Texas Tech Vs Byu set for Senior Night as Cougars honor four players
BYU will host No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday night in a Big 12 regular-season finale that doubles as Senior Night at the Marriott Center. As of 11: 22 a. m. ET Saturday, texas tech vs byu is set to include pregame recognition for four BYU seniors, led by injured star Richie Saunders.
Texas Tech Vs Byu tips at 8: 30 p. m. ET at the Marriott Center
Tipoff is scheduled for 8: 30 p. m. ET (6: 30 p. m. local time) on Saturday night, with Texas Tech listed at 22-8 overall and 12-5 in conference play and BYU at 20-10 overall and 8-9 in conference. The matchup closes the regular season for both teams, and it arrives with BYU trying to halt a three-game losing streak.
BYU’s recent slide has been framed internally around “lack of defense, rebounding and overall effort” while playing without Saunders, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Feb. 14 in the Cougars’ first possession against Colorado. The absence has forced BYU to reshape its rotation and scoring options heading into a ranked opponent.
Richie Saunders and three other seniors to be honored before No. 10 Texas Tech
BYU will honor Richie Saunders, Keba Keita, Mihailo Boskovic and walk-on Jared McGregor before the game. Coach Kevin Young said in remarks on his coaches show that he is “excited for our seniors to be honored, ” adding that they “all deserve it, and it should be a great night. ”
Saunders’ night carries added weight because his injury ends his college career before the postseason begins. Young described Saunders as a player the program will continue to lean on emotionally, even as BYU has to replace his production on the floor.
The Senior Night list did not include Dawson Baker or Nate Pickens, which was presented as a sign they most likely intend to return to college basketball, presumably at BYU. Baker was lost in the Miami game in November, while Pickens suffered an injury requiring season-ending surgery before the season began, leaving BYU’s backcourt depth stretched as the year progressed.
Aleksej Kostic’s 3-point surge gives BYU a new scoring option
Freshman Aleksej Kostic has emerged as a potential third scoring option during BYU’s three-game losing streak, with his production coming “almost entirely from the 3-point line. ” The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Austria has scored in double figures in each of the past three games and has gone 12 of 24 from 3-point range for 40 points over that span.
Those three games were losses to UCF, West Virginia and Cincinnati, and Kostic’s increased role has tracked directly with Saunders’ injury. Kostic played 15 minutes against Colorado after Saunders went down, and his minutes have risen as BYU has looked for perimeter shooting and floor spacing.
Young credited former BYU player Charles Abouo, now a graduate assistant on the coaching staff, for keeping Kostic “in a space where he is very confident. ” Young added that Kostic “has been a bright spot, ” pointing to his ability to “stretch the floor” and noting that BYU will “continue to need him. ”
Kostic’s presence on the roster was initially seen as late insurance when BYU signed him in July as the final addition to the 2025-26 roster, with experienced guards expected to fill the rotation. Injuries to Pickens and Baker changed that plan, and the Saunders injury accelerated Kostic’s path into a bigger role as texas tech vs byu arrives.
After Saturday’s game, BYU’s next confirmed event is the Big 12 tournament first round, with BYU scheduled to play regardless of the result against Texas Tech; the league’s official bracket and tip time were not specified in the available details as of 11: 22 a. m. ET Saturday.
