"Why they’re here: If BYU becomes a basketball powerhouse in the next few seasons — something many industry sources predict, if not expect — then this summer will be viewed as the pivot point. Much of that stems from whom the Cougars hired to replace Mark Pope: Kevin Young, formerly the NBA’s highest-paid assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns, who was on a clear head coaching trajectory before accepting this job. Young’s hiring has woken up the program’s donors, who now seem poised to invest in BYU basketball at levels that would rival the sport’s top spenders. Case in point: BYU is the favorite to land AJ Dybantsa, the top recruit in the 2025 class and the front-runner to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Young inherited a few key pieces from Pope — like returning starters Hall and Knell, plus a physical forward in Traore — but he also added intriguing new talent, none more so than Russian freshman guard Egor Demin. The 6-foot-9 Demin is a projected lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft — he would’ve been a five-star prospect had every recruiting service included him — and should be an ideal connector for BYU’s other pieces. Matching last season’s 23 wins would be an impressive debut from Young, but this season is about building a foundation as much as anything."