With so many new faces to see on opening night, BYU basketball fans will need a game program to go along with their Cougar Tail. The influx of newness on the roster has not only invigorated the program, but it has also expanded the imagination of what Kevin Young and his staff can put on the floor.
“There is tremendous opportunity to throw different lineups out there with versatility,” assistant coach Brandon Dunson told the “Y’s Guys” podcast. “Do you want shooting? Do you want more length? Do you want to be more defensive minded, more creative minded? There are so many opportunities with our guys, different ways we can go depending on our matchups, or more importantly, making guys match up to us.”
While the fans will have to wait to catch a glimpse of the new-look Cougars, the staff is knee-deep into summer workouts and Dunson likes what he sees.
Egor Demin, 6-9, freshman, Moscow, Russia
Touted as a lottery pick for next year’s NBA draft, 6-foot-9 freshman Egor Demin is already turning heads in practice.
“He is everything we thought he would be and the reasons we wanted him here, both on and off the court,” Dunson said. “He’ll have to transition like most freshmen and international players do, but I think he’s going to be really special.”
Demin’s frame makes the Moscow, Russia, product the tallest guard in the history of BYU’s basketball program and the most heralded international player to come to Provo since hall-of-famer Kresimir Cosic in 1970.
“He is very skilled. He shoots the ball well, handles the ball and has a great IQ,” Dunson said. “His ability to make plays off ball screens was something that really intrigued us. He is a worker. With freshmen, no matter where they come from, there is always an adjustment (to make). That’s not good or bad, it’s just the style of play, pace of play and those types of things.”
Kanon Catchings, 6-9, freshman, Brownsburg, Indiana
Kanon Catchings is another first-round projection for next year’s NBA draft. At 6-9, the freshman from Brownsburg, Indiana, originally committed to Purdue, but changed his mind and chose BYU.
“I will tell you, more than anybody on our roster, Kanon came here because of the culture,” Dunson said. “He came here because he wanted to be around guys who are going to help him continue to grow as a person, people who will help him develop his game and he wants to play in the NBA.”
Catchings arrived on Sunday and joined the team workouts on Monday.
“He is a versatile guy who can shoot, drive and create offense for himself. We thought that was something we were going to need,” Dunson said. “He can play anywhere from the two to the four and in a small lineup, he may play the five (center).”
Young’s offense doesn’t feature traditional positions for each player, but instead, it is designed to get the best players on the floor, no matter their height.
“We are going to have guys who can attack closeouts, who can shoot and who can make the right decisions,” Dunson said. “I think (Kanon) checks a lot of boxes for us. His upside defensively is tremendous with this height and athleticism. But I think what people will see with him is he’s the nicest kid off the court, and on the court he’s a competitor and he’s going to go after you.”
Mowat Mag, 6-7, graduate, Melbourne, Australia
Mowat Mag graduated from Rutgers and arrived at BYU through the transfer portal. He joins Demin, Keba Keita and Fousseyni Traore as roster players with international roots.
“He has a great feel for the game. He is an elite cutter. He can get to the rim as a good straight driver,” Dunson said. “He is an underrated passer and while his shooting percentages were low (last year), I think he’s more than capable of being a 34%-35% 3-point shooter.”
Mag started 41 games at Rutgers. His marquee moment last season came during a 24-point, 10-rebound effort against Iowa.
“We are focusing a lot with him on shot selection and where to get them within our offense,” Dunson said. “He is an elite level defender that can guard one through five and he can switch out on ball screens.”
Elijah Crawford, 6-2, freshman, Augusta, Georgia
Another four-star and top 100 recruit, Elijah Crawford brings a smile and a full arsenal of talent to BYU.
“Off the court, he is Mr. Personality,” Dunson said. “He is always smiling. He is a guy who walks into the office every day and no matter what is going on, he says ‘hello’ to everyone.”
The 6-2 freshman from Augusta, Georgia, prepped at Brewster Academy.
“He’s tough. He’s gritty. He grinds it out. He is very confident,” Dunson said. “He was a 49% 3-point shooter in high school, but that’s not the best thing he does. He plays with great pace and can change directions. He’s a guy who can find guys and he can also score. He has the ability to be a really good defender.”
Keba Keita, 6-8, junior, Bamako, Mali
No one is happier to see Keba Keita playing for the Cougars than Dunson.
“We played Utah five times (when I was) at Stanford and they were my scout,” Dunson said. “Outside of (Chris) Burgess, I’ve watched as much film on Keba as anyone. He is a physical specimen. He’s a rim-runner. He beats guys down the floor. He is an elite level rebounder.”
Keita, a 6-8 junior from Bamako, Mali, transferred from Utah after Burgess left the Utes to join Young’s staff at BYU.
“He sets good screens and sprints to the rim for pick-and-rolls and he can finish around the rim,” Dunson said. “Defensively, his ability as a shot blocker and rim protector is going to be huge. He may be 6-8, but he plays every bit of 6-11 or 7 feet, and I know that firsthand from going against him game after game. We are super excited about him.”
Brody Kozlowski, 6-8, freshman, Draper, Utah
Brody Kozlowski originally committed to USC, but after a coaching change for the Trojans and Cougars, he rerouted his plans to Provo.
“He is a heck of a player. He’s gotten better every single day, probably more than anyone,” Dunson said. “You can see his growth. Obviously as a freshman, he hadn’t seen that level (of play) when he came in, but from Week 1 to now, he is a completely different player.”
The 6-8 freshman from Draper is the two-time 6A Player of the Year from Corner Canyon.
“He is very physical. He takes on challenges and he’s a big-time shooter,” Dunson said. “His best years are ahead of him. His ability to shoot the ball and stretch the floor are going to prove very valuable for us.”
Dawson Baker, 6-4, junior, Coto De Caza, California
Dawson Baker isn’t new to the program, but a foot injury kept him out of all but four games last season after transferring from UC Irvine. After offseason surgery, Baker is back on the floor.
“He’s been going full speed for a while, but just got approved for some limited contact and some live stuff, but I think he’s different than a lot of guys,” Dunson said. “While he can shoot it, that’s just a piece of what he does. He’s very good at ball screens (and) at finding ways to get a shot. He’s a creative scorer with floaters, pullups — those types of things are going to be huge for him.”
Baker played three seasons at UC Irvine and scored over 1,000 points for the Anteaters.
“He’s got experience and because he has done it, he is confident. He gives off an aura that ‘I’m going to produce.’ You just feel confident with him on the floor,” he said. “There are four interchangeable positions for us, I think we can use him in a lot of ways.”
The returners
Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, Trevin Knell, Trey Stewart and Traore all return from last year’s 23-11 team that shocked the Big 12 with a 10-8 record including victories against Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
“People don’t realize how experienced they are. They have all played in big games in the Big 12. They are the only guys on our team that have played games in our league, and they had success,” Dunson said. “They have been very instrumental in trying to help the new guys adjust to everything here while they (also) adjust to a new coaching staff and practice setting. They (along with walk-ons Jared McGregor, Max Triplett and Townsend Tripple) are going to be such huge pieces on and off the floor for us.”
As for determining a starting five and bench rotation, “That will be up to (the players) to decide,” Dunson said. Young, his staff and the Cougars have the summer workouts, six weeks of fall practice and a nonconference schedule to figure it all out.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.