Keba Keita was a dominant force during his stretch with Kevin Young and the BYU Cougars. An undersized center who played well above his 6'9" frame, Keita is among the most athletic players to ever walk through the doors of the Marriott Center, launching errant shot attempts into the stands and rocking rims across the country as he enforced the law down low.
But at his size and after a down season in his senior campaign, a spot on an NBA roster seemed far-fetched for Keita, who will most likely spend some time in the G-League or overseas before getting a real shot at the NBA level.
Head coach Kevin Young shared that his connections at the NBA level were raving about Keita to the Cougars' coach, even as he sent players like Richie Saunders and AJ Dybantsa (you know, the number-one overall pick) to the next level.
"And Keba, honestly, has had some great pre-draft workouts, too," Young shared with the media. "Everywhere I go, I see NBA people, and they're talking about how good he showed out in his workouts. I think he's someone who's helped himself out in the process, and we'll see what that looks like for him, as well."
Now with the Indiana Pacers Summer League team, Keita has the chance to show what he can do in front of an NBA audience. And though his input has been limited overall, he's showing glimpses of what made him such a dynamic and effective center with the Cougars in the physically demanding Big 12 Conference.
Keita lives above the rim, and wasted no time swinging from the cylinder in Las Vegas.
THERE HE GOES!!! pic.twitter.com/2hhEEqDB44
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) July 10, 2026
On the defensive end, the BYU product is happily meeting his opposition at the rim, stuffing this dunk attempt with ease as a Cavalier guard challenged the big down low.
doing what Keba does best 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Lp7wki9GKb
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) July 10, 2026
In a 99-93 win over Cleveland, Keita scored 5 points on 2-2 shooting with 1 block and 2 rebounds in 8 minutes.
Then, in an overtime loss to Philadelphia, Keiba notched 12 minutes with 6 points.
Coming off the bench at the Summer League level isn't a strong indicator of NBA interest, but perhaps more solid, efficient outings can lift Keba Keita to a G-League contract, or a launchpad overseas.
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