College Basketball Rankings: Robert Wright’s Commitment Elevates BYU to Top Five with a Star-Studded Lineup

These days, any power-conference school can thrive in college basketball with enough ambition and a wealthy booster willing to invest millions. A prime example came Thursday when Baylor transfer Rob Wright pledged to BYU.

The reported cost: $3 million in NIL.

Wright adds to BYU’s growing list of high-profile signings. In December, the Cougars secured a commitment from AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. His NIL deal is said to be around $5 million, making him the centerpiece of BYU’s recruiting class.

A possible starting lineup for BYU now looks like this:

G: Robert Wright

G: Richie Saunders

F: AJ Dybantsa

F: Mihailo Boskovic

C: Keba Keita

Saunders and Keita both started all 35 games last season for a BYU squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and finished with a 26-10 record. In the final eight weeks of the season, the Cougars ranked seventh nationally at BartTorvik.com, behind only Duke, Houston, Florida, Auburn, Gonzaga, and Alabama.

With the addition of Wright, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists at Baylor last season, BYU is now ranked No. 5 in CBS Sports’ 2025-26 preseason Top 25 And 1. This marks a significant jump from their previous No. 18 spot. The revamped starting lineup features last season’s leading scorer (Saunders), a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Dybantsa), a top-10 transfer (Wright), and a seasoned center with 48 starts (Keita). The Cougars have likely upgraded two of their three open starting spots with Wright and Dybantsa replacing Egor Demin and Trevin Knell from last season’s squad, which had been performing at a top-10 level in the final weeks.

Despite a Thursday loss of reserve guard Terrence Arceneaux to the transfer portal, Houston remains No. 1 in the Top 25 And 1. The Cougars still expect to return three key starters—Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan, and Joseph Tugler—from their 35-5 team that fell to Florida in the 2025 NCAA Tournament championship game. That core will be complemented by a recruiting class featuring Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs, five-star freshman Chris Cenac Jr., and four-star recruits Isiah Harwell and Kingston Flemings, all of whom are expected to contribute as Kelvin Sampson pushes for Houston’s third Final Four appearance in six years.

Top 25 And 1 Rankings

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