A report by Jon Rothstein broke the injury status of NBA Draft lottery prospect Egor Demin and intangibles All-Star Richie Saunders. Both players will suit up for the Big 12 opener against Arizona State.
BYU's Egor Demin (leg) and Richie Saunders (concussion) will be available for Tuesday's Big 12 opener against Arizona State "barring any setbacks", per Kevin Young.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 30, 2024
Demin has not played since 12/3.
Averages 13.3 PPG and 5.8 APG.
Saunders DNP in last game.
Averages 12.3 PPG.
This is major news for a program that will need every ounce of talent they can gather before braving the Big 12 conference gauntlet before them. Every week will see the Cougars and their rookie head coach, Kevin Young, face off against the biggest and best teams in the nation.
Iowa State, Kansas, Houston, Baylor, and so many more giants of the game await this year's BYU squad, and it may not be pretty for the majority of the year. With that in mind, however, understanding that BYU has an especially talented roster of their own should inspire some confidence that they'll find their legs in time to make a bid for the NCAA Tournament.
Expectations should be managed, however, as a first-year coach and a roster loaded with underclassmen may still be a year removed from serious contention. We'll see how far AJ Dybantsa can carry next year's group.
For now, the Cougars have two NBA prospects of their own in lottery-projected floor general, Egor Demin, and the sweet-shooting lengthy wing, Kanon Catchings, fare against some real opposition.
First on the list is Arizona State, a talented group that snagged 5-star Joson Sanon, who would have been a Cougar had it not been for stricter admissions standards in Provo. Sanon is averaging 14 points and 3 rebounds a night on a scorching 50.9% from 3 (low free throw percentages suggest that this number will likely come back to Earth eventually).
The real season gets started on New Year's Eve in the Marriott Center.