Legend has it the three-headed dragon is impossible to defeat. Cut one head off, and two more strike back. That is exactly what BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, and Rob Wright III have shown. All three have proven themselves as game changers.
This BYU team is different. Teams have had a hard time defending BYU because of the stars on the team. AJ Dybantsa has proven himself as an explosive scorer who can take over any game when he’s hot. Richie Saunders has proven himself as a consistent scorer and a reliable defender. Rob Wright III has brought speed and playmaking that has kept BYU’s offense going.
AJ Dybantsa has emerged as a star, Dybantsa is in the conversation for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft. Last week, Dybantsa led BYU to the largest second half comeback in program history in a statement win vs Clemson. Dybantsa scored 22 points, had seven rebounds, and five assists in the second half alone. He either scored or assisted 34 of BYU’s second-half points. Dybantsa has averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game.
Richie Saunders is a player who just gets better every year. Saunders has improved his scoring, defense, and toughness each year since he was a freshman. Saunders had an impressive night on Saturday when he scored 12 points in the first five minutes against UC Riverside. Richie Saunders has averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 40 percent from three.
Rob Wright III has been special to watch since transferring from Baylor to BYU. The sophomore point guard has shown his stardom through his playmaking and scoring. Wright III has shot an astounding 45 percent from three while averaging 16 points per game, six assists, and one point five steals. Wright III took the spotlight when he knocked down the game winning, three point shot against Clemson.
“BYU’s big three this season have been incredible. The scoring, playmaking, everything about them has been fun to watch. I think BYU could go pretty far this year with the help of them,” says Junior Jed Jacobsmeyer.
We will have to see how far BYU’s three-headed dragon takes BYU this season.
