Observing AJ Dybantsa, Bryce Lindsay, and Keba Keita in the Season Opener

November 4th, 2025

By Alan Lu

Yesterday was the season opener for college basketball, and it was the first game for BYU’s freshman forward, AJ Dybantsa, who enters the season projected as a likely top 5 pick for the 2026 draft. Moments before that, freshman forward, Koa Peat scored 30 points in Arizona’s stunning upset win over Florida, so it was exciting to see how Dybantsa would follow up such a sterling performance.

It was a fun, entertaining game that went back and forth, as the energetic, scoring and defense of BYU was matched up against the three-point shooting of Villanova.  In the end, BYU was able to make some key plays down the stretch to get a solid home win for their team.  The standout performers were AJ Dybantsa, Bryce Lindsay, and Keba Keita, as they seemed to have the biggest impact on this game.  Here are my thoughts on how Dybantsa and other top performers fared in this game.

AJ Dybantsa had a solid showing in his team’s win over Villanova.  He is a tremendously athletic forward that would tend to score on powerful, impressive drives, and he also showed a knack for being able to take on the contact to finish plays in traffic.  Sometimes though, he wouldn’t get foul calls, so he would occasionally miss shots too hard off the backboard.

He also managed to pull up to make a corner three to show his outside shooting skills.  On the downside, he tended to miss shots when he would attempt to pull up from the mid-range.

Also, Dybantsa did a good job of passing and handling the basketball.  He made smart reads and would make crafty passes off of drives to the hoop, and he would often find the open man to set up scores for them.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  Dybantsa also defended well.  He is a long, rangy defender that would use his length and positioning to contest shots to force misses, and he also was able to help force a passing turnover early on.  However, there was one play where he struggled to defend a quicker ball handler once, which led him to commit a foul that time.

In general, AJ Dybantsa played well in his season debut to help his team get a win over Villanova.  He is a great athlete and has immense potential, and he was able to show a wealth of skills, especially on the offensive end.  While he will need to continue to refine his outside shot, his strong scoring and playmaking skills should make Dybantsa a likely top 3 pick in the 2026 draft, as he could end up being a superstar in the NBA.

Bryce Lindsay had a strong showing in his team’s loss to BYU.  The 6-3 guard did a great job of making threes, as he showed good footwork and scoring touch to consistently knocking down shots from the outside.  He also did a good job of scoring off the dribble, and he would also score on quick, shifty drives to the hoop.

On the other hand, he was a bit turnover prone.  He threw an errant pass that led to one turnover, and he had a ball that got poked away that led to another.

Lindsay also rebounded the ball well.  Overall, Lindsay played very well, especially as a marksman from beyond the arc, and he showed off some Jalen Brunson-vibes in this game.  He’ll definitely be a player to watch moving forward, as he’s a skilled scorer with upside, and he could end up going in the late first to the second round in the 2026 draft.

Keba Keita played very well to help BYU get a win over Villanova.  He is a very athletic, high motor big man that made energetic plays on both ends of the floor, as he excelled as a finisher, screen setter, and especially as a defender in this game.

Keita played terrific defense in this game.  He is an extremely athletic player that showed a knack for rotating to block numerous shots to help his team protect the paint, and he even managed to swat a dunk attempt from behind.  He also showed a knack for deflecting balls to make it difficult for opponents to get their passes through, and he also was able to help force turnovers.  In addition, he also dove on the ground to help his team get a loose ball, and he really excelled at contesting shots to force misses.

He also rebounded the ball very well.  Also, Keita did a great job of setting screens to help his teammates score on strong drives to the hoop, and sometimes, he would manage to set two screens on the same play to help allow his teammates to score the basketball.

Plus, he also excelled as a finisher around the basket.  He showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays, as he would often score on thunderous dunks off of cuts, in transition, and on put backs, and he also caught an alley-oop to score on a magnetic jam early on.

Overall, Keita had a strong showing to help his team get the victory in this game.  He had a major impact, as he especially made his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor, and Keita ‘s athleticism, motor, and defensive skills could enable him to make it to the NBA.

Richie Saunders had some good moments in his team’s win over Villanova.  He was apparently playing with an illness, so he didn’t play as well as he normally would, but he still was able to make an impact when he was on the floor.

He showed a decent ability to score off the dribble, and Saunders is a crafty player that can finish plays using either hand.  He also managed to run the floor to score once.  He also quickly ran off the ball to knock down a three-pointer to showcase his ability to make outside shots and excel as a movement shooter.  However, he struggled to consistently make spot-up threes in this game, and sometimes he would miss on contested drives to the basket.

Saunders also passed and rebounded the ball well.  He also managed to intercept a pass to get a steal.  However, he struggled to guard more athletic players, as he would get beat off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Another time, he fouled a bigger player when defending off the ball.

Overall, Saunders didn’t have his best game, but he was still able to make an impact in this game.  He is a skilled swingman that projects to be a second round prospect in the 2026 draft, as his shooting and scoring prowess combined with his basketball IQ could enable him to be a solid role player in the NBA.

Robert Wright had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Villanova.  He is a quick guard that scored early on shifty drives to the hoop, and he also pulled up to make a mid-range jumper.  However, he also tended to miss on aggressive drives to the hoop later on, and he was unable to make a three-pointer.

He also had some trouble with his passes, as he threw an inaccurate lob that led to one turnover, and he couldn’t get a ball inbounds that led to a team turnover.  Wright also slipped and fell on another drive, which led him to turn the ball over that time.

Also, Wright was able to chip in to get boards on both ends of the floor.  Wright also played satisfactory defense.  He also was able to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal.  Overall, Wright didn’t have his best game, but he is a second round prospect that could end up being a player to watch as the season progresses, and he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Duke Brennan had a solid showing in his team’s loss to BYU.  He did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball, and he is a strong, active big man that would tend to finish plays around the basket to score on dunks and layups.  He also defended well, as he would get his hands on balls to get blocks and steals, and he would rotate to contest shots to force misses.

Plus, he also passed the ball well and would set firm screens to help create driving lanes for his teammates to score.  On one play though, he held the ball too long and got it poked a away from him that led to a turnover.

Overall, Duke Brennan played well in this game, and he is a strong, mobile big man that could end up being a backup center in the NBA.

Chris Jeffrey had a solid showing in this game.  He showed a knack for scoring the basketball, as he would score on crafty shots off the dribble, and Jeffrey also managed to score on a corner three.  He didn’t stand out in the other areas, but he is an athletic combo guard that could project to be a microwave type of scorer at the NBA level.

Acaden Lewis didn’t have a great game in his team’s loss to BYU.  He struggled to score the basketball, as he had trouble consistently knocking down threes, and he also had some trouble with his passes that led to turnovers.  He was able to make a deep three and he also would draw free throws on strong drives to the hoop. 

As a playmaker, he did pass the ball fairly well overall, and he was able to throw an accurate lob to a cutter to set up one solid score.  Defensively, there was one time where he was late to rotate to defend a shooter, which led him and his team to give up a three-point basket.

Overall, Lewis didn’t have his best game, and he will need to improve his jump shot moving forward, but his athleticism combined with his playmaking skills could at least enable him to project into a backup point guard role at the NBA level, and he could be a player to watch this season.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how various players fared in this game.  Thanks for reading.