BYU basketball: What JUCO recruit Kajon Brown will bring to the Cougars

BYU basketball finalized its roster with the addition of JUCO guard Kajon Brown last week. Here’s what we can expect Brown to bring to Provo.

After the departure of star big-man Eric Mika, things weren’t looking great for BYU basketball. Rumors were circulating that the locker room was toxic and the culture was poor, and the Cougars were dealing with the loss of coaches and players.

But, just like he’s done many times in the past, Dave Rose (seemingly) managed to navigate the negative attention and build up the program.

One of the pieces that Rose brought to Provo is guard Kajon Brown.

Brown, who attended Tulsa as a freshman, played at Lee College in Texas last season. He averaged 8.8 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent shooting from 3-point range and 3.1 rebounds per game.

But beyond stats, here’s what Brown will bring to BYU basketball.

Size

Brown is big – especially for a college guard. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 185-pounds. It looks like he could guard multiple positions, but will likely take on the best opposing perimeter player each night.

Still, judging by his tape, it looks like he could guard positions 1-3 with relative ease. That will be huge for the Cougars as they continue to try to implement a man-to-man defensive scheme.

Having just one player be a solid perimeter defender would have helped BYU basketball a ton last season, as it would have freed up Nick Emery to play the passing lanes (which he does so well).

Athleticism

Brown brings a game to Provo that BYU basketball fans don’t often get to see. If you don’t believe it, just watch the video above. Wow.

I still remember when, after the Cougars beat LMU in the West Coast Conference Tournament. Rose said something to the effect of “we struggled with LMU’s athleticism.”

Firstly, that’s entirely cringe worthy. BYU should struggle with Gonzaga’s athleticism. Maybe the Cougars should even struggle with SMC’s athleticism. But BYU basketball should not struggle with anything in regards to Loyola Marymount.

So where does Brown fit into this mini-rant? He’s the kind of player that evens the playing field for the Cougars. He can get to the basket, he can hop out of the gym, and he’s athletic enough to make up for some errors that less-gifted athletes can’t cover up.

Next: Takeaways From BYU Media Day

Scoring

Let’s start this by clarifying that Brown won’t be the go-to scorer for BYU. He may not even be the fourth option on most nights.

But, he’s athletic enough to make teams pay for sagging off him, and he’s the kind of player that’s a really strong option – whether as your fourth option in the starting five, or the first or second option in the second unit.

He’s a solid 3-point shooter, which helps the Cougars play their in-and-out style they tried last season, and he’s good enough size to post up smaller guards to take high-percentage shots.

Brown has three years to play two seasons, so time will tell what his role is in 2017-18, but I don’t see him burning a redshirt season. I think the Cougars will need his versatility and defense early and often.