From Rock Bottom to Rising Star: Richie Saunders’ Journey to BYU Greatness
When Richie Saunders first suited up for BYU as a freshman, the Cougars were in a tough spot. That 2022-23 squad struggled through a rebuilding year, finishing with a losing record in the West Coast Conference - the first time that had ever happened.
No postseason. No March magic.
Just growing pains.
Fast forward four years, and Saunders has become the heartbeat of a nationally ranked BYU team with Final Four aspirations. He’s gone from a role player on a struggling squad to a veteran leader with All-Big 12 honors, a Sweet 16 appearance, and 1,544 career points - seventh-most by any Cougar since 2000. In short, he’s become one of the winningest players in recent program history.
And he’s done it the hard way.
“I think back to one of the lows of losing at Pepperdine,” Saunders said recently on BYU Basketball with Kevin Young, referencing a 92-80 loss in 2023 to a Waves team that was dead last in the standings. “Those moments of toughness have a way of teaching you, right?”
That night in Malibu was a turning point - not just for Saunders, but for a program that has since completely flipped its trajectory. Now, as a senior on a No. 22-ranked team, he’s helping lead a group that’s eyeing a deep NCAA Tournament run. The lows helped shape the highs, and Saunders has been there for every step of the climb.
Loyalty Tested, Loyalty Proven
Saunders’ story at BYU hasn’t been a straight line. After his sophomore season, longtime head coach Mark Pope - the man who recruited him - left for Kentucky.
With the coaching staff in flux, Saunders entered the transfer portal to explore his options. A reunion with Pope seemed possible.
But ultimately, he chose to stay in Provo and commit to new head coach Kevin Young.
Then, after a breakout junior year where he averaged 16.5 points per game and shot over 43% from beyond the arc, Saunders considered jumping to the NBA. Once again, he stayed.
“Every time that there was a crossroads… I just kept getting drawn back,” Saunders said. “It’s something about playing for the team that I grew up loving and idolizing.”
Three separate moments - his initial commitment, the coaching change, and a potential early exit to the pros - could’ve taken him away from BYU. But each time, he chose to stay. And now, with the end of his college career in sight, he’s reflecting on what that decision has meant.
“I’ve been just so grateful for what this place has done for me and done to me,” he said. “It’s crazy that it’s almost at an end… but it’s been so many good things.”
The Benchmark of Effort
Coach Kevin Young doesn’t mince words when talking about Saunders.
“He’s a self-made guy,” Young said. “He’s a guy that just gets out of the mud and has just worked his way into being an unbelievable college basketball player.”
That work ethic has paid off in more than just stats. Over the past two seasons, Saunders has averaged 17.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He’s been a force on both ends of the floor and a steadying presence for a team that’s battled through the gauntlet of Big 12 play.
But beyond the box score, it’s his energy, leadership, and resilience that have made him indispensable. Young calls him “the benchmark of effort,” and it’s not hard to see why. Whether he’s diving for loose balls or knocking down clutch free throws - like the game-winner at Arizona last season - Saunders plays like every possession matters.
More Than Basketball
While his on-court resume is impressive, Saunders’ impact goes far beyond the hardwood.
One of his most meaningful moments at BYU came off the court, when his close friend and former teammate Fousseyni Traore was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Saunders was there for it - not just as a teammate, but as family.
“That’s my little brother,” he said. “That dude is one of my heroes in life.”
Saunders sees Traore’s journey as a reflection of something deeper within the BYU program - a commitment to staying true to its roots.
“If we’re true to who we are as a program, really good stuff comes out of it,” he said. “Being at that baptism and seeing his progress has been one of the coolest things of my life.”
He’s also taken that spirit of service globally. Last year, Saunders and his wife, Sierra, traveled to Tahiti to host “Work With Faith” basketball camps for kids - using the game as a tool to inspire and uplift.
“We just wanted to help these young kids find something to latch on to like basketball did for us,” Saunders said. “We just want to figure out how to help people, enjoy life and find God through those things.”
The Final Push
With seven regular-season games left, the Cougars are entering the stretch run. They recently snapped a four-game skid with a win at Baylor and are looking to build momentum heading into Saturday’s home tilt against Colorado.
What’s ahead is no cakewalk. Five of BYU’s final six games are Quad 1 matchups - the kind that can make or break a tournament résumé. But this is the kind of pressure Saunders thrives under.
“We got seven more regular-season games, and then we’ll get on with the just really fun times,” he said. “I’m just focused. I just want to finish this thing right and do something, do something really, really cool.”
For a player who’s seen the lowest of lows and helped raise the program to new heights, Saunders isn’t just playing out the string. He’s chasing a legacy - and maybe something even bigger.
And if the past four years have taught us anything, it’s this: don’t bet against Richie Saunders.