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No. 1 University of Arizona men’s basketball walked into one of the loudest arenas in college hoops and walked out with history. On January 26, 2026, the Wildcats survived a furious late comeback from No. 13 BYU to win 86–83 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, preserving a perfect record and tying the best start in program history at 21–0 overall and 8–0 in Big 12 play.
In a nationally watched Big 12 showdown, the Wildcats’ 21–0 start matched the longest season-opening winning streak the program has ever recorded, reinforcing why Arizona entered the night as a unanimous No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll and a central story of the 2025–26 season.
Everything about this matchup felt big. The top-ranked Wildcats arrived in Provo in just their second season as Big 12 members, facing a BYU team that was 17–3 overall and 5–2 in conference play with a reputation for thriving at home. The Marriott Center was sold out, loud, and fully aware that a win over Arizona could be one of the defining results of BYU’s Big 12 era.
Arizona, meanwhile, had rolled through much of its early schedule but knew BYU represented one of the toughest remaining road tests on a gauntlet conference slate. The Wildcats were not only defending their No. 1 ranking, but also protecting their claim as one of the country’s most complete teams on both ends of the floor.
From the opening tip, the matchup between Arizona and BYU delivered at a level consistent with a late-January game loaded with NCAA tournament implications. The first few minutes featured multiple lead changes as both teams traded baskets and adjusted to the energy in the building. It looked every bit like a heavyweight Big 12 clash, not a runaway for the top-ranked team.
Once the initial nerves and adrenaline settled, Arizona’s trademark backcourt poise started to show. Freshman guard Brayden Burries, who would go on to define the night, set the tone offensively with confident scoring against BYU’s defensive pressure. Junior guard Jaden Bradley joined him, giving the Wildcats a powerful one-two punch on the perimeter.
BYU’s defense briefly forced Arizona into a cold stretch, but the Wildcats flipped the script by turning defense into offense. Their ball pressure and activity in passing lanes forced turnovers, and those miscues quickly turned into transition points.
Midway through the first half, Arizona uncorked a decisive 20–5 run that transformed a tight game into an imposing halftime advantage. By the break, the Wildcats led 44–31, quieting the BYU crowd and shifting the tenor of the matchup from toss-up to potential statement win on the road.
Burries and Bradley were nearly unstoppable over those opening 20 minutes. They combined for 36 of Arizona’s first-half points, slicing through the Cougars’ defense and capitalizing on every mistake. On the other end, Arizona locked in defensively, holding BYU to just two made field goals over the final several minutes before halftime.
In many ways, the first half showed why Arizona entered the night as the country’s No. 1 team: aggressive defense, efficient transition offense, and guards capable of controlling tempo in a hostile environment.
The second half initially followed the same script. BYU opened with a few key baskets to chip away at the deficit, but Arizona quickly reasserted control with patient half-court execution and strong interior play.
Forward Tobe Awaka delivered a crucial stretch, using his physicality inside to help Arizona push the lead even further. With 10:53 remaining, the Wildcats were up 64–45, holding a 19-point cushion that looked, for a moment, like it might break BYU’s resistance entirely.
At that point, Arizona was shooting better than 50 percent from the field, maintaining a modest edge on the glass, and largely keeping BYU’s shooters from finding a rhythm from beyond the arc. The Wildcats appeared poised to turn a highly anticipated road test into a comfortable double-digit win that would further solidify their status at the top of the national rankings.
Instead, the closing 10 minutes turned into one of the most dramatic stretches of Arizona’s season and a reminder of how quickly games can swing in the modern, three-point-heavy era of college basketball.
BYU’s comeback started with sophomore guard Kennard Davis Jr. catching fire from deep. Davis, who had been relatively quiet earlier, erupted in the second half, drilling five three-pointers without a miss. Each make injected more life into the Marriott Center crowd and more pressure on Arizona’s defense.
The Cougars leaned into their identity as a perimeter-oriented, spacing-heavy offense. Senior wing Richie Saunders added key baskets and controlled the glass, while freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa showcased why he is one of the most talked-about young players in the country, scoring confidently and drawing extra defensive attention.
Over the final stretch of the game, BYU made 10 three-pointers in the second half alone, hitting 50 percent from beyond the arc after halftime. The math changed quickly: Arizona’s lead shrank from comfortable to vulnerable, especially as the Wildcats started to miss free throws, turn the ball over, and surrender second-chance opportunities on the defensive glass.
BYU’s aggression on the boards led to 16 offensive rebounds over the course of the game, giving the Cougars 13 more field goal attempts than Arizona. Those extra chances, combined with the three-point barrage, turned what looked like a near-certain road win into a contest that hung in the balance in the final seconds.
Even with BYU charging, Arizona still led by double digits with just over a minute to play. Yet a combination of missed opportunities opened the door for the Cougars to pull within a single possession.
A putback dunk by BYU center Keba Keita cut Arizona’s lead to 84–83 with only 16 seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbounds play, BYU’s pressure forced a turnover, setting up a potential go-ahead possession that brought the home crowd to a roar and placed enormous pressure on the undefeated Wildcats.
Out of a timeout, BYU guard Robert Wright III attacked off the dribble, breaking into the lane with what appeared to be a clear look at a layup that could have given the Cougars the lead in the closing seconds. Bradley initially slowed Wright, but it was Burries who delivered what will likely be remembered as one of the defining moments of Arizona’s 2025–26 season.
Rotating over from the weak side, Burries chased down Wright and blocked his shot from behind just a few feet from the rim, erasing the would-be go-ahead bucket. Arizona secured the rebound, and Burries, fittingly, was fouled in the chaos following the play.
With 2.2 seconds left and the Wildcats clinging to a one-point lead, the freshman stepped to the free-throw line in front of a hostile crowd and calmly sank both shots, extending the margin to 86–83. BYU’s last-second heave from beyond halfcourt fell well short, and Arizona escaped Provo still undefeated.
Afterward, head coach Tommy Lloyd acknowledged his team’s shaky execution late but emphasized the value of surviving a true road test in Big 12 play and praised his players’ composure in the highest-pressure moments.
Statistically, the night underlined both why the Arizona Wildcats remain undefeated and what they still need to clean up as the schedule tightens.
Burries delivered the best game of his young college career. He finished with a career-high 29 points and went 13-for-14 at the free-throw line, repeatedly attacking the basket and punishing BYU for defensive fouls. His game-saving block in the final seconds transformed what could have been a disastrous collapse into a resilient road win.
Bradley was nearly as impressive, scoring 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He continued a trend of stepping up in marquee matchups, providing steady offense when Arizona’s frontcourt battled foul trouble and helping stabilize possessions as BYU made its second-half run.
As a team, Arizona shot 53 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line, finishing 26-of-32 at the stripe. Given BYU’s edge in shot volume and offensive rebounds, Arizona’s free throw efficiency proved decisive. BYU, by contrast, shot just 12-of-19 from the line, a small gap that loomed large in a three-point game.
On the BYU side, Dybantsa led the way with 24 points, showing the all-around talent that has drawn national attention. Saunders added 18 points and nine rebounds, doing a bit of everything on both ends, while Davis poured in 17 points fueled primarily by his perfect second-half shooting from three-point range.
Still, the Cougars’ early turnovers and missed free throws left them just short of what would have been a program-defining upset of a No. 1 team. According to BYU’s own postgame recap, the loss dropped the program to 1–10 all-time against top-ranked opponents.
Beyond the box score, this game will be remembered in Tucson for what it meant historically. The win moved Arizona to 21–0, tying the best start in school history and reinforcing the Wildcats’ place among the nation’s elite this season.
The Associated Press men’s basketball poll the next day confirmed Arizona as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, with all 60 first-place votes, reflecting an extraordinary level of national confidence in the Wildcats’ trajectory. The combination of offensive firepower, guard play, and overall efficiency has made Arizona one of the most respected teams in the sport.
What makes this run even more notable is the conference context. This is only the Wildcats’ second season in the Big 12, a league widely regarded as one of the toughest in college basketball. They were picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, behind more established conference powers, but have outperformed expectations by pairing one of the nation’s most efficient offenses with a defense that, while not perfect, has consistently done enough to win games against top competition.
According to data and analysis from outlets like ESPN and historical AP poll archives, starting 21–0 in a power conference schedule is rare territory, typically associated with teams that are considered true national title contenders. Arizona’s ability to maintain an undefeated record this deep into Big 12 play places this team alongside the most memorable seasons in modern college basketball.
From a conference standpoint, this game highlighted both Arizona’s staying power and BYU’s rapid adjustment to Big 12 play.
For Arizona, surviving in Provo showed that even the nation’s top team is going to be pushed to the brink in this league. The Wildcats built a 19-point lead and statistically controlled much of the night, yet still needed a freshman’s last-second block and clutch free throws to escape.
For BYU, the narrow defeat was both painful and validating. It was a missed chance at a signature win, but also a clear demonstration that the Cougars can stand toe-to-toe with the very best teams in the country. Their combination of spacing, shooting, and active rebounding will make them a factor in the Big 12 race and a dangerous matchup in March.
Nationally, games like this are exactly why the Big 12 is widely considered the deepest conference in college basketball. Rankings from sources such as the Associated Press and predictive metrics like KenPom (kenpom.com) consistently show Big 12 teams clustered near the top, reflecting the grind of playing on the road in places like Provo, Lawrence, Waco, and beyond.
For recruits, parents, and high school coaches who track results like “No. 1 Arizona at BYU” with an eye toward the future, this game offers a window into what high-level college basketball really looks and feels like.
First, it reinforces just how slim the margins are at the top. Arizona looked dominant for 30 minutes, then almost lost the game in a matter of possessions. At the highest levels of Division I basketball, every decision, defensive rotation, and free throw matters.
Second, it highlights the value of guard play and versatility. Burries and Bradley were the difference makers, not only because they scored efficiently, but because they handled pressure, created off the dribble, and made plays on both ends in crunch time. Recruits who can dribble, pass, shoot, and defend multiple positions will always be in high demand.
Third, it shows how important fit and development are. Burries, a freshman, was trusted with the ball and the moment in one of the toughest environments in college basketball. That kind of responsibility comes from daily work, coaching trust, and a system that prepares players for pressure.
If you are a prospective college athlete trying to understand where you might fit in the broader landscape, tools like the Pathley Basketball Hub can help you compare programs, explore conferences like the Big 12, and see how schools at different levels of the NCAA stack up in terms of competition, style of play, and academic profile.
For athletes and families who see a game like Arizona–BYU and wonder what it would take to compete at that level, the first step is building a clear picture of the college landscape. Pathley’s tools are designed to make that process easier.
Not every athlete is going to end up on a roster like the Arizona Wildcats, but understanding where you fit and what pathways exist is a big part of building a smart recruiting plan.
Arizona’s reward for surviving in Provo is not a break, but another emotional test: a rivalry showdown against Arizona State with a chance to set a new program record for best start in school history.
That matchup will bring its own intensity and pressure, but the Wildcats now travel there with the confidence of an undefeated team that has already shown it can withstand one of the toughest road environments in the Big 12.
For the rest of the country, the narrative is clear: the Arizona Wildcats remain undefeated, sitting at 21–0 with a target on their backs. Every game moving forward will be treated like a measuring stick by opponents, and the pressure to maintain a spotless record will only grow as March approaches.
Yet if the win at BYU is any indication, this Arizona team has both the talent and the toughness to embrace that challenge. Whether it is a freshman like Brayden Burries delivering a game-saving block, or a veteran like Jaden Bradley steadying the offense, the Wildcats have multiple answers when the game is on the line.
For high school athletes, this game is more than just a highlight on SportsCenter or a line in the AP poll. It is a case study in what high-level college basketball demands: resilience, preparation, depth, and the ability to execute under pressure.
Watching how Arizona navigated adversity and still found a way to win is a reminder that recruiting is not just about talent, but about finding a program where you can grow into these moments. Understanding where you realistically fit, which conferences match your goals, and which coaching staffs value your specific skill set is critical.
Pathley is built to help with exactly that. Start broad with the College Directory, dig into sport-specific insights with the Basketball Hub, and then refine your list and strategy using the interactive tools in Pathley Chat. The goal is not just to watch big-time games like Arizona–BYU, but to find the college environment where you can have your own defining moments.
As Arizona pushes forward from 21–0 and deeper into Big 12 play, the Wildcats’ journey will continue to be one of the most closely followed stories in college basketball. For aspiring college athletes, it is also a powerful reminder of what is possible when talent, opportunity, and preparation come together at the right school.
