BYWho? CU, why can’t this be you?
BYU is a football school. From the moment Deion Sanders stepped on campus, CU became one again.
Both moved into the Big 12 over the last two years. Yet the Cougars are still playing hoops and the Buffs are trying to make sense of a 20-loss season.
What played out Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena before a sellout crowd showed the chasm between the two. And why, dare we say it after an opening round 80-71 victory over Virginia Commonwealth, BYU is a basketball school, too.
“I hope so,” former BYU star guard Jimmer Fredette told The Denver Post before settling into his seat three rows behind the team bench. “We have some real momentum.”
BYU treats basketball like they want to be elite. Like, you know, how CU treats Coach Prime.
And that is only where the similarities start. When Mark Pope took the Kentucky job last April, the Cougars reached a crossroads, the fragility of the program laid bare. Rival Utah showed the danger of making the wrong decision.
Instead of recycling a coach or heavy breathing after the next big thing from a mid-major, BYU landed Kevin Young.
He wasn’t their first choice. But he was the best choice.
As the Phoenix Suns’ top assistant and with NBA roots dating to 2016, Young brought the pro game to Provo. He runs his practices, film sessions and pregame warmups like he is still in the league. And most importantly, his offense is player-friendly. Sound familiar? Like what happens at Folsom Field on fall Saturdays?
You need Dramamine to watch all of BYU’s motion. It is a flurry of drives, dishes and drained 3s. Nine Cougars played at least 12 minutes.
“The mindset is different. They are a lot of fun to watch,” said Fredette, who lives in Littleton, settling in Colorado where his wife grew up. “This is my first time seeing them in a NCAA Tournament. It is such a cool experience.”
The roster meshes with Young’s background. BYU’s best player on Thursday was 6-foot-9 freshman point guard Egor Demin. He came from Russia with love, connected to the coach by ex-BYU star Travis Hansen who knew Demin’s father from their days in the Euroleague.
Demin saw the fit because he projects as a lottery pick. So after three years with Real Madrid in Spain, why not take finishing school courses in Utah?
Defensively, Demin is longer than the last day of school. He possesses elite court vision and ball-handling skills. His jump shot — and his confidence in it — needs improvement.
“Coming here the only thing that matters is the team,” said Demin, who scored 15 points, following his coach’s instruction to take better shots in rhythm. “It’s about who wants to win the most.”
Demin is not Fredette or Danny Ainge, who was also in attendance. He does not have to carry the Cougars. Richie Saunders, a pro prospect with a sudden first step and quick release, reached his season average with 16 points. And Fousseyni Traore bullied the Rams in the first half.
The partisan crowd rained “Fou!” chants with each bucket. The 250-pound brute from Mali proved he is a Fou Fighter.
“This means everything to me,” said Fousseyni after BYU reached the second round for the first time since 2014, avoiding last year’s upset fate. “We didn’t want to go down like that again.”
Demin is relishing this experience. He is likely a one-and-done. Big deal. The Cougars have a better player coming after him. BYU signed forward AJ Dybantsa, the top recruit in the country, beating out Kansas, Baylor and North Carolina to name a few.
His decision to come to BYU related to the culture, the NBA training and the finances. Reports estimate that he will receive $4 million to $5 million from the school — and additional cash from NIL deals.
Comparing CU directly to BYU is not fair when one school is private. But the blueprint is where the game is headed. Pro-style attack, accelerated development and resources. The Buffs must give Tad Boyle, the greatest coach in school history, help or surrender hope. Football is the hub of the college universe. But the Big 12 is a hoops conference.
Revenue sharing across college sports will begin in the 2025-26 academic year. The four power conferences, including the Big 12, are expected to operate with a $20.5 million salary cap that can be distributed across all sports. Football and basketball will gorge most of it. And collectives can break ties.
No toothpaste is going back in the tube.
