Kevin Young navigates a volatile legal landscape as the Cougars await a crucial court decision regarding the eligibility of the Michigan State transfer.
There has been so much that has changed in the landscape of college sports since Kevin Young first stepped on campus as the head basketball coach for the BYU Cougars.
A short three years later and this system looks more like a semi-pro model than ever before. But after doing his time in the NBA as an assistant, Young is one of the best at dealing with the ever-changing rules and rosters.
One of the biggest unknowns right now is the status of Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler, who is currently on campus in Provo and preparing for next year. The big man, along with several others, was granted a temporary restraining order to allow for a fifth season of eligibility.
We'll know next week whether a California Court of Appeals will rule on the TRO to stay. There's no easy thing with the current court system. Some cases have been ruled in the NCAA's favor, while others, like Kohler's, have been in limbo. This has been the frustrating part of multiple court rulings. It's a 50-50 toss up on whether rulings come back with a positive result.
What Young is starting to learn in this new era is that depth across the roster is very important and big men who are talented are a hot commodity. Kohler would be the right fit for BYU, and he returns to the Beehive State. Another added bonus for the big man as he waits.
“I didn’t know I was going to need a law degree when I became a college basketball coach,’’ Young told Hoops HQ's Andy Katz. “This summer has really put my legal knowledge to the test, which isn’t very good I might add. I’ve just been trying to follow it as best I can and understand that there’s going to be an appeal coming up this month in California.’’
The American Fork native contemplated returning to Michigan state, but in the end BYU was the best move. At 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, Kohler is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. For Michigan State, he was a valuable starter for Tom Izzo's team. After playing in the NBA Summer League with the Utah Jazz, he never signed a deal in the league. Now he'll have returning floor general Rob Wright III and five-star freshman Bruce Branch III.
Young is ready to guide BYU to a third straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Cougars finished 23-12 in the 2025-26 season. The reason why BYU failed to advance in last year's tourney was mostly due to a lack of depth because of injuries. This will be the year Young gets his team back to playing the way he wants. A fast uptempo pace with everyone involved.
“In our second year, we were dynamic with AJ with his ability to just get one, and then we had Richie Saunders too (before he got hurt),’’ said Young. “In my first year we had good ball movement. This year will be a mixture of the two. My hope is that we will continue the reputation that when you play BYU, you better be ready to guard us. That’s my hope.’
Kohler and the Cougars wait to see if he'll stay in Provo this season. BYU opens the season against Ohio State on Nov. 2.
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