KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU head men’s basketball coach Kevin Young along with players Fousseyni Traore and Trevin Knell represented the Cougars at Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The first-year head coach and players spent the first two hours of their day in photo shoots providing content for the Big 12, ESPN and CBS Sports. A photo with all 16 Big 12 head coaches was followed by lunch.
The afternoon was filled with Young answering questions from local, regional and national media in a press conference and one-on-one settings. He later joined Fran Fraschilla and Kris Budden on the ESPN stage, while Knell also interviewed with Hannah Wing, all airing live on ESPN+.
On what brought him to BYU
“For one, the university. It’s a super unique place. I spent some time around BYU prior to my time in the NBA. I’m a family guy with three little kids, so my wife and I were thinking it would be a good change of pace for our family. In my mind, BYU is the best of both worlds because you still get to compete at the highest level of college basketball. For me, it was a win-win scenario, and so far, it’s been outstanding.”
On the legacy of BYU basketball and joining its brotherhood
“BYU has always had good teams and been able to score a lot of points. I’m an offensive thinker by nature, so that was something that caught my eye. When I took the job, I didn’t really account for how much I would be able to tap into the history of the program. [Former head coach Dave] Rose and [former head coach Steve] Cleveland have both been around a lot. They’ve really embraced me into the BYU brotherhood. That’s been really awesome.”
On retaining key pieces of last season’s roster
“That was the No. 1 thing I was trying to do when I took the job. I needed to be able to get guys like Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, big Fousseyni Traore, Trevin Knell, Dawson Baker and I could keep going down the list. BYU had a great base with some really good players who had unprecedented success in year one in the Big 12, so I thought that would help me transition nicely and give us a great foundation to build from. It had to happen in short order. I got the job, and we were halfway through the transfer portal window. I didn’t even know what that meant at the time, but we were able to fast track some relationships and those returners have been rocks for me early.”
On his style of basketball
“The No. 1 thing we have is an attitude of competitive spirit. That’s how I’m wired. Toughness, competitiveness. Stylistically, offensively, we’re going to be like what I’m used to in the NBA. That’s five-out basketball, getting into our actions quickly, playing with great pace, spacing and moving the basketball. Those have been the trademarks of the teams I’ve been on that have had success at the NBA level. Those aren’t things that are specific to the NBA. Those are trademarks of great basketball teams.”
On freshman Egor Demin
“Egor is a ball-in-hand guy who has an unbelievable feel for the game and is a very gifted passer. We joke as a staff that either our defense is that bad or he’s that good of a passer. There are times in practices where he’s just making us pull our hair out. I think people who aren’t familiar with him will become pleasantly surprised and intrigued with him as a prospect.”
On freshman Kanon Catchings
“He’s extremely gifted. He has an immense amount of raw talent, and I love how he puts the ball in the basket. There will be times where he’s still learning, but at the end of the day he can score the ball. Kanon has probably improved at a faster rate than anyone on the team so far.”
On assembling his coaching staff
“Early on, I thought I was going to load my staff with all college coaches. I did that successfully with Chris Burgess, Brandon Dunson and John Linehan. Then, the more I was in it, the more I found a lot more similarities to the professional game, especially in the recruiting space with NIL coming into it. Advisers and relationships became very important too.”
On how his experience at the NBA level helps him today
“It’s a unique time for me to make this transition [from the NBA to college basketball]. Where [NIL, transfer portal, etc.] are driving some coaches out, I’m welcoming it with open arms. I don’t know the old way at all. I know this way of doing it, and it’s very much like the NBA. Our entire operation is set up just like an NBA organization is run. I’ve had a comfort level with that. I feel like I’ve hired really good people around me. We have a chief of staff [Doug Stewart]. We just hired a director of recruiting [Justin Young] who is extremely dialed in with all things basketball. One thing I learned in the NBA is the importance of having good people around and being able to trust the people around you to do their job at a high level.”
On the importance of the returners on this season’s team
“It’s super important, first, because BYU is family to a lot of these guys. I feel like we put a stake in the ground claiming that we want to be here. We went from being one of the oldest teams in college basketball last season, to one of the youngest this season with a lot of new faces. We bring back veteran guys, but when you pair that with some rookies who bring a ton of energy, I think we’re going to be pretty dangerous.”
On the energy around the program right now
“The energy is through the roof. The football team is doing really, really well for us right now, so it’s fun to go to those games and have the freshmen look up and see the student section going crazy. There’s also a ton of energy and a ton of commotion about the basketball team right now, so it will be fun for our rookies to go in and see what the Marriott Center is like.”
On playing for Kevin Young
“Coach Young is an amazing coach. He brings a competitive nature to this team that I think we all need. He’s really into the details, and I think that’s really going to matter when it comes down to those close games in the Big 12 and the postseason. It’s super fun to play for a coach who, every single time he runs a play, it works. I know a lot of guys will run through a brick wall for him.”
On Kevin Young’s offensive system
“It’s a ton of run-and-gun stuff. I think BYU fans are going to love this style of play. There’s a lot of freedom of picking your points and finding the weakness in the defense.”
On how Kevin Young’s offensive system will benefit his game
“Coach Young and I have had a lot of conversations about how I can get my shot off and help the team out. He’s running a ton of plays where I’m setting screens, coming off screens and where I’m being more dynamic with the ball in my hand. It’s going to be really fun. I feel like my game has grown a ton.”
On how he’s looking to improve before the season starts
“I’m really trying to work on my feet and the details when I shoot the ball. The coaches are helping me with getting my feet set and being more on balance.”
On freshman Egor Demin
“Egor is a character. He brings so much light and energy to the team. When you have a 6-foot-10 point guard who can pass, shoot, dribble and defend, it makes things a lot easier for guys like me. Egor and I have a unique relationship already. I’m excited to see that relationship grow. I knew he was a top recruit, so I was a little skeptical about him at first, but he’s very genuine and down-to-earth. Everybody in the nation is going to fall in love with this kid.”
On the support of his wife Tatum
“She was actually an actress in Los Angeles. We met through [former head coach Mark] Pope. She moved everything and dropped her dreams to support mine. She’s a rock star. She does everything for me and is someone I can talk to outside of basketball to calm me down when things aren’t going well. When things are going well, she’s that middle ground for me.”
BYU opens the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when the Cougars host Central Arkansas at the Marriott Center. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.