Provo • BYU might be 16 games into the season, but head coach Kevin Young was still unsure about his rotations heading into this week.
Among the questions: How could he mix his young, slumping stars with the veteran core of last year’s roster?
“There are some combinations that I’m still tinkering with that are holding us back,” Young said. “I’ve got to get that right.”
Well, for at least one night, Young found the remedy.
The first-year head coach opted for more experience — sitting five-star freshman Kanon Catchings in favor of five-year veteran Mawot Mag.
He coupled that with starting potential NBA draft pick Egor Demin, allowing three-year starter Dallin Hall to anchor the second team.
It worked as the Cougars got past Oklahoma State 85-69. It ended a three-game skid and allowed BYU to take some semblance of success into Utah on Saturday.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars center Keba Keita (13) and Brigham Young Cougars forward Mawot Mag (0) as BYU hosts Oklahoma State, NCAA basketball in Provo on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
“Look, I’m very aware of what we have done here this year. Bringing in two freshmen and playing them a boatload of minutes,” Young said after the game. “There are growing pains that come with that. As talented as those guys are, they are still young guys. I think it has been somewhat calculated as far as how we’ve done things.”
Playing one of the worst teams in the Big 12, the Cougars didn’t make it easy. After BYU built a 27-point lead, the Pokes cut it to just three with 13 minutes left.
But Hall hit back-to-back threes to give BYU some breathing room down the stretch. He had 14 points on a night when most of the veterans did the heavy lifting.
Senior Trevin Knell had 18 points. Junior Richie Saunders had 12. Junior Keba Keita had 10.
Seventy-five of BYU’s points came from upperclassmen. Demin had a better night, with 10 points, but didn’t score until the 10-minute mark in the second half.
“I think it is good to have the young guys to have the experience they’ve had and have some of the veteran guys carrying a bigger load a little bit [now]. I think that helps us in the long run,” Young said.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) as BYU hosts Oklahoma State, NCAA basketball in Provo on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
Demin has been a center of criticism recently after the freshman went 1-21 from three in the last five games. He coupled that with 15 turnovers. He seemed to struggle playing alongside Hall — both of whom are ball-dominant players.
But Young thought Demin recalibrated on Tuesday.
“He’s got a lot of pressure on him,” he said. “He’s a young guy with a boatload of upside and a lot of noise around him. I think he has handled it well. I think it was something he needed to go through, that tough skid. I was happy with his response.”
Young tried lineups with Demin alone and paired with Hall. They both logged over 28 minutes.
“It is hard to play alone [as the ball handler],” Demin said. “With the full court press and traps. So it is just easier to play together when I can be confident in him, he can be confident in me. It is easier to make plays.”
It is still a work in progress as BYU’s biggest rival awaits. The Utes just dispatched OSU by 20 the other night.
But it’s progress. And Young will take that.
“I thought we got the right lineup combinations out there. I thought that helped,” Young said. “That is something we will continue to look at and evaluate.”
