BYU built to contend in men's basketball again in second Big 12 season

BYU (23-11, 10-8 in 2023-24)

Mark Pope’s departure to Kentucky didn’t set the Cougars back heading into their second Big 12 season. Former Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is at the helm and has quietly assembled a team capable of making noise in the Big 12 once again. Projected NBA draft picks Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings headline a roster featuring plenty of offensive firepower and playmaking versatility. The Cougars should be improved defensively from a year ago after adding defensive standouts Keba Keita (Utah) and Mawot Mag (Rutgers) from the transfer portal.

Players to watch

Demin (freshman guard, 6-9, 13.0 ppg). Demin is the first five-star recruit to ever sign with the Cougars, joining BYU after playing for the Real Madrid B team last season. The 18-year-old Russian is a projected lottery pick who’s a skilled ballhandler, deft passer, and versatile playmaker who can score from anywhere on the floor. Demin can play multiple positions for the Cougars.

Keita (junior center, 6-8, 8.3 ppg). Keita came to the Cougars from Utah where he started 13 games last season. He gives BYU some added muscle around the rim. Keita averaged 8.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.1 minutes during his second season with the Utes. He’s a fearsome rim protector and finishes well around the basket.

Dawson Baker (junior guard, 6-4, 5.0 ppg). Baker was expected to be one of BYU’s primary scorers when he joined the Cougars as a transfer from UC-Irvine last season. A foot injury cut his season short after only four games. Baker is a talented perimeter threat who could help fill the void left by Jaxson Robinson.

Departures and arrivals

Young had to work quickly to fill a few holes in BYU’s rotation from last season. Leading scorer and sixth man Robinson followed Pope to Kentucky. Noah Waterman and Aly Khalifa both transferred to Louisville. Starting guard Spencer Johnson graduated.

Their replacements have a chance to make an immediate impact. Demin and Catchings will both contend for spots in the starting five from day one. Keita and Mag will see heavy minutes as defensive specialists and rim protectors.

Young convinced Dallin Hall and Richie Saunders to withdraw from the portal and return to Provo. They often set the tone for the Cougars last season with their scrappy play and leadership. Baker, Trevin Knell, and Fousseyni Traore should all have big roles in the offense.

Top games

BYU opens at home against Central Arkansas on November 5th. A road tilt against Providence in December and Thanksgiving weekend games in San Diego against Ole Miss and either Purdue or NC State stand out amid an otherwise unremarkable nonconference schedule. BYU drew a formidable Big 12 slate this season. The Cougars will face Arizona and Cincinnati twice and have road games at Iowa State and Houston. Cincinnati, Baylor, Arizona and Kansas all visit Provo during a three-week stretch from late January to mid-February.

Facts and figures

Traore, Saunders, and Keita were all high school teammates at Wasatch Academy (Utah). Keita and Traore are also from the same city — Bamako, Mali. … Chris Burgess returns for his second stint as an assistant coach at BYU. Burgess was an assistant under Pope at Utah Valley and BYU before spending two seasons at Utah. … Baker scored more than 1,000 points in three years at UC-Irvine and led the Anteaters in scoring during the 2022-23 season. … Catchings’ aunt Tamika was a four-time Olympic gold medalist, an WNBA MVP and 10-time All-Star with the Indiana Fever.