I agree with the "positionless" comments and "the lineup is our bench" - making the starting five not as significant. If Dawson Baker can stay healthy, he can be a real contributor this year. Knell should really thrive in KY's system and I'd like to see Trey blossom under the new staff, he wasn't Pope's favorite for sure. With some positive coaching, he has the tools to do much better. Still looking for the arrival of Adam Stewart.
Like your starting five - I'd just swap Traore and Keita at the 5, at least at the start, for his offensive reliability. But it's going to be interesting to see how coach Young experiments with different personnel. Like everyone one else commenting here, the depth, the possible player combinations, are pretty remarkable. There's an absolutely solid 9 player rotation with a few fantastic subs, particularly the last two freshman, who could work their way into a lot of playing time. Exciting!
I am on a waitlist to get my season tickets. I even upgraded my cougar club level to get tickets sooner. I don't want to miss what they are putting together. Magic is clearly in Provo right now.
Look peeps Im 50 years old been watchin UK hoops since i can remember ,rememberin things..... You youngins think UK is some place that recruits will not cone cause of Cal???? LMAO. 96 TEAM HAD 9 PLAYERS GET DRAFTED.. i nean eddie Sutton had Studs...TUBBY hadcsome untik he got lazy and didnt recruit to KENTUCKYS Standard.. Obviously things are lil diff NIL, PORTAL ETC.... I WILL go ahead and say Pope will consistantly bring Studs in an,d he will land 2-4 5☆ players consistently... When Popes system is played with way better players then BYU KENTUCKY WILL HAVE THE BEST OFFENSE I N NATION !! STUDS WILL BE ON KENTUCKYS ROSTER CONSISTENTLY!!
It seems that coach Young is going with the positionless approach. He just wants the best athletes on the floor as much as possible. It will be a fun season.
This is the first time in my life-long ride as a BYU fan that I am not worried about being physically outmatched in every game. We have athleticism, speed, length, and talent at every position. Not to mention the depth of this squad, BYU’s never had anything like it.
BYU has got 9 guys that could easily start: Hall, Demin, Catchings, Mag, Keba, Baker, Saunders, Knell and Fouss. That will be their 9 man rotation. 3 dudes on the outside: Koz(4 star) Crawford (4star) and Stewart ( who is an above average defender and the fact he’s the worst scholarship player on this team shows how deep this team is)
I think BYU will continue to try and be competitive in the Big 12. It looks like they have everything they need to make a strong effort in the NCAA tournament.
@SidelinePlugs and it's "Yay-gor Din-em (like denim jeans." I've heard both Kay-non and Can-non from several that should know, so not sure yet on Catchings. 😀
OK, my predicted starting 5 (although I think SidelinePlug's proposal is a good one): Hall and Demin are locks at the 1 and 2. At the 3 and 4 I'm going with Richie Saunders and Kanon Catchings. In other words, I believe Mag will come off the bench - but I could be completely wrong about this - he's got great experience and plays great defense. I'm almost talking myself into Mag as starter because it might make sense to unleash him on the other squad's best player who will be starting. Maybe it will be matchup dependent. Anyway, for now I've got Mag off the bench. For the 5 spot I'm also going with Keba. So a mix of returning guys and very talented newcomers. However the rotation shakes out, this is going to be a very fun team to watch.
You got me summoned. A starting five might be the most impossible thing for a BYU fan. Because. Now our lineup is our bench. I believe that the players will get an even amount of playing time, so a starting lineup doesn’t matter
Edit: I posted this before listening to hear yours. Might depend on matchup on Traore-he's better offensively, but the other 2 offer more rim protection--especially without a 7-footer to go against bigger teams. Here is/was my post: Hall, Demin, Catchings, Mag, Keita, or Traore for either of the last two.
It is always nice to play close to home so your parents and friends can come to the games. Kentucky is certainly one of the greatest programs in basketball history. The BBN is really excited about the possibility of both of these great home state players come to Kentucky.
Kentucky would be such a great choice for both of these great players. Mark Pope is such a great coach. He takes care of his players and being the brilliant man he is, he really understands the way basketball has evolved and how to best apply the rules. Plus, the support from the BBN and university is amazing. The chance to play for a national championship is also a huge benefit and life changing event.
Its funny The Kentucky I Think Im Better Than Every Other School Wildcats ran out of town hall of fame coach for Mark Pope and Popes first big time recruit he couldve got at Kentucky he missed out on. Be careful what you wish and ask for Little Blue Nation. 😂
Guessing about 26 to 28 wins this season for BYU. Maybe 27-5 or so? Thinking 16-4 in conference. Losses at Baylor, Houston and Arizona. Perhaps one loss at home.
BYU used to their own worst enemy. They were scared of doing anything that might be seen as wrong in recruiting and spending on coaches etc. NIL changed the rules, Now the group of Billionaires that are BYU fans have been unleashed
Just subscribed and hit the like button. Huge BYU fan here and appreciate the coverage. Will keep my eye out for any more BYU stuff you might put out in the coming weeks. Thx!
KY has some coaching experience in division II, is known for his player development and Filled in for Monty Williams for 4 games while Williams was under COVID restrictions but I’m not sure about his Xs & Os. Has really set up his shop well and put together a nice roster. My Question is if he can prove himself in the big 12 against tough, proven division 1 coaches and competition. To be determined !
It's been insane to see this happening. One of the biggest challenges will be for Coach Young to develop chemistry with this team, but soooo excited to see what this team will look like. One underrated aspect is not only KY's NBA experience, but also how strategic he was in hiring his assistant coaches. First hire was Chris Burgess, who was already an assistant at BYU a few years ago with Mark Pope who knows the LDS recruiting space well & Utah and also coached & recruited players on this team - key for keeping players here. He hires Dunson who had ties to Stanford recruiting ties to players like Elijah Crawford/Brody Kozlowski -who also understands college recruiting well. He hires Coach Voigt who has ties to Europe/Africa & G-league coaching experience - can't hurt to recruit a player like Egor Demin. Tim Fanning from OTE, obviously coached Catchings there and also Euroleague/G-League as well. You can see the results already, but also the vision of where KY can take this program. Exciting times.
I don't think many would expect BYU to explode in the NIL era but maybe it makes sense if you really know the program and institution. BYU has always had tons of resources and a serious desire to excel, just chose to be very conservative when it came to investing in athletics and enticing top recruits. But it's a new era, paying players is now OK, and with a coach like KY involved, the powers behind BYU recognized a good investment - not going to hold back.
i cannot believe the turnaround by BYU when they lost Coach Pope to Kentucky. I thought BYU was going to get worse. But since Kevin Young was hired, BYU has taken major steps forward. Its really impressive and exciting!
@@TheIronweed-vx5lg we gonna have to wait and see 😅. As long as they got some older players in the rotation with the one and done players they'll be fine
I predict top 4 in the BIG 12. I know that's ambitious, but remember that at the start of last year, BYU was picked 13th and ended up ahead of Kansas. It could surprise again. It all depends now on team chemistry.
