When BYU last took the floor against Utah on a cold mid-January night in the Huntsman Center, it lost, playing the basketball role of Mel Brooks’ monster in “Young Frankenstein,” the one with AB Normal’s brain inserted. When it stepped onto the court on Saturday night in the Marriott Center, it won, having seemingly received the originally-intended cerebrum of scientist and saint Hans Delbruck.
If none of that makes any sense to you, do yourself a favor and watch or re-watch the 1974 classic film, then watch and re-watch this game, and it will all come together.
Igor got this one right, and so did Egor.
What was demonstrated in a rivalry game that often features both unusual action and a world turned upside down, the Cougars normalized that action enough and placed the world back on its axis, gaining anticipated victory this time by the count of 85-74. Corrected was an ugly one-point overtime defeat suffered seven weeks ago, a disappointment that somehow launched a regular-season-ending run to glory that witnessed BYU winning 12 of 14 games, all of them in the Big 12, including a home wipeout of Kansas, two impressive road triumphs — over Arizona and Iowa State, and eight straight wins now, heading into the conference tournament in Kansas City.
Granted, this game against the Utes was a little weird, herky-jerky in its cadence, disrupted as it was by missed shots, physicality and fouls, those called and those ignored by the refs. BYU was out-rebounded, 53-34, but, all told, the better team won, the Cougars now 23-8, 14-6 in conference. Utah finished the regular season at 16-15, 8-12 in the Big 12.
Some had claimed beforehand that BYU is the hottest team in the country, but over early stretches, the Cougars looked vulnerable. Down the home stretch, they stiffened their defense, hit their shots, grew their efficiency and their lead.
The aforementioned Egor Demin, the freshman point guard destined to be a lottery pick in the coming NBA draft, unless he decides to stick around another year for more seasoning, which he won’t, scored 10 points, garnered six assists and seven boards, hurting the Utes with drives to the basket and passes uniquely afforded to him on account of his 6-9 frame and savvy that either offers the spectacular or the sloppy. Decent enough it was on Saturday night.
Richie Saunders got into foul trouble in the opening minutes, but contributed later, whirling hither and thither for 14 points, five rebounds and two assists. Saunders is the heightened embodiment of that player down at your Saturday morning run, the one whose team never leaves the floor because he and it never loses. He’s got the floppy hair, the headband, the elbows and knees, the goofy look on his face, the incessant moves and the sweet jumper.
But the Cougars’ prowess doesn’t end there. Kevin Young threw at Utah what he’s thrown at so many other league foes — a 10-man rotation, coming and going, that doesn’t tire as it hits the boards, pushes the ball and lets it fly. It got better as the game wore on.
Everybody was in the pool here, at varying depths — Keba Keita, Dawson Baker, Dallin Hall, Mawot Mag, Mihailo Boskovic, Fousseyni Traore, Trevin Knell, Trey Stewart.
The Utes made their attempt to keep up, but unlike the previous rivalry meeting, BYU neglected to make enough mistakes in the second half to allow them to do so. Even with the buoying effect of knowing Alex Jensen, accomplished former Ute player and longtime NBA assistant coach, will soon drop in behind the wheel, his future team, as presently constituted, couldn’t handle BYU on the road.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars fans high-five players after the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Utah Utes in Provo on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
The Cougars, then, will move toward the tournaments — the Big 12 and the NCAA — with momentum, Young having settled and mostly solved the early-season problems that plagued BYU.
Even with that extended rotation, the Cougar players appear to have found understanding and comfort in their roles, mental toughness in their approach, even when things don’t go particularly well. They switch up both their personnel and their defenses on the reg, without excessive signs of skidding and tripping. In those ways, they are different than BYU iterations of the past, prepared and self-assured. There’s much to look forward to for BYU — this postseason and with AJ Dybantsa, and others, coming in next season, the Christmas tree is lit as the balloon tires burn on their dragster.
Utah, conversely, will start over, start again. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a challenge to meet. Whoever said hope isn’t a strategy never missed out on the Big Dance for the better part of a decade. Jensen has to hope that Igor — with lots of NIL money — will bring him back a sound brain, one as capable as the one Young inserted into his monster over the past two months.
Yeah, go ahead and watch “Young Frankenstein.” You won’t regret it.
