Keba Keita was a fan-favorite in Provo, Utah, as he anchored BYU basketball's defense with his volleyball-spiking rim protection prowess. Constantly completing highlight plays at the rim (on either end of the floor), he seemed the perfect starting center to lead Kevin Young's starting lineup to a well-rounded attack as they pursued the crown of the Big 12 Conference.
But mysteriously, and seemingly from nowhere, Keba Keita's senior season was a dud.
Despite seeing an uptick in minutes played, the former Utah transfer saw his counting stats atrophy across the board. His points dropped from 7.4 to 6.2. He rebounded nearly half a board fewer as a senior. And though his free throws stabilized back above 50% and his blocks jumped from 1.2 to 1.8 per outing, something felt very... off. He was a different player, and whether that was the fault of a diminished role in the shadow of AJ Dybantsa and Robert Wright's arrival, or the wrist injury that Kevin Young insisted played a factor in his poor performance, Keita wasn't able to dominate at nearly the same level he managed a year earlier.
All the same, he still managed an invitation to the NBA G-League Draft Combine. So far, he hasn't passed up the opportunity to show the world what he's really capable of on the basketball court.
Per the box score of Game 3 at the Combine, Keita posted 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Boxscore from Game 3 of the G League Combine.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 10, 2026
Another impressive outing from Israeli guard Noam Yaacov
19+10 for BYU's Keba Keita.
Some good moments for Gonzaga's Graham Ike. pic.twitter.com/oTqzkeMMiv
This is significant.
Keita had just one game with 19 or more points as a senior (23 points against Cal Baptist), and just seven games where he managed to gather double-digit rebounds. He led all scorers in Team Two's 105-77 win, and scored on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor.
Has the Keba Keita of yesteryear finally returned to the basketball world, or is this just a blip on the radar? It'll be challenging to build a professional career as a 6'9" center, but the former Coug made it clear in front of G-League scouts that he can contribute to winning basketball in a major way.
Let 'em know, Keba!
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