Rob Wright Returns to Waco as BYU Looks to Halt Slide Against Baylor
WACO, Texas - When BYU travels to Baylor on Tuesday night, there’s more than just a basketball game on the line. Sure, there’s the storyline of Rob Wright III returning to face his former team - and yes, that matters. But for a BYU squad that’s dropped four straight and is trying to keep its season from spiraling, this Big 12 matchup at Foster Pavilion carries weight well beyond any personal reunion.
Let’s start with the obvious: Wright’s return to Waco is bound to stir emotions. The sophomore guard, who earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors last season as a Bear, transferred to BYU in a move that didn’t sit well with Baylor fans or head coach Scott Drew. That backdrop adds some tension to Tuesday’s tip-off, but for Wright, it’s strictly business.
“It’s just about trying to get a win,” Wright said after BYU’s recent loss to No. 8 Houston.
No added drama. No revenge tour.
Just a team trying to stop the bleeding.
And BYU needs that win in the worst way.
After starting the season 16-1 and climbing into the national rankings, the Cougars have hit a wall in Big 12 play. They’ve lost four straight - their longest skid since February 2023 - and now sit at 5-5 in the conference, 17-6 overall. A loss Tuesday would make it five in a row, something the program hasn’t experienced since the 2004-05 season back in the Mountain West.
The Cougars’ most recent setback came in a 77-66 loss to Houston, a game where they hung tough but couldn’t finish. Head coach Kevin Young pointed to missed free throws and second-chance points as the difference, but he also made it clear: “They beat us.
Let me be very clear. I’m not a moral victory guy.”
At the same time, Young sees the bigger picture. BYU has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the country - UConn, Arizona, Houston, Texas Tech - and hasn’t looked out of place. That’s encouraging, but close losses don’t help the standings.
“We’re still pounding the rock,” Young said. “That thing’s gonna break eventually.”
For BYU, that breakthrough needs to happen soon. The Cougars are still in a solid spot analytically - No. 18 in the NET rankings, No. 22 in KenPom, and a 4-6 record in Quad 1 games - but their margin for error is shrinking. If they want to stay in the mix for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, they’ve got to start stacking wins again.
That brings us back to Wright, who’s been everything BYU hoped for and more. With backcourt mates Nate Pickens and Dawson Baker sidelined for the season, Wright has stepped into a leadership role and hasn’t looked back.
He leads the team in minutes (33.9 per game), is third in scoring (17.3 ppg), and tops the Cougars in assists (5.1 apg). He’s also shooting a blistering 44.1% from beyond the arc - best on the team.
When he committed to BYU last spring, Wright cited two major reasons: the chance to play alongside freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa - who’s leading the nation in scoring at 24.0 points per game - and the program’s NBA-focused development approach. NIL wasn’t a major factor, he says. It was about growth and opportunity.
“My year at Baylor, it was good,” Wright said. “There were a lot of ups and downs… but I just felt like I was ready for something different.”
Different, indeed. Provo and Waco are both college towns, but Wright says the vibe in Provo is more laid-back, and the fanbase has been incredibly supportive.
That doesn’t mean Tuesday’s return to Waco will be easy. Baylor fans haven’t forgotten, and the Foster Pavilion crowd is expected to be vocal.
BYU coach Kevin Young isn’t worried about Wright getting rattled.
“He’s got a great demeanor,” Young said. “But at the same time, he poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that program, and I’m sure he’ll have some kind of feelings headed back there.”
Baylor, for its part, has had a rocky season of its own. After a 1-7 start in conference play, the Bears have found a bit of rhythm lately. They’re still just 13-10 overall and 3-8 in the Big 12, but they’re trending in the right direction - and they remember last year’s 93-89 overtime loss in Provo.
That game was a shootout. Tuesday’s rematch might not reach those heights, but it’ll have no shortage of emotion or urgency.
For BYU, this is about more than Wright’s homecoming. It’s about salvaging a season that once looked like it could end with a deep March run.
The Cougars are still in the mix, still respected nationally, and still dangerous. But the clock is ticking.
Tuesday night in Waco could be the moment they start climbing again - or the point where the slide continues. Either way, we’ll learn a lot about who BYU really is.