BYU heads to Boston for a top 10 matchup versus #3 UConn Saturday in Boston. UConn is 3-0 after walloping three cupcakes, and BYU has the same record after beating Villanova in Vegas and then beating two cupcakes of their own.
Kennard Davis’ status moving forward is obviously on many people’s minds. I’ll just share the facts of what I know. The Provo Police Department sent out a release yesterday stating they responded to a crash at 11:45 am Thursday and that Davis was “placed under arrest for suspected DUI.” BYU nor police have given any additional detail as of this publishing.
What I do know if that Kennard travelled with the team on the plane to Boston and is currently in Boston now, multiple sources familiar with the situation tell me. I don’t want to speculate beyond that and I’m not sure on his status moving forward. BYU had staff and players at the crash scene, so they are familiar with what happened and won’t need to investigate many other details to learn what may or may not have happened.
BYU and UConn by the Numbers
KenPom Prediction: UConn 80, BYU 74 — UConn 68% win probability
Point Spread: UConn -4.5 (UConn favored)
The Huskies had a “disappointing” season last year by their standards. After winning back-to-back national championships, UConn received an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and narrowly lost to eventual national champion Florida in the round of 32.
UConn returned many key pieces from last year’s team and added key pieces from the transfer portal and high school ranks. They were picked second behind St John’s in the Preseason Big East Poll and had three players make Preseason All-Big East First Team and one player make the second team. Five-Star Freshman Braylon Mullins was named Preseason Freshman of the year, but he will miss the game versus BYU as he recovers from an ankle injury.
The Huskies under Dan Hurley are efficient on both ends of the floor and play at one of the slowest paces in college basketball. They are deliberate in their halfcourt sets and punish teams defensively with their physicality.
Alex Karaban, Forward — Karaban is the backbone of the team as a four-year starter who played key roles on both national championship teams. A 6-foot-8 forward, Karaban over his career averages 12.3 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 38% from three. He’s a fringe NBA talent, but one of the top players in college basketball. Through three games this season he’s shooting 8-15 from three. Karaban acts as a stretch four on offense, so BYU will need to be careful with their help on dribble penetration.
Tarris Reed, Center — Reed is the big 6-foot-11, 265 pounds big man in the middle. Reed came off the bench for UConn last year and averaged 9.6 points, 7.3 boards, and 1.6 assists in 20 minutes per game. He was #2 nationally in offensive rebound percentage and #12 in defensive rebound percentage. Foul trouble was an issue for him at times — he averaged 5.5 fouls per 40 minutes — but when on the floor Reed is an imposing presence in the interior.
Solo Ball, Guard — The third returning starter, Ball is UConn’s top scoring guard. As a sophomore last season Ball averaged 14.4 points on 41.4% shooting from three. The majority of Ball’s shots are from the outside, but he can put the ball on the floor and score from multiple spots on the floor.
Silas Demary, Guard — Demary was UConn’s top addition from the transfer portal and is their starting point guard. Demary played a combo guard role last year at Georgia and averaged 13.5 point and 3 assists on 37% shooting from three. Demary shot 155 threes last season, but is just 0-3 from distance through three games this season. BYU recruited Demary when he was in the portal and were one of his finalists.
Those are the clear top 4 players to watch for UConn. Below are a handful of others.
Jaylin Stewart, Forward — With star freshman Braylon Mullins out, Stewart has stepped in as the fifth starter. Stewart is a 6-foot-7 wing and in his third year in the program. He likely will get part of the assignment guarding AJ Dybantsa. Stewart hasn’t been a consistent shooter or scorer in his career, but he can knock down shots when open if BYU doesn’t account for him.
Malachi Smith, Guard — A transfer from Dayton, Smith is a fifth-year senior and UConn’s top scoring option off the bench. Smith is a threat off catch-and-shoot threes and is great in the pick-n-roll getting to the basket and finding open shooters off the bounce. He versus Rob Wright will be a fun matchup to watch.
Eric Reibe, Center — The 7-foot-1 German freshman is UConn’s backup big man. Reibe hasn’t shot any threes this season, but he can space the floor from three and is a skilled passer. He also has four blocks through three games.
Rebounding and UConn’s bigs — UConn is easily the biggest team BYU has seen this year. Dan Hurley’s team always rebound well and they have the bodies to give BYU trouble on the glass. Tarris Reed is one of the best offensive rebounders in college basketball and Reibe is another huge body off the bench. Both are imposing presences and their physicality could give BYU problems. Keba Keita is undersized but he moves better and more athletic than both of them. BYU likely will rely on Keba to play 30+ minutes will need him to control the glass defensively, and offensively be a lob threat so UConn’s bigs are forced to cover and make decisions in space.
3-Point Shooting — Both teams have capable outside shooters, but each team has questions on how consistent they can be from the outside. Star freshman Braylon Mullins was arguably the top shooter in the 2025 class and expected to be a huge piece for UConn, but he is not playing this game. Both teams can score in the paint, but the one that can knock down more shots from three could be the difference in this game.
How does UConn defend AJ Dybantsa? — AJ will always be a key to watch, but particularly in this game. I suspect Kevin Young will rely on AJ more to create mismatches and provide scoring opportunities for BYU. Alex Karaban is experienced and smart, but if he is left on an island against AJ then KY will want to exploit that. UConn has some other capable wings, but if BYU is going to win and pull the upset I think AJ is going to need to have an outsized impact on this game.
Can Rob Wright finish enough at the basket? — Rob Wright’s dribble penetration is a staple to this team. He has got to the will at ease through three games, but he struggled to finish at the rim versus Villanova. Silas Demary is a physical, big guard who can give Rob some trouble, and UConn has two big centers that will contest shots for Rob. Rob has shown in his career he can finish in the paint against big teams, but he has struggled at times also. His decision making and finishing will be key to this game.
Both teams have high-end players. UConn is physical and efficient on offense and will force BYU to make contested shots. AJ will be motivated to have a big game in his homecoming to Boston, and I expect KY to put him in situations where he can takeover the game. If BYU is going to pull the upset, I think they will need AJ to have a 25+ point type game where he comes up big in key moments.
This early in the season and with Kennard Davis’ status in question — which would leave a big void in BYU’s defense — I’ll go with UConn’s experience and cohesiveness to be the difference in front of a crowd that that will be pro UConn.
If BYU were to pull the upset, they would notch a massive win early in the season and set themselves up for a hot start where they are favored in the next 13 games.
Prediction: UConn 81, BYU 74
