{
  "id": 14300776,
  "title": "Basketball season is back at BYU. Here are 5 games you won’t want to miss",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/basketball-season-is-back-at-byu-here-are-5-games-you-wont-want-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T21:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/basketball-season-back-byu-5-214500992.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "BYU’s basketball season is back and there are several must-see games on the schedule. The first of these is a regular-season opener against Ohio State on Monday, November 2 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. This will be a rare test for the Cougars as they face a veteran-heavy Big Ten team fresh off an NCAA Tournament run last year. The matchup features five-star freshman forwards, with BYU’s Bruce Branch III and Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson facing off in their debuts. An early win over Ohio State could provide needed momentum for the season.\n\nNext up is a historic rivalry clash on Wednesday, December 9 against Utah State in Provo. It will be the Aggies’ first visit to Provo since 2021, giving the Cougars their most intriguing nonconference opportunity. Utah State boasts a 109-31 record over the past four seasons and is NCAA Tournament mainstay despite three different head coaches. New Aggies point guard Dallin Hall, who played 100 games for BYU from 2022-25, will make his Marriott Center return during this emotional game. The winner will claim Beehive State basketball supremacy.\n\nThe first of Kansas’ two home games returns to the Marriott Center on Saturday, January 9 against the Jayhawks. This will be the Jayhawks’ second-ever trip to Provo, following their 2025 victory at Allen Fieldhouse. With an 11 a.m. start on ESPN, there will be a large audience for this exciting matchup. Led by consensus No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes, Kansas is expected to return to tournament form. A win here could propel them to a Big 12 conference championship.",
  "summary": "A big game begins the regular season and winds it down. Here are three other intriguing matchups in between.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}