BYU vs Central Arkansas game preview: juiced-up Cougars look to win big in season opener

The 2024-25 BYU Cougars are going to be very different from any basketball team that has ever passed through the campus of Brigham Young University.

Exchanging Mark Pope for Kevin Young means this iteration of BYU basketball will be doing things in a new way. New faces, new schemes, and a new look for these Cougars will mean a new experience for fans and observers by shifting the expectations of what is possible in Provo.

It won't happen overnight, but the new age of BYU basketball is shooting for a Final Four appearance, and a national championship.

How will they do this? By hiring experienced coaches who pride themselves on developing young talent, revitalizing recruiting efforts by targeting the best talent in the nation, and injecting the athletic program with an influx of NIL opportunities.

In this, the Cougars' first contest of the 2024-25 season, we'll get our first glimpse at an unprecidented era for this program.

New Faces and Incoming Players

This is an almost entirely new roster in Provo this season. Besides Young and his coaching staff, many new players will take the floor of the Marriott Center for the first time. Incoming freshmen and transfers alike will all look to contribute in a loaded depth chart.

These are some of the newcomers you'll familiarize yourself with this season.

Freshmen

Egor Demin - G
Kanon Catchings - G
Elijah Crawford - G
Brody Kozlowski - F

Transfers

Mihailo Boskovic - F*
Mawot Mag - F (Rutgers)
Keba Keita - C (Utah)
Max Triplett - F (Snow College)

* Incoming player from Serbia with no previous college basketball experience. Mihailo is classified as a Junior.

These players will all look to make a major impact, but Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings in particular will look to advance to NBA play following this season in Provo. One-and-done players have never taken their talents to BYU in recent memory, but this season won't be comparable to anything you've grown accustomed to in years past.

Plenty of familiar faces will populate the roster, though, so don't be so quick to tear down the Townsend Tripple poster that you hang in your bedroom. Plenty of returning contributors will help keep the Cougars anchored in this season. Big 12 experience will be a major factor when conference play begins, as the conference is even stronger this year than last.

Returning Players

Trey Stewart - G
Townsend Tripple - F
Richie Saunders - G
Trevin Knell - G
Dawson Baker - G
Dallin Hall - G
Fousseyni Traore - F
Jared McGregor - G

BYU Season Opener Game Preview

So, with that lengthy introduction out of the way, what should we expect from opening night in the Marriott Center? Which players may grab the spotlight, and how will Kevin Young's style of play go over in his first game with the Cougars?

Expect to see Egor Demin control the offense as often as possible. A projected lottery pick and a 5-star recruit, Demin is the prize of the BYU's 2024 recruiting class, and an incredible passer and a terrific scorer, this young hooper from Russia will provide plenty of spectacle for onlookers.

Kanon Catchings, another projected NBA Draft pick, de-committed from Purdue to join "KYU" before the season, and is a dynamic athlete with plenty of explosive plays on the forecast every time he steps on the floor.

The new faces will grab the headlines, but don't forget about the players who were around for this program's Big 12 entrance last season.

Richie Saunders is the perfect "intangibles" player complete with infinite hustle and a do-it-all skill set. Dallin Hall is a steadying presence with the ball in his hands and the hero of BYU's upset over Kansas last season. Trevin Knell can catch fire from beyond the arc. And don't forget about Fouss, the beast down low with a reach that equalizes his ability to that of the giants he matches up with in the paint.

This meeting with Central Arkansas is an early "tune-up" for the Cougars. A double-digit victory is the goal, and the Cougars are favored to win by 28.5 points.

Expect the Cougars to win big--they'll want to make a statement with the whole country in shouting distance. This game won't make BYU's season, of course, but it could give us a good look into how Young's system works in the college game, and how well he adjusts on-the-fly if he meets some trouble.

I don't expect much trouble, though. This BYU team looks loaded.

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