What began as a season of high hopes for BYU, especially after landing the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, has unraveled quickly. First, Kennard Davis Jr. was arrested on misdemeanor DUI and marijuana possession charges. Then the Cougars were hit with back-to-back blows: season-ending injuries to Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens. But the woes didn’t end there.

Potential lottery pick AJ Dybantsa hasn’t exactly taken over college basketball the way many expected, especially with Cameron Boozer storming ahead in the National Player of the Year race. However, despite all the setbacks and the noise surrounding the program, BYU has maintained a steady course. They’ve lost just one game this season and are currently riding a three-game win streak, capped off by wins over Miami and Dayton to claim the ESPN Events Invitational title.

So, the upcoming BYU vs. Cal Baptist matchup will give fans a chance to really see what this Cougars team is made of. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the game.

How to Watch BYU vs Cal Baptist?

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 9 p.m. EST | Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | TV: ESPN+ | Streaming: ESPN app

BYU vs Cal Baptist: Injury Report

BYU Cougars

• Dawson Baker- OUT
• Nate Pickens – OUT
• Brody Kozlowski – OUT

California Baptist Lancers

• No injured players

BYU vs Cal Baptist: Projected starting lineups

BYU Cougars: 

• AJ Dybantsa
• Keba Keita
• Kennard Davis Jr.
• Richie Saunders
• Robert Wright III

California Baptist Lancers:

• Devon Malcolm
• Thomas Ndong
• Jordan Muller
• Dominique Daniels Jr.
• Martel Williams

BYU vs Cal Baptist: Preview and prediction

When a ranked team goes up against an unranked one, most people naturally expect the ranked side to walk away with the win. And on paper, it’s easy to think the same here. BYU enters the game with a 6-1 start to the season, which pretty much explains why.

But they’ll be facing a Cal Baptist team that has quietly put together an impressive 7-1 start of its own. The Lancers are coming off their first loss of the season against BYU’s fellow Big 12 foe, Colorado. In that game, Cal Baptist actually led by 14 at one point before the Buffaloes stormed back to steal a 78-70 win.

When you look at the numbers, it becomes pretty clear why BYU is the ranked team in this matchup. The Cougars are putting up 84.4 points per game on 49% shooting from the field, while Cal Baptist sits at 74.8 points per game on 44% shooting. But defensively, it’s a different story. The Lancers are holding opponents to just 64.9 points per game. BYU, on the other hand, is giving up 69.1 per game.

This, however, is likely because BYU has already faced two ranked opponents this season, while the Lancers are about to play their very first one. Naturally, ESPN gives BYU a strong 96.2% chance of winning this matchup, and it’s hard to disagree based on what we’ve seen so far.

Who do you think takes this matchup? Let us know in the comments down below!