5 takeaways from the BYU Blue vs White basketball scrimmage: 5 Takeaways

After an absolute whirlwind of an offseason, BYU basketball was back in action in their annual Blue vs White scrimmage Wednesday night at the Marriott Center. With a plethora of newcomers (including the head coach), there was a lot to watch for in the 32 minutes of action. Here’s a little of what we learned:

The Freshmen Appear as Advertised

It’s no secret that Head Coach Kevin Young hit the recruiting trail hard this summer, putting together probably the greatest recruiting class in BYU history. And based on what we saw Wednesday, this class seems ready to contribute right away. Most notably, projected 2025 first-round pick Egor Demin showed just what makes him a projected first-round pick.

Demin finished with just two baskets but led all players with 7 assists, including an alley-oop pass to Keba Keita on the very first possession. At 6 feet 8 inches, he possesses great vision and controls the game in both the fast break and the half-court.

Young offered high praise for the freshman after the game, saying that “he makes a lot of similar passes that LeBron makes.” While it may seem relatively simple, Demin always has his head up and is great at controlling the defense with his eyes like a quarterback, opening up lanes and backdoor cuts for his teammates. With great size, rebounding, and decent shooting to go along, Demin should be a star in Provo.

But Egor is far from the only hyped newcomer on the Cougars. 4-star freshman Kanon Catchings has also been talked about in NBA draft discussions and established himself as a name to know on Wednesday night. Catchings led all freshmen with 17 points, including going 3/7 from deep. One of the most explosive athletes on the team, the Indiana native also displayed his smooth ball handling and shooting skills during the scrimmage. Expect Catchings to play a bit of the Jaxson Robinson role this year. If the Cougars need someone to get their own shot, he’s the guy.

Elsewhere on the roster, recent signee Mihailo Boskovic was a consistent force, scoring 10 points with two 3s and a vicious dunk attempt that landed him at the free-throw line. Elijah Crawford also provided consistent playmaking, especially when Demin and others switched teams in the 2nd half, leaving Crawford as the main point guard for Team Blue. Another 4-star recruit, he showed he’ll be able to contribute and take pressure off of Dallin Hall and Demin this season.

The Returnees Are as Good as Ever

Even after an unexpected coaching change, BYU was able to return a good chunk of last season’s roster in this transfer portal age. Fousseyni Traore was his dominant self inside, while also impressing with two 3-pointers of his own.

Meanwhile, Richie Saunders seems to have really improved offensively. He was a tremendous finisher inside, picking and getting to his spots, whether at the rim or stopping to hit a floater.

And finally, Trey Stewart seems ready to take a jump for his senior season, too. The guard was relatively quiet in the shortened second half, but was everywhere throughout the first, turning in one of the more efficient nights for the Cougars.

Keba Keita and the Pick and Roll

Despite the hype around the freshmen or the familiarity of the upperclassmen, it was Ute transfer Keba Keita who led the night with 19 points on 8/9 shooting. The center was an unstoppable rim-running big man, cutting towards the hoop for multiple dunks and providing a bit of a different style than BYU’s other big man, Traore.

The Cougars used Keita (and a variety of other players) early and often in the pick and roll, giving us a sneak peek as to what we should see later this year. When it wasn’t Keita setting the screen, there were a number of ghost screens and pop-outs to set up open 3-point attempts. With the ball handling of Hall and Demin, expect to see a lot of pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop action at the Marriott Center this year.

Potential Starting Lineup

While the first half saw relatively balanced teams between the Blue and White squads, Coach Young changed things around for the second half, rolling out Hall, Demin, Saunders, Catchings, and Keita for Team White, with himself on the bench as coach. This lineup has an awful lot of starting quality players and it showed, winning by 12 points in just a shortened 12-minute half.

Traore and Trevin Knell are also potential starters and Kevin Young is sure to mix things up quite a bit, especially early in the season. But, he may have shown what a possible “Death Lineup” could look like last night with Team White.

A Rocking Marriott Center

After a tremendous year one in the Big 12, a new, talented roster, and more big recruits who could be on the way, there is a rare excitement among Cougar fans for this upcoming season. Last week’s Marriott Madness and this week’s scrimmage had record attendance and should just be a foreshadowing of what’s to come in one of College Basketball’s best venues. Get ready for the Marriott Center to be rocking all season long.

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