The BYU Cougars basketball team is having one of the best seasons in recent memory.
BYU reached the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons, but is armed with even more talent on its roster this year.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Cougars bolster their roster with a number of new additions, headlined by Baylor transfer Robert Wright III and highly touted freshman AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa has expectedly taken most of the headlines this season, and Wright has had a few head-turnning outings, but there is another player on BYU’s roster who has also starred for Kevin Young’s team.
Richie Saunders spent the first three years of his college career with the Cougars, and had developed into a significant piece of the team’s rotation as a junior. Now a senior, Saunders flanked Wright and Dybantsa to complete a formidable trio that had the chance to make some noise in March Madness.
On Feb. 15, though, the veteran wing player announced on social media that he suffered a torn ACL during BYU’s 90-86 overtime win against Colorado. Saunders played just one minute in the contest and recorded no stats.
Prior to that game, the sharpshooter had scored at least 15 points in three of his last four games, including a 33-point outing against Kansas. Saunders shot 11-of-19 from the field, 6-of-14 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free throw line against the Jayhawks, adding 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block.
On the season, Saunders averaged 18 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 48.9% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range on 6.8 attempts per game. Listed at 6-foot-5, the senior has the size, skill set and production to garner interest from NBA teams.
Saunders’ ball handling and perimeter shooting prowess make him a solid option on the wing at the next level, and the BYU standout could have been a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Of course, its still possible that a front office is willing to take a chance on Saunders late in the draft, but after his injury, it seems more likely that the Cougars’ wing will get his best shot at the next level as an undrafted free agent.
Without Saunders on the floor, BYU will be forced to lean even more heavily on Dybantsa, the potential top pick in this summer’s class, as the team looks for a deep postseason run.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.