BYU Basketball Player Rankings: Demin impresses the college basketball world again

BYU basketball's second game of the year is in the books, as the Cougars escaped a late rally by the UC Riverside Highlanders to remain undefeated in the young season. With that result in the books, it's time to look over the roster and rank these players.

Who's been impressive? Who needs to step up? Let's follow up on our running BYU basketball player rankings.

1. Egor Demin

Demin followed up his with an equally impressive performance on Friday night. His ability to get to the rim was on display all game, with multiple dunks and layups helping him finish with 20 points on 8-11 shooting. Perhaps his best play came late in the first half, when Demin drove to the hoop and tossed a pass off the backboard for an easy Traore dunk.

2. Fousseyni Traore

Traore was fantastic off the bench again for the Cougars, scoring 13 points on 6-8 shooting. His five offensive rebounds led to eight second chance points, and he now has nine offensive boards through just two games.

3. Keba Keita

For the second straight game, Keita and Traore find themselves next to each other on this list after playing similarly productive games. The consistency of this duo gives the Cougars some frontcourt depth and versatility that will certainly come in handy later in the season.

4. Kanon Catchings

Catchings wasn't spectacular the whole night, as evidenced by his 1-6 shooting from 3. But he played a big role coming out of the 2nd half. He tapped in an offensive rebound, recorded his second block, hit a spin move and delivered a perfect pass to Keita, all before hitting a stepback 3 to stretch the lead to 15. Catchings' athleticism has been on full display so far, especially when he went airborne for a huge block in the first half.

5. Richie Saunders

Saunders seems to have taken quite a step this year, and with it, more responsibility. With Hall out, it has been Saunders taking some of the ball handling pressure off of Demin so far. Through two games, Saunders has been knocking down open shots and creating many of his own, bringing a reliable presence to the Cougar offense amidst a plethora of newcomers.

6. Dawson Baker

It was a much better game for Dawson Baker Friday night, with the Junior finally knocking down a 3 pointer on his way to 8 points. He also was much better at creating havoc in the lane, routinely putting his defenders in "jail" and making the types passes that lead to easy baskets.

7. Mihailo Boskovic

Boskovic was quieter Friday than he was in the Cougars' opening win, but his contested, fast-break bucket was both impressive and crucial in keeping the Highlanders at bay.

8. Mawot Mag

Only four minutes for Mag, but his one basket was one of the most impressive of the night. There hasn't been need for him yet with Keita's and Traore's hot starts, but the fifth year player should be there and ready when the first opportunity arrives.

9. Trevin Knell

A cold night for Knell, whose 3 ball is a huge help to the Cougars when it is falling. When it's not, he'll need to find more ways to help the offense.

10. Elijah Crawford

There's certainly no point in rushing Crawford's development, especially with some good guards ahead of him on the roster. And his quickness is an asset that will help the Cougars defensively all season long. But a couple turnovers that led to a 9-0 Highlander run were an unfortunate occurrence for the freshman.

Season Standings

Points are assigned in inverse order for the top 10. 1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points, etc.

1. Egor Demin, 20 points

T2. Richie Saunders, 15

T2. Fousseyni Traore, 15

T2. Keba Keita, 15

T2. Kanon Catchings, 15

6. Mihailo Boskovic, 9

T7. Dawson Baker, 6

T7. Mawot Mag, 6

T7. Trevin Knell, 6

10. Elijah Crawford, 3

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