BYU had a strong start, but not without lessons! The Cougars are already 2-0 in the 2025-26 NCAA season, securing their wins against the Big East’s No. 1 Villanova Wildcats and the Patriot League’s top-ranked Holy Cross Crusaders, with an average score difference of 25 points. But even with back-to-back victories, it was obvious that the Cougars still have work to do. So, as they gear up to play Delaware, head coach Kevin Young has a message for AJ Dybantsa and his teammates.

Following their most recent win, Young was asked in a post-game interview about the Cougars giving up 31 second-chance points. And admitting to his team’s rebounding struggles, he said, “It’s something that we’re talking to the coaches about quite a bit. They missed what? 19 threes. So a lot of those are coming off like crazy misses. So there’s going to be a lot of opportunity. I’m not smart enough to do the offensive rebounding percentage based on how many misses there was, but it’s definitely an area we need to clean up and be better with.”

In their season opener against the Wildcats, BYU struggled to control the glass, surrendering 17 offensive rebounds while only securing 12, going -5 in the department. Those second-chance possessions nearly erased a 14-point lead and would have made the Cougars lose their first match of the season, as they ended the game with a mere 5-point lead.

And the concern lies not just in the numbers, but in the timings as well. At 12:47, an offensive rebound turned into two free throws, trimming BYU’s lead to six. Just thirty seconds later, another second-chance shot turned into a three-pointer, cutting it to 51–48. By 10:55, yet another put-back made it a one-point game. Then, with 8:05 to go, Bryce Lindsay buried a three after another offensive board, giving Villanova its first lead of the night. He did it again at 6:28, same sequence (offensive rebound, kick-out, three) for a 59–57 edge.

Across barely six minutes, BYU surrendered five offensive rebounds that turned into 13 Villanova points.

Coming to their play against the Crusaders, a similar differential followed. They allowed 9 offensive rebounds while grabbing just 4. Besides that, their three-point shooting has been dismal (29.4 and 28). Combine that together and some of their upcoming matchups can easily figure which thread to tighten.

Now, sure, they won against both sides and their win shows that you don’t have to shoot well from three or have high second-chance scoring if you can dominate inside, prevent your opponent from scoring at will, and limit turnovers. Still, if Kevin Young aims to lead his team to the championship title, finding a solution to this problem would be crucial.

While their next match is against the Delaware Blue Hens, who haven’t won a single match so far, the real test looms just days later. On November 15th, the Cougars will take on the No. 3-ranked UConn Huskies, a matchup that will demand sharper discipline on the boards. And Young knows it, too!

“As we start playing more athletic and bigger teams, especially if you forecast to the UConn thing, I mean that’s something that they do well, so we’ll have to get that addressed,” he said.

As the season moves forward, the message is clear: fix the flaws early, or risk falling short against tougher opponents. But for now, only time will tell how Kevin Young finds a solution.

AJ Dybantsa might be the solution to Kevin Young’s problem

If rebounding is BYU’s biggest concern, AJ Dybantsa might already be part of the answer, if his performance in both games was any consolation. The 6-foot-9 freshman, leading his team in most points and most assists, is currently averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game.

His combination of size, athleticism, and relentless energy on both ends has quickly made him one of Kevin Young’s most valuable players. And while the Cougars still lack a traditional dominant rebounder in the paint, Dybantsa’s versatility gives Young the flexibility to rely on wing players to help control the glass.

His ability to crash the boards and transition quickly into offense could be the spark BYU needs heading into tougher matchups like UConn. But one question remains – will Kevin Young trust the freshman to take on that role when it matters most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!