"I walked into the Annex, and I see him [Nate Pickens] on all fours," chuckled BYU guard Dawson Baker. "And [Coach John Linehan] was just going at him. Just yelling at him!"
Nate Pickens, a senior transfer from UC Riverside, was BYU basketball's missing piece during the injury-riddled 2025-26 season. Even with AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III leading the charge, Kevin Young's roster was pummelled -- covered with holes from top to bottom.
They lost Dawson Baker, Richie Saunders, Xavion Staton, Brody Kozlowski, and of course Pickens. As the schedule weathered the Cougars' tower, the team's unbalanced nature proved to be its downfall when BYU dropped in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
BYU needed perimeter defense. BYU needed supplementary scoring. BYU needed three-point shooting. BYU needed hustle. Nate Pickens fills all of these needs to varying degrees, but falling to a season-ending injury before the opening tip of the season ended what would have been his final collegiate season before it even began.
Though they didn't show it at first -- opening the year 16-1 -- BYU basketball missed Pickens badly down the stretch, as the team's depth was exposed day after day through the Big 12 Conference gauntlet. The AJ Dybantsa era could have gone differently -- if only a little bit -- had Pickens been available.
Returning this season, Nate Pickens has been putting in the work for BYU basketball. Need proof? I'd imagine that's why you clicked on the article and skimmed all the way down to this paragraph. I see you, and I'm here to give you the anecdote you crave.
In a spot with the Life Beyond the 3 podcast, BYU's transfer guard didn't hold back when sharing the intensity of Kevin Young's basketball practices.
"It started off, first 20 minutes, I'm just guarding Kyle; defensive work," Pickens shared. "I was so gassed, they were bringing me snacks and a bunch of stuff to keep my energy up. That was probably the hardest workout I've ever had for sure."
"I remember that day, I was in the shower washing my body up, and both arms started cramping. I had never got a cramp before, so that was crazy!"
You can see this clip from the podcast here.
CBB workouts are INSANE@pickens_nate recalls an INSANE BYU workout 😤 pic.twitter.com/GGkMCL8ki8
— Center Street Media (@CenterStMedia) April 19, 2026
When Kevin Young arrived at BYU with the promise to turn the basketball program into the premier destination for college athletes to prepare for the NBA, he didn't promise a spa day and a free pass into the green room -- BYU will be coming back from the disappointment of last season with a vengeance.
And hopefully, for the first time, Nate Pickens can show out under Coach Young's system.
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