New BYU head coach Kevin Young brings his 10-2 (1-0) squad to the Fertitta Center for a Saturday afternoon matinee to face 9-3 (1-0) Houston in a battle of the Cougars! Coach Young has an NBA background as a former assistant with the Phoenix Suns. The other Cougars play an NBA style of offense and like to pack in their defense to prevent teams from driving to the basket. They are a very talented team. The Cougs return several key pieces and have added some elite talent.

Russian freshman Egor Demin is a legit top-5 NBA draft prospect in the upcoming draft. He has a game similar to that of NBA superstar Luka Doncic. He is very patient, can score in multiple ways, and is an unbelievable passer, especially at 6’9″.

Although Demin is by far their most talented player, I’ll be going with Richie Saunders as their “Head of the Snake”. He has worked extremely hard on his game in the off-season and could be an All-Big 12 player this season. Last year, he was great at getting to the rim on offense, but his three-point shooting has improved greatly. He scored 30 points this past Saturday against Arizona State.

The Cougs have elite length in their front court, which was a major concern for Coach Kelvin Sampson in his Thursday media availability. Demin is a 6’9″ point guard and fellow freshman Kanon Catchings is 6’9″. Both are solid outside shooters and are athletic enough to get to the rim at a high level. Their post-players, Keba Keita and Fousseyni Traore, are undersized at 6’8″ and 6’6″ but have wide, strong upper bodies that allow them to create chaos in the post.

I am a big fan of watching BYU. They have a very talented group and can beat anyone in the country. This game’s biggest matchup could be between the two head coaches. Coach Young seems arrogant to me, especially for someone who has never been a college head coach. He has years of experience in the NBA and has built a great roster at BYU, with even more talent coming next season. But how will he adjust compared to Coach Sampson’s experience? BYU will see a defense and intensity like they have not seen this year and will have to win in front of a Fertitta Center crowd that has seen their Coogs win 27 straight home games. I can’t wait to see everyone there on Saturday wearing red.

BYU Offense Notes

Cougar Offensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

#8 – Three-Pointer Made Per Game: 11.2

#13 – Three-Point Attempts Per Game: 30.7

#20 – Assists Per Game: 17.9

#24 – Scoring Offense: 84.8ppg

#24 – Effective FG Percent: .575%

#36 – Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.55

#36 – Bench Points Per Game: 31.33

#40 – Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 13.33

#43 – Scoring Margin: 20

#49 – Field Goal Percentage: 48.61%

• Similar to UH, the BYU Cougars run some really good NBA set plays. They run tons of pick-and-roll actions and off-ball screens to open up their shooters.
• BYU wants to run in transition when possible. They have outstanding guards who will push the ball when possible and look to get early looks.
• They are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country. They share the ball at a high level and do not typically settle for bad shots. They have several experienced players that take great shots.
• The Coogs will need to ensure that they box out and keep the Cougs off the offensive glass. Keita and Traore are major offensive rebounding threats in the post.

BYU Defense Notes

BYU Defensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

#2 – Rebound Margin: 13

#16 – Rebounds Per Game: 41.83

#23 – Defensive Rebounds Per Game: 28.50

#33 – Scoring Defense: 64ppg

#46 – Fouls Per Game: 14.8

• The Cougs love to run a half-court, pack line defense (similar to Virginia). Teams that run the pack line defense tend to keep their heels on or right next to the three-point line when their man has the ball. They rarely go past the three-point and challenge teams to make DEEP three-point shots. They want at least four players inside the arc, which makes it difficult for offensive players to drive without getting harassed by multiple players.
• The Coogs can’t get comfortable against the pack line defense and make lazy passes, or the Cougs will make them pay.
• BYU does not leave the paint on post players or non-shooters. They will dare them to shoot the outside shot. Will JoJo shoot the three?
• The Cougs love to trap the corners immediately when the offense starts to drive.
• BYU may attempt a 2-2-1 FC Zone Press. They will likely drop into a 2-3 or 1-3-1 zone when they zone press (they like ro trap in the corners in their zone).
• When Mawot Mag defends full-court, they pressure the ball handler and turn it into a “Run and Jump” as soon as he passes half-court. This allows BYU to use the half-court line as a third defender.
• They struggled against Arizona State in transition defense.

BYU Personnel Report (* Indicates Probable Starters)

*#3 – Egor Demin – 6’9″ – FR- Guard – (Real Madrid) – 12ppg, 5rpg, 6apg.

• Tall/lean/explosive guard;
• Probable top 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft; Insane potential;
• I see a lot of Luka Doncic in him when I watch him play;
• Outstanding passer with unbelievable court vision.Can fit the ball in tight spots; Incredibly good in the pick and roll;
• Great at using his length to get to the rim;
• Solid three-point shooter (35%);
• National Top 50 Ranking – #29 – Assists Per Game: 5.9apg.

*#15 – Richie Saunders – 6’5″ – JR – Guard – 14ppg, 4rpg.

• Head of the Snake;
• Tall/scoring guard;
• One of the most improved players in the Big 12: 30 points vs Arizona State;
• Developed into a really good outside shooter Can shoot from DEEP;
• Outstanding at attacking the basket;

*#6 – Kanon Catchings – 6’9″ – FR – Forward – (Overtime Elite) – 11ppg, 4rpg.

• Tall/lean/athletic forward;
• Big-time recruit; Committed to Purdue, then backed out at the last second to sign with BYU;
• Basketball “Hall of Fame” Tamika Catching’s nephew;
• Really good three-point shooter;
• Super athletic;

*#30 – Dallin Hall – 6’4″ – JR – Guard – 7ppg, 3rpg, 5apg.

• Really solid combo-guard; He is playing more “off the ball” this year with the emergence of Demin;
• Loves to get his teammates involved; Great drive and kick guy;
• Good three-point shooter;
• Was a poor free-throw shooter last year; Improved somewhat this year (72%);

*#13 – Keba Keita – 6’8″ – JR – Forward – (Utah) – 7ppg, 9rpg.

• Strong/Aggressive forward;
• Really good offensive rebounder;
• Not a true back to the basket, throw it inside to him and let him go to work type of post player; Really good right around the basket;
• Solid shot-blocker;
• Makes a living doing the dirty work; Every team needs a player like him; Ramon Walker Jr. is that guy for the Coogs;
• National Top 50 Rankings – #27 – Rebounds Per Game: 9.1rpg. / #35 – Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 3.27orpg.

#45 – Fousseyni “Fouss” Traore – 6’6″ – SR – Forward – 11ppg, 7rpg, 2apg.

• Strong/wide forward; Massive upper body;
• A better post scoring threat than Keita;
• Great touch in the paint; Solid at catching and finishing at the rim;
• Bully around the basket;

#25 – Dawson Baker – 6’4″ – RS/JR – Guard – (UC-Irvine) – 9ppg, 2rpg.

• Sneaky athletic guard;
• Really good three-point shooter; 39% on the season;
• Solid at driving to the basket;

#0 – Mawot Mag – 6’7″ – GR – Forward – (Rutgers) – 4ppg, 1rpg.

• Long/athletic forward; Extremely long wing-span;
• Defensive specialist: Most guys look to bring an offensive spark off the bench…Mag likes to bring the DEFENSIVE spark off the bench;
• They like to have him defend the point guard the length of the court;
• Doesn’t shoot many three-pointers, but is capable; 5/12 (42%);
• Excellent free-throw shooter; 9/10 (90%);

#21 – Trevin Knell – 6’5″ – GR – Guard – 10ppg, 3rpg, 44% 3pt%.

• Tall shooting guard;
• Elite three-point shooter;
• Capable of getting in the paint to score;

#5 – Mihailo Boskovic – 6’10” – JR – Forward – (Igokea M:tel) – 4ppg, 2rpg.

• Big body forward/center;
• Still kind of raw;
• Did not play last game;

Keys to Victory

1. Keep them off the offensive glass. The Coogs will need to keep Keita and Traore off the offensive glass. They are both extremely strong and have a knack for offensive rebounding. No extra scoring opportunities!
2. Make it a rock fight. BYU wants the score to be in the 80’s-90’s. The Coogs must keep them in the low 70’s. They have a ton of offensive fire-power, and Houston will need to slow down whoever gets hot.
3. Take great shots on offense. If BYU plays their pack line M2M defense, they will look to keep the ball out of the paint. It will be important for Houston not to settle for mediocre shots.
4. Adjust on defense. BYU has good enough length and guard play to make tough passes out of the “Blitz.” UH will need to adjust their defense if BYU is getting wide-open looks.
5. Toughest team wins. Houston has to be the tougher team in this one, especially at home. They need to win on the boards, be the first on the floor for a loose ball, take a big charge, etc. BYU can be a finesse team at times, and UH needs to bully them.

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