Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending injury Saturday against Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball.
The senior guard from Riverton went down just 45 seconds into the game, clutching his right knee. He had to be helped off the floor but gave fans a thumbs up before heading into the tunnel.
Later that night, it was confirmed Saunders tore his ACL, ending his season. BYU Cougars men's basketball went on to win in overtime, but the loss is a major blow to an already injury-riddled roster.
"In a lot of ways, he has been the flag bearer of the 'Kevin Young' era, so to speak," said head coach Kevin Young. "Just from day one, when he committed to coming back here, and with everything he did last year and this year, he's been a poster child for what we're trying to build. And for that, I'll forever be grateful for Richie."
Saunders is now the sixth player on the 17-person roster to suffer a season-ending injury, including senior Dawson Baker, who also suffered a season-ending ACL tear at the beginning of the season.
With Saunders riding the bench for the rest of the season, BYU head coach Kevin Young said other players will need to step up and fill Saunders’ role on the court, especially Rob Wright and AJ Dybantsa.
"Rob and Aj, and everybody quite frankly, are going to have a lot of things on their plate," Young said. "I know those two in particular are built for this type of thing."
BYU is a deep team, meaning they have players who can come in and make big plays on any given night. Junior guard Tyler Mrus, who started his career at the University of Idaho, stepped up in a big way against Colorado, knocking down two clutch three-pointers at the end of the second half. Junior guard Kennard Davis has also stepped up for the Cougars. So while others may be saying BYU’s March Madness hopes are over, Young says he’s excited to see the new-look Cougars in action.
"I'm as energized as I've ever been, and I'm taking this challenge head on," Young said. "I know a lot of people are writing us off and I'm kind of relishing in that. When you got a group of guys like we do, who are good young men, I think they're going to rely on each other and band together. I'm excited to see what this iteration of it looks like."
The new Cougar lineup will be tested tonight against No. 4 University of Arizona in a rematch Cougar Nation has been waiting to see. Arizona is on a two-game losing streak and is looking for a bounce-back win at home, while BYU is looking to prove once again that they are a top-tier team.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.