can't save No. 6 BYU from upset loss

By Sean Keane | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 10:44 PM ET

Only one freshman in history scored more points in their first NCAA Tournament game than AJ Dybantsa did Thursday. It wasn't enough to keep No. 6 BYU from losing to No. 11 Texas, 79-71.

Dybantsa scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, accounting for nearly half of the Cougars' 71 points. But he shot just 1-for-7 from behind the arc as part of BYU's 4-for-22 effort on threes as the Longhorns knocked out the NCAA's top scorer and the potential No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft.

BYU Cougars couldn't give AJ Dybantsa enough help

Dybantsa led the NCAA in scoring with 25.3 points and put up 20 points before halftime in Thursday's loss. But BYU felt the absence of Richie Saunders, the team's third-leading scorer (18 PPG) who tore his ACL one month ago. The Cougars were 19-6 before the injury and went 4-6 on their final 10 games.

Still, it didn't look like the Longhorns had any answer for Dybantsa. During an interview with Texas coach Sean Miller, he responded to a question about how they could slow down Dybantsa by acknowledging, "I don't think we can."

“Coach, AJ Dybantsa’s already got 14, what are you asking your team to try to do to slow him down?”

Sean Miller: “I don’t think we can.” pic.twitter.com/go6VpXt6X9
— CBB Kings (@CBBKings) March 20, 2026

Dybantsa kept scoring, but so did the Longhorns. Even when the 6-foot-9 forward made spectacular plays, it couldn't get his team all the way back against a Texas team that squeaked by North Carolina State in a First Four game Tuesday, 68-66.

AJ DYBANTSA WITH THE TWO-HAND REVERSE @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/ndGhR6PM0K
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2026

Center Matas Vokietaitis dominated BYU

Seven-foot Lithuanian center Matas Vokietaitis was the difference for Texas. He scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, nine on the offensive end. BYU simply couldn't counter his size and the second-chance points he provided ruined their strong defensive efforts.

Texas also got 19 points from Tramon Mack, who hit the game-winning shot Tuesday with 1.1 seconds left. The senior guard made three three-pointers, one fewer than BYU's entire team, and blocked four shots, same as the full Cougars team.

Dybantsa did everything an NBA team could have wanted too see Thursday — except win the game. He'll finish his career with one of the most impressive freshman seasons in recent memory, and likely will have regrets about his season ending too soon.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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