Kevin Young finds himself talking about the NCAA Tournament when he’s in coaches' meetings or practices these days.
His team is on the bubble, and there is no need to shy away from it.
“I am aware that we have work to do,” Young said. “We don’t get into the nuts and bolts of what that looks like. But our guys are smart enough to know we need to continue to play good basketball and win games.”
Part of that work means beating teams like Arizona and adding Quad 1 wins to the March resume.
The Cougars, however, couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity Tuesday night in Provo.
Egor Demin scored 16 points. But BYU didn’t have answers for Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, who scored 17 points in the second half or Caleb Love.
Love is far removed from taking North Carolina to a championship, but he was as explosive as ever at the Marriott Center, finishing with a game-high 18 points.
BYU was up one after a Kanon Catchings three, when Love hit a stepback three in the second half that propelled the Wildcats to a 22-13 run.
He was heavily guarded, but there was never a doubt he was taking the shot as he rose up over two defenders. When he came down, Arizona never trailed again.
“That’s what that kid does,” Young said. “He’s been doing it for years. It is a big boy game. You’ve got to come down and make the next play and our group has to understand [that]. Learn what it takes.”
BYU couldn’t find stops in the final 10 minutes of the game and Arizona walked away with an 85-74 win.
“We have to learn that we are as good as any team in the country,” Young finished. “I firmly believe that. I think we can play with any team in the country. I think the internal belief has to continue to grow. I think it has over the last five games. That is what you do, you answer the call.”
The Big Thing
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) shoots as Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) defebnds in Big 12 Basketball action between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats, at the Marriott Center, on Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025.
Adjusting to the college game has taken more time than Kevin Young expected in some areas.
The former NBA assistant, who was known as an offensive wizard, had a surprisingly clunky start on that end. BYU looked stagnant at times. The pick-and-roll — that is a staple in the NBA — didn’t always translate. The spacing is different in college. The amount of physicality is too.
Look at Egor Demin, a player who will thrive in the pick-and-roll at the next level. But his start in the Big 12 was a struggle with turnovers and getting to the paint.
Young is starting to figure it out. BYU is running less pick-and-roll and increasing the movement off the ball.
“We are making guys chase us a bit more. We have gone away from just pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll,” Young said. “We have added a bit more movement, which I think has helped. Get guys off of us and give us a little more space to get shots off.”
A player like Richie Saunders has flourished. So has Demin, who is using the space to get to the paint. He’s had three games with a 115 offensive rating since the middle of January. Before that, his last game of that caliber was against Mississippi Valley State in November.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) gets past Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0), in Big 12 Basketball action between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats, at the Marriott Center, on Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025.
“The style of play is completely different,” Young said. “It has taken me a little while to adjust to. I’m learning new stuff everyday.”
It comes at the perfect time. BYU has won four of its last five and has six Quad 1 chances left. If it can knock off a few vulnerable teams they should be in the tournament.
Fourth down
1. Schedule release
BYU’s football schedule came out on Tuesday. It’s the Cougars’ turn to play five conference road games instead of four. The league alternates which teams play more road games than home games. With a nine-game conference schedule, it is inevitable.
2. Trey Stewart’s role?
Trey Stewart never really found a role in this program. He’s mostly been a reserve player under Mark Pope. But Young used him for almost 10 minutes last week. Young thinks he could keep getting time if the defensive matchup works.
3. Spring camp
Spring camp is coming in four weeks. BYU is getting a boost with defensive lineman Logan Latui coming back.
4. Kanon looking for more?
Kanon Catchings was fantastic last week against Baylor, going 8-for-8. Young moved Catchings to the bench to get him more shots. But it hasn’t always worked out. Last Saturday, for example, he took just four attempts. That number needs to be consistently higher.
If Young can find shots for Catchings in the offense, BYU could be more explosive.
