Despite rumors of missed targets, Kevin Young is nearing a deal with a versatile rim protector to anchor the Cougars' most prolific perimeter shooting roster to date.
Kevin Young and the BYU Cougars ran out of steam while falling to Texas in March’s first round of the NCAA Tournament. The injuries stacked up late and there wasn't a return run to the Sweet 16 in AJ Dybantsa's one-and-done season.
The Cougars will reshape the roster once again with a few returning pieces. However, the biggest question everyone has been asking is when will BYU sign a big man?
Young had the opportunity to answer and provided a little insight with reporters on Tuesday. Don't worry because there is a plan in place with all parties involved. He's been "in lockstep with one specific (center) for a while” and is going through the process.
”There’s a lot of logistical things that have to get ironed out on some of these guys, given their academic situations and where they played and stuff like that,“ Young said. ”So we’ve been locked in with one guy in particular, I can’t really say too much about it."
Young then addressed some of the misinformation floating around about who might be coming to Provo. Some of the names who were viewed as potential targets have gone elsewhere, leading to more questions about who's going to fill the role.
“There’s been some misreporting on who we’re actually involved with, and who we’re not, and stuff like that," Young added. "I feel good about where we’re at in the process, and we feel like we’ve identified the type of player that we want to pair with this group in general.”
Trying to replace the production of Keba Keita will be tough, especially on the defensive end. He was a solid center for the past two seasons and knew his way around the rim. But finding a hybrid scorer with range who's also an outstanding defender will be ideal.
Keita finished up his career at BYU and has impressed teams during NBA Draft workouts as a projected second-rounder. Growing up in Mali, basketball wasn't a part of his life until the age of 17. Needless to say, his journey is just starting after two years at Utah before transferring to BYU.
Young sees this team as one of the best offensively.
“It’ll be our most prolific shooting team across the spectrum of all the positions,” Young said. “Feel good about it. Now it’s just a matter of trying to implement a style of play, shot quality and shot selection that we care about. But I think we have some really high-level shooting out there, that should really allow us to play in a really open floor.”
