BYU Basketball’s Bench Faces Big Questions - and Big Opportunities - Ahead of Big 12 Play
If you’ve been following BYU men’s basketball this season, there’s one topic that keeps coming up in every press conference and media session: the bench. Head coach Kevin Young is fielding plenty of questions about his second unit - and with good reason.
Two key rotation players, Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens, were expected to bring scoring punch and depth off the bench this year. Both are now out for the season with injuries, and that’s left the Cougars searching for answers - and consistency - from the rest of their reserves.
Bench Production: A Mixed Bag So Far
Through the first ten games of the season, BYU’s bench is averaging 14.8 points per game while logging about 58.7 of the 200 available minutes. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not the kind of production that screams “deep tournament team” - at least not yet.
The highs and lows have been dramatic. Against Dayton - in the immediate aftermath of Baker’s injury - the bench didn’t score a single point. But just a few games later, the second unit exploded for 36 points in a dominant win over UC Riverside.
In the Cougars’ come-from-behind win over Clemson at Madison Square Garden, the bench played a season-low 29 minutes and scored just two points. That night, the starters carried the load - AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright, Kennard Davis, and Richie Saunders all logged 30+ minutes. In the second half alone, the starters were on the floor for 94 of the 100 available minutes.
It’s a reminder that while depth matters, trust in the starting five is still the foundation. Still, when bench players are called on, they’ve got to be ready to make their minutes count - even if it’s just one second. Literally.
One Second, One Play, One Win
Take Mihailo Boskovic, for example. He played just one second against Clemson, but it was a critical second - he inbounded the ball to Wright for the game-winning buzzer-beater. That’s the kind of locked-in execution coaches dream about from their role players.
Emerging Contributors: Mboup and Kostic Step Up
Redshirt freshman Khadim Mboup has been one of the more consistent presences off the bench. Typically the first big off the pine to spell Keba Keita, Mboup brought real energy on Saturday, notching the first double-double of his career with 12 points and 10 rebounds. That kind of performance - hustle, rebounding, interior scoring - is exactly what BYU needs from its frontcourt depth.
Then there’s freshman guard Aleksej Kostic, who had his breakout moment against UC Riverside. Kostic came off the bench and drilled five straight three-pointers, finishing with a career-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from deep. That’s the kind of microwave scoring that can swing a game - and maybe even a season.
“Shot making is a beautiful thing,” Young said postgame. “That’s why we brought him here. We felt like it was a matter of time before he had a game like this.”
Young sees Kostic as a hybrid between last year’s sharpshooter Trevin Knell and the injured Dawson Baker - a guy who can shoot it but also handle the ball off the bounce. That versatility could be a major asset, especially when Rob Wright needs a breather.
“If he can do that next to AJ [Dybantsa], I like that pairing,” Young added.
The Home Stretch Before Big 12 Play
With a four-game home stand underway, Young is using this stretch to evaluate his bench closely. Mboup and Kostic have carved out roles, but others - including Boskovic, Tyler Mrus, Dominic Diamonde, and Xavion Staton - are likely to see more minutes as the staff figures out who can contribute when the lights get brighter in Big 12 play.
“It’s definitely got to give them confidence,” said Dybantsa. “League play is tough.
People get in foul trouble, stuff happens. The bench has got to be ready.”
Young’s message to his reserves is simple: do what you do best.
“I just told them in the locker room: do whatever you’re good at,” he said. “Khadim comes in, he’s an energy guy.
He played with energy and gets a double-double. Aleksej is a shooter - you’ve got to come in and make shots.
Just do your job. Sports is a brutal world - you’ve got to produce.
Now the challenge is to do it consistently.”
Scouting Pacific: A Test Before Conference Play
Next up for BYU is Pacific, an 8-3 team that’s quietly put together a solid non-conference résumé. Coached by Dave Smart - a Canadian coaching legend with 656 career wins at Carleton University - the Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the WCC but are playing above expectations.
Pacific’s three losses came against Nevada (78-77), Florida Atlantic (82-59), and Cal (67-61). They’re coming off a 104-50 blowout win over NAIA Simpson University.
Fifth-year senior Elias Ralph leads the Tigers with 16.8 points per game and dropped 31 in a win over Air Force. Meanwhile, 6-foot-11 Dayton transfer Isaac Jack is quietly putting together a monster season inside, shooting a ridiculous 82% from the field and coming off a 10-for-10, 20-point, 10-rebound performance against Simpson.
Game Info
**No. 10 BYU (9-1) vs.
Pacific (8-3)**
When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
MT
Where: Marriott Center, Provo
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: KSL 102.7 FM / 1160 AM, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143
Live Stats: byucougars.com
The Bottom Line
BYU has won six straight and 23 consecutive non-conference games at home. They also hold an 18-7 all-time edge over Pacific, including a 9-2 mark in Provo. The Cougars won 15 of 19 meetings when both teams were in the WCC, including an 81-66 win in 2023.
But as Big 12 play looms, the focus isn’t just on wins - it’s on growth. And for BYU, that means figuring out what this bench can be.
There’s talent. There’s potential.
Now it’s about building trust and finding consistency. Because come January, the margin for error shrinks - and every minute, every second, matters.