BYU Basketball Mailbag: NCAA Tournament Prospects, Recruiting, and More

We are now in win-or-go-home mode of the college basketball season. BYU plays its first Big 12 Tournament game Thursday in hopes to improve NCAA Tournament seeding and then will play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 20.

Thanks for all your questions. I’ll also answer some in the next Rise and Hoop podcast, which is currently YouTube Only.

Do you feel like this team is better equipped to make a tourney run than past teams? If so, why?

The short answer is yes. And now for the explanation.

Last year’s team was good. You don’t win 23 games and finish as a 6 seed in the Big 12 unless you are good. One of the main reasons for optimism last year was that BYU was battled tested through 20 Big 12 games (regular season plus tournament) and would be ready to handle whatever was thrown at them as a result.

The main difference between this year’s and last year’s team is some of the individual players and how BYU is better situationally. Both teams play well to modern analytics — they shoot a lot of threes and shots at the rim. Analytics are super important, but they manifest themselves better at the macro-level over the course of a season. If you shoot a lot of threes, over the course of the season you’ll have your ebbs and flows but you can win a lot of games. The problem with analytics is that you can hit your lull in an isolated setting in one game. And one game is all it takes to go home in March. In a one-game setting, you need to be good situationally, have guys that can get their own buckets, and guys that can stop the other team’s best players from getting buckets.

Jaxson Robinson’s NCAA Tournament performance notwithstanding, BYU lacked go-to scorers in key moments. That was manifested by BYU have zero players on any of the three All-Big 12 teams last season. BYU’s defense was also assignment sound, but they lacked a rim protector and elite perimeter defenders when opposing players broke down their defense. Duquesne had two good isolation scorers that BYU struggled to defend and that ultimately cost them.

This year’s team is better in both of those facets. Richie Saunders can manufacture baskets and Egor Demin is an elite passer and can manufacture good looks for others. BYU doesn’t have an AJ Dybantsa type player on this team yet, but Kevin Young can scheme open shots and BYU has players that can score late in the shot clock.

The second difference is defense. This year’s and last year’s team rate virtually the same in KenPom defensive efficiency, but BYU has better individual defenders this season. Keba Keita has proven to be an elite rim protector over the past month, which is important when opposing players break down your base defense. BYU didn’t have a rim protector like Keba last year.

Mawot Mag is the other major difference. Mag can be put on the opposing team’s best player from any position 1 through 4 and make life difficult for him. When games get more iso heavy, Mag has proven that he can guard opposing players in those situations.

Iowa State’s last defensive possession was a perfect example of what BYU can be situationally. Mawot Mag denied the dribble penetration and forced a pass from Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State’s best isolation scorer, and Trey Stewart contested Momcilovic on the final shot.

Every team BYU plays the rest of the way is capable of beating them, but I believe BYU is as equipped as they ever have in the history of the program to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

Any Kanon Catchings updates?

Kevin Young has said that Catchings is day-day-day after suffering a knee injury versus West Virginia. Two sources familiar with the situation have told me that Kanon Catchings is “50/50” to play in the Big 12 Tournament.

This next part is my own personaltake. Due to BYU’s depth and time of year we are in, if Kanon does play the rest of the year I think he’ll have a short leash. BYU’s ceiling with Kanon is certainly higher and he is an elite shot maker when he is on, but BYU can’t afford 5-minute stretches of subpar play from Kanon if he’s not fully ready. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him suit up again and be available, but Kevin Young likely won’t ease Kanon in — he needs to contribute as soon as he steps on the floor.

What positions do you believe they will be looking for in the portal?

Who are we looking at internationally? Haven’t heard much.

Don’t want to spend a ton of time talking about next season’s team until this season is over, but got a ton of questions so I’ll talk some here.

BYU graduates four seniors and has two freshmen slated to join next season — AJ Dybantsa and Xavion. Egor could surprise us and stay, but I’ve had him gone to the NBA for the whole year. Every roster in college basketball is year-to-year and BYU is no different; there will be transfers out of BYU’s program as they search for different opportunities. BYU should return a really good core. I expect Richie Saunders, Dallin Hall, Keba Keita, and Dawson Baker to return. That’s not to say I don’t expect other players to return, but that core I think will be back.

For the internationally piece specifically, BYU has been talking to several guys for months now. Serbia wing Andrej Kostic is one I’ve been monitoring, but I think he has faded due to his buyout. Between his buyout and NIL, industry sources have told me he would cost ~$2M. BYU could afford that, but I think they will utilize that money elsewhere. One other name I’ll throw out is Italian win Sailou Niang. Niang is a high level defender and athlete, who I compare in some ways to Mawot Mag. One source close to Niang told me that BYU offered Niang a high six-figure NIL offer, but Niang may be leaning to staying pro in Europe.

Agents from all across college basketball have been back channeling and “pre-portaling” to gauge interest and drive up the price for their clients before the offseason. I talk to several agents in the industry, and can just say that high-level transfers will be interested in playing for BYU. I believe that BYU will add at least one high-level player from the transfer portal that isn’t on any BYU fans’ radar right now.

What’s your initial reaction on BYU’s chances to land Felesi and or Goosby?

Felesi and Goosby are both top 50 players in the 2026 class. It’s still early but I think BYU will be among the top 3 for both player. Felesi plays at Utah Prep with Dybantsa and Staton and prepped at Orem HS before. Goosby is a Texas native and arguably the best LDS prospect in the 2026 class. I’ll have another article that goes into his BYU connections, but BYU has some tailwinds here. Texas will be tough to beat out for Goosby, but right now both players are priority recruits for BYU.

How is the 2025-26 nonconference schedule shaping up? Other than Villanova and a tourney, how do you foresee the rest of the early schedule to fill out?

As of now, BYU opens the season with Villanova in Las Vegas and will play two of Dayton, Miami, or Georgetown in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando. BYU is also contracted to play at Wyoming, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that game is bought out.

BYU is talking with big name programs to fill out the schedule. There will be cupcakes mixed in, but Kevin Young wants a much tougher non-conference slate. I’ve heard multiple power conference teams BYU is talking to, and I’ll drop one little nugget here. Industry sources have told me that BYU has talked with North Carolina and Michigan about starting a two-game series — the first in the Delta Center, the return at a neutral site in that team’s area. BYU would play just one of those teams. Those game may not come to fruition, but serious talks have happened.

As far as exhibitions, new rules allow BYU to play two D1 teams in televised exhibitions fans can attend. I expect BYU to play two power conference opponents in October — one in Provo and one on the road.

What are the professional prospects of the four BYU players this year who have exhausted their eligibility?

The only graduating senior that may get a NBA look is Mawot Mag. Sources told me that NBA teams have reached out about Mag, but nothing super serious. It doesn’t sound like the NBA is in Mag’s future, but a big March could land him a G-League deal and possibly a two-way contract down the road.

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.