Securing Jaxon Kohler's commitment covered up an offseason of panic for BYU basketball. Somehow, managing to secure Michigan State's starting center from last season after missing out on dozens of eligible bigs, Kevin Young and company came away with a player even better than most every other name on their list, whether by the transfer portal, international leagues, or traditional high school recruiting (but who does that anymore?).
Most satisfyingly of all, however, it came against competition from Mark Pope and the University of Kentucky -- a coach and program that have tied themselves in knots over how to defeat Pope's former program in head-to-head recruiting duels.
That's a matchup that Kevin Young, a relative newcomer in the world of NCAA basketball, has routinely won out. Here's a quick recap of the players these two programs have locked horns over in the past three years, with their ultimate decision.
Kevin Young's log of recruiting wins vs Kentucky continues to grow
Jaxon Robinson (Kentucky)
Collin Chandler, out of high school (Kentucky)
Richie Saunders (BYU)
Collin Chandler, transfer portal (BYU)
Robert Wright III (BYU)
Jaxon Kohler (BYU)
That's a lot of westward momentum, with the only complete Kentucky victory, Jaxon Robinson, having no connection to Kevin Young who approached BYU as a first-year head coach. Collin Chandler was a major blow for the Cougars, as he was previously the highest-rated recruit in program history (obviously, things have changed at BYU since then). Chandler ultimately wound up at BYU anyway, choosing to return home to the Beehive State rather then spending his entire collegiate career under Pope.
Jaxon Kohler was the cherry on top. A highly coveted recruit in the recent wave of fifth-year candidates whose final decision boiled down to BYU and Kentucky. BYU ultimately got their guy and won out.
But I don't mean for this to be purely a victory lap over a former Coug. Sure, Mark Pope's record has been up-and-down since leaving Provo to become the head coach at his blue-blood alma mater, but Pope has enjoyed a remarkable offseason, himself.
Sure, he missed out on Robert Wright in the portal, but managed to ease the backcourt strain with Zoom Diallo and Milan Momcilovic. He missed out on Kohler, obviously, but since committed Mark Mitchell, an arguably higher-rated recruit at the power forward/center position.
Mark Pope, after a rocky start, managed to gather the number-one-rated class of transfer portal recruits in the nation, according to 247 Sports, and that's no small feat.
It seems both BYU and Kentucky have benefitted from Pope's departure three seasons ago. This article isn't a slam piece -- it's a celebration. We'll learn how these teams mesh on the court in a few short months, but for now, it's exciting to see both sides thriving in their own lane, and not just at the expense of the other.
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