BYU Riding Momentum, But Depth Concerns Loom Ahead of Clash with California Baptist
No. 9 BYU has turned the Delta Center into something of a fortress this season - and they’re hoping that trend continues Wednesday night when they host California Baptist in Salt Lake City. It’ll be the Cougars’ third game on the Utah Jazz’s home floor this fall, and so far, they’ve made it count.
BYU already notched two impressive wins at the Delta Center: a tight 78-76 exhibition win over North Carolina in October and a dominant 98-70 blowout of Wisconsin in late November. Now, they return riding a three-game winning streak and holding a 6-1 record, but they’ll face a California Baptist squad that’s already shown it won’t be an easy out - especially for a team still figuring out its rotation.
BYU’s Second-Half Surges Power Tournament Title
The Cougars are coming off a strong showing at the ESPN Events Invitational, where they took down Miami and Dayton to claim the tournament crown. But what really stood out wasn’t just the wins - it was how they got them.
In both games, BYU trailed at halftime. Then, like flipping a switch, they came out in the second half and looked like a different team.
Across those two contests, the Cougars averaged 48 points after the break while shooting a scorching 61.1% from the field. From deep?
Even better - they hit an average of 6.5 threes on 61.9% shooting from beyond the arc in the second half alone.
“We started off pretty slow and I feel like we picked it up in the second half,” freshman guard Rob Wright III said after the 72-62 win over Miami.
That second-half firepower has been enough to carry them so far, but the slow starts are becoming a pattern - and that’s where the concern starts to creep in.
Depth Becoming a Real Issue
There’s no question that BYU’s top trio - Wright, Richie Saunders, and AJ Dybantsa - can score with anyone. But beyond those three, the drop-off has been steep.
That lack of bench production came to a head in the win over Dayton, where BYU didn’t get a single point from its reserves. That marked the first time the Cougars failed to record a bench point in a game since 2018.
“Hopefully it’s a one-off thing,” head coach Kevin Young said after the game. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about it.”
The issue only gets more pressing with the loss of sixth man Dawson Baker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Miami. Baker confirmed via Instagram that he tore his ACL and lateral meniscus, among other damage - a brutal blow for a player who had already battled through multiple injuries in his college career.
“This will now be the fifth time that I’ve had to start everything all over again,” Baker wrote. “Through all the heartbreak, tears and surgeries, this has been the hardest on me by far.”
Without Baker, BYU’s already thin bench gets even thinner, and that puts more pressure on the starters to carry the load - especially against teams that can go deeper into their rotation.
California Baptist Brings a Challenge
Don’t let the name fool you - California Baptist isn’t just showing up to Salt Lake City to be a footnote. The Lancers are 7-1 and come in battle-tested after pushing Colorado to the brink on Monday night. In fact, they led for most of that game before the Buffaloes stormed back with a 16-0 second-half run to escape with a 78-70 win.
The Lancers built a 14-point lead in the first half and still held a two-point edge at halftime. Dominique Daniels Jr. led the way with 25 points on 7-of-19 shooting, showing he’s more than capable of creating his own offense against high-major competition.
What’s more, California Baptist had won the rebounding battle in every game this season - until Colorado edged them 41-35. That stat alone speaks to the Lancers’ physicality and effort on the glass, and it’s something BYU will need to match, especially with their rotation shortened by injury.
This will be the first-ever meeting between BYU and California Baptist, and while the Cougars will be favored at home, they’ll need to bring a full 40-minute effort - not just a second-half surge - if they want to keep their Delta Center dominance intact.
With Big 12 play looming and depth already being tested, this midweek matchup could tell us a lot about how BYU handles adversity going forward.