STORY 1
How Kevin Young turned BYU into a player in the college hoops universe
Kevin Young is receiving much attention nationally now that BYU has become an NIL player, signed potential lottery picks, and made lists for some of the country’s top high school players in the class of 2025.
It’s quite the rarified air conservative BYU is finding itself in. It goes against convention and, well, history.
BYU is listed among Arkansas, Kansas and Kentucky as the top four NIL programs in the nation, according to an anonymous CBS Sports poll of 100 college basketball coaches across the country.
That would appear, in the natural blue-blood pecking order of the game, a little unfathomable.
But, it is what it is when Young signed Russian five-star guard Egor Demin and Purdue-bound forward Kanon Catchings to go along with a handful of other much-sought-after transfer portal players.
Asked if he believes BYU has the No. 3 NIL program in the country, Young told reporters at an informal luncheon at Riverside Country Club this week that he didn’t know if that was so.
“I don’t know if anyone really knows,” he said.
Regardless, BYU’s NIL for basketball has turned heads. Young’s first recruiting class of 2024 is ranked 13th nationally and that is without Demin receiving a composite score. When and if he does, that class will likely move into the top 10, an area reserved for Duke, Baylor, Ohio State, Gonzaga and others.
In that survey, 76.3% of respondents said Arkansas had top NIL money, followed by Kansas (43.2%), BYU (30.6%), Kentucky (25.3%), Indiana (16.9%), Kansas State (13.7%), and Baylor (11.6%).
Young has the interest of the No. 1 high school player in the country in Utah Prep five-star AJ Dybantsa, who lives in St. George and will visit campus officially in October, the weekend of the BYU football game against Arizona.
Yes, it’s NIL.
But somewhere along the line you must credit Young, his relationships and his approach to make BYU a destination for players to prepare for the NBA. He has run his program as if it were an NBA team. The approach, the preparation, the workouts and the expectations are the same.
Young said there’s only one way he knows how to recruit at BYU and he does it like he’s done everything in his life. He’s reached high, swung for the fences, refused to lay up in front of hazards. In other words, to just go for it.
Young said growing up he lived in a mid-to-lower income family. His father was a traveling salesman. Young worked hard to get on a high school team, even harder to make a junior college team and get a scholarship. He then started at the bottom in coaching, slowly and methodically working his way up until he was coaching at the upper echelons of the NBA after being a head coach four times.
“It’s all I know,” he said.
When asked if BYU’s strict honor code was a barrier in recruiting high-level talent to Provo, he said not so far. He only had one prospect he really wanted that had an issue with the rules of conduct at BYU and passed to go somewhere else.
The honor code, he said, actually helps filter out prospects that wouldn’t fit or work. He asks recruits if they want to work toward being in the NBA or live the college life. So far, they’ve been choosing preparing for the NBA and don’t want the distractions.
“I haven’t run into a situation where there’s an honor code problem — so far.”
Young is remarkably knocking down a lot of barriers around Provo.
Critics have long sung that BYU was cheap, didn’t pay coaches and staff enough, and the honor code was an insurmountable hurdle that would keep the Cougars from ever building a program taken seriously on the national stage.
That he’s recruiting top-20-caliber players and they’re listening and visiting kind of robs the cacophony of distractors of BYU their favorite worn-out drone. “But, but, but … I hoped they were pulling the plug on BYU sports.”
Though Young has yet to coach a BYU game, he is stoking coal in the train’s boiler to head in that direction. Early indicators say he’s chalking up some mile markers and it’s impressive.
He’s getting talent despite critics saying BYU is, well, too BYU to attract that kind of player.
One of the most sought-after players over the decades was Shawn Bradley, a prospect who signed with BYU and then left on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia. Roger Reid was the coach who signed him, and so many things, including his faith, were a huge part of that.
But now Young is bringing in players who’ve never heard of his school before, or if they had, they barely knew what state the school was located in. These guys don’t have church/faith guardrails to funnel them to Provo.
BYU, say Young’s peers, is now a player.
And that is quite remarkable, no matter how you paint it.
BYU players listen to coach Kevin Young during practice at the Marriott Center Annex on June 6, 2024, in Provo.
STORY 2
Poll: Gov. Spencer Cox leads Brian King by 40 percentage points in gubernatorial race
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox leads his general election opponent, Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, by 40 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll.
If the election for Utah governor were held today, the poll found that 59% of Utah registered voters say they would cast their ballot for Cox, the Republican nominee; 19% say they would vote for King, the Democratic nominee; and 23% say they don’t know or are unsure.
Cox’s hypothetical winning margin — 74 days out from Election Day — increased by 4 percentage points when undecided voters were asked to choose between the two major party candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in November.
“Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson are grateful for the broad base of support that these numbers demonstrate,” said Cox’s campaign spokesperson, Matt Lusty. “They appreciate the team effort of everyday Utahns from across the state who have led Utah to being ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the best performing state in the nation. Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson will continue to work hard until Election Day to earn every vote possible by sharing their message of fiscal responsibility and conservative leadership with Utah voters.”
This lead remained unchanged when voters were asked to choose between Cox, King and the two third-party candidates who qualified for the ballot. Cox finished with 65% of the vote, King with 21%, Independent American Party candidate Tommy Williams with 8% and Libertarian Party candidate J. Robert Latham with 6% of the vote.
STORY 3
Here’s why BYU coaches believe their defense will produce more sacks in 2024
Special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach Kelly Poppinga has a theory on why BYU’s pass rush was one of the worst in college football last season, and it might not be what you think.
His reasoning sort of explains why the Cougars didn’t hit the transfer portal hard for an accomplished pass rusher, instead relying on the improvement of returning contributors Tyler Batty, Isaiah Bagnah and Logan Lutui.
“Last year, the main reason we couldn’t rush the passer (effectively) is we couldn’t stop the run,” Poppinga said. “And if you can’t stop the run, you can’t control the game. That was our issue a year ago, is we could never really get our pass rushers going because we could never control our opponent’s run game.”
So BYU’s defensive coaches focused their efforts on stopping the run in the offseason, which meant getting better up the middle — at middle linebacker and the interior defensive line. Whether that tactic works remains to be seen.
Their plans suffered two major setbacks in the offseason. One of the top tacklers in school history, Ben Bywater, had to take a medical retirement because of nerve damage in his surgically repaired shoulder. And one of their top recruits in the 2024 signing class, Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College defensive tackle Danny Saili, transferred to Arkansas after shining for BYU in spring camp.
The Cougars are hoping that Weber State transfer Jack Kelly, Siale Esera, Harrison Taggart and Isaiah Glasker can make up for the losses of linebackers Bywater and Max Tooley in terms of plugging the rushing lanes. Additions to the interior defensive line include junior college transfers John Taumoepeau (Snow College), Luke To’omalatai (Long Beach City College) and freshman Dallin Johnson of Springville High.
Seniors Blake Mangelson and John Nelson have moved inside, joining juniors David Latu and Joshua Singh.
“If we stop the run, I promise you the sack number is going to go up. It is a team effort,” Poppinga said. “With John Nelson and Blake Mangelson moving to the inside, I am excited about that group. It is veteran-led and experienced. So there is really no excuse for us not taking a big step forward this year.”
BYU finished 109th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams last year in defending the run. The Cougars gave up 177.7 rushing yards per game, which partly explains why they had just 11 sacks in 12 games. Their average of .92 sacks per game was tied with Virginia for lowest in the country.
Poppinga said Bagnah, Batty and Lutui will get the bulk of the defensive end reps, barring injury. Redshirt sophomore Bodie Schoonover, returned missionary Viliami Po’uha and true freshmen Kini Fonohema and Ephraim Asiata are also in line for playing time, particularly Asiata.
“We are very deep at defensive end,” Poppinga said. “We have three veteran guys in their sixth year, with that COVID year. And we got a slew of guys who are really young, but really talented. There are going to be some growing pains along the way, but the one thing I think we can do in that group, is rush the passer.”
Batty had 5.5 sacks last year, while Bagnah had one and Lutui none. Batty did have 19 quarterback hurries, and Bagnah two, for what that’s worth. Clearly, and for whatever reason, the pass rush was not nearly good enough, and one of the reasons BYU went 5-7.
A Boise State transfer, Bagnah said the trio of seniors has heard the critics and will respond with their play on the field.
“You look at why my guy Batty came back, why I came back, why Logan came back. We have a chip on our shoulder. We have something to prove,” Bagnah said. “We know that we left a lot of production on the table last year. This year we are coming back with a vengeance.”
Lutui said an overlooked factor is that head coach Kalani Sitake brought in some “defensive line experts” in former Utah State, Wisconsin and Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen and former UCLA, UNLV and USC defensive line coach Chad Kauha’aha’a to help BYU defensive line coach Sione Po’uha and Poppinga with their assignments.
“We have had a way bigger emphasis on pass rush, and urgency, this year,” Lutui said. “We have coach (Gary) Andersen, and coach Chad helping coach Poppinga and coach Po’uha. They have all brought their knowledge of pass rush and the success they have had. I feel like we have seen it a lot throughout camp, and even in spring ball. So we are excited to showcase that.”
Pass rush can’t be a ‘one-trick pony’
With not much pressure from the other side, or resistance in the middle, Batty was often double-teamed in 2023, which was not sustainable. Poppinga said the development of the other guys will be another key to getting more heat on opposing passers.
“Batty was one of the top havoc players in the Big 12 last year,” Poppinga said. “We need to have three or four other guys on the front that are creating as much havoc as he is. They gotta complement each other.
“We didn’t really have that last year. We had a one-trick pony that was sort of doing everything. So if we have pressure that Batty continues to do, along with our D tackles increasing their havoc, and the rush end, whoever that ends up being, we will (be better),” Poppinga continued. “We need to have four guys doing it, rather than just one.”
Can Ephraim Asiata make immediate impact?
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Asiata was a huge get for Sitake and defensive coordinator Jay Hill out of Herriman High last winter, and somewhat of a steal considering his father, Matt, played running back for the University of Utah and in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.
The true freshman quickly turned heads in the spring with some bone-jarring hits and speed off the edge, and might be the wildcard on this year’s BYU defense, if he can continue to add a few pounds.
“Yeah, we need to get him to that 210, 215 range,” Poppinga said. “I always compare it to Fred Warner and Kyle Van Noy, where they played for me here as freshmen, they were in that 210 to 215 range. So we are working to get there (with Asiata). But man, he is a special athlete. And even more, a different athlete than those guys as far as his change of direction and explosiveness. There is even another level with him there that is pretty impressive.”
That’s high praise, considering Warner is one of the best linebackers in the NFL, and Van Noy has had a long and productive career in the league.
“So we are going to have to find a role for (Asiata), somehow, some way, to get on the field. But he will be a special teams contributor. The kid loves football,” Poppinga said. “The weight part will come. We are trying to figure some things out nutritionally. But he is going to be fine. We are not worried about that at all. The love that he has for the game has fired me up, and just the special athlete that he is.”
Sitake, Hill see an improved pass rush
When asked about the overall improvement of the defense last week, Hill pointed to guys who are “playing at a super high level” in fall camp and specifically mentioned three defensive linemen: Batty, Mangelson and Nelson.
“We are deeper on the defensive line, so that is good,” he said.
While acknowledging that they are relying on continuity more than newcomers this year, Sitake said the Cougars have “no choice” but to develop a better pass rush.
“Part of that is get a lead, make teams throw the ball on us. Win first and second down, so you put them in a third down situation where they have to put the ball in the air, or be happy to be conservative and punt the ball,” he said. “When we put ourselves in that position, we get more sacks. And you get more leads when the offense is clicking and can be complementary.”
Sitake noted the improvement of Bagnah, and the additions of Asiata and Kelly as reasons he believes the Cougars will get more sacks this year.
“There are a bunch of variables that go into it. One is get the talent, and develop it. We felt like we did that,” he said. “Now we have to play football so we can get teams to throw the ball on us, get turnovers. … It is not like we thought we had the answer last year. So we made adjustments and I think we have done the right things with all the different variables that go into it. So I anticipate us doing better this year.”
Ephraim Asiata looks on during practice at BYU’s indoor practice facility on Aug. 12, 2024.
STORY 4
Strong winds create ‘critical’ fire conditions in Utah before fall-like temperatures arrive
The first sign of a changing season is on the way, but it may cause “critical” fire weather conditions over the next few days.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for most of western Utah that went into effect on Friday and will remain in place through Saturday night. Southern wind gusts up to 45-55 mph are forecast across northern Utah, the Wasatch Front, West Desert, central Utah and even into Cedar City.
The stronger winds are out ahead of a cold front arriving from California, a weather pattern that typically begins to return near the start of meteorological fall. KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said the core low-pressure system is forecast to make its way into Nevada on Saturday before it bounces north toward Utah’s northwest corner on Sunday.
Winds are forecast to die as it arrives, but the cold front is forecast to drop high temperatures along the Wasatch Front from the upper 80s and lower 90s on Friday and Saturday down to the mid-70s on Sunday. Salt Lake City is currently forecast to top out at 75 degrees on Sunday, which is the city’s normal high in late September after the astronomical change from summer to fall.
It’s forecast to drop into the low 80s in Cedar City and low 90s in St. George, as well.
The strong wind is one aspect of several patterns impacting Utah at the moment.
Scattered monsoonal showers are possible across the state on Friday, including the potential of more flooding. Johnson said showers are more likely to impact eastern Utah on Saturday and Sunday.
The weather service also issued overlapping red flag warnings for areas impacted by the winds, as gusts along with heat and relatively low humidity will create “critical fire weather conditions” through Friday evening and likely most of Saturday.
Meanwhile, the taste of fall likely won’t last long. High temperatures along the Wasatch Front are forecast to return to the upper 80s/low 90s by Tuesday. That’s close to the normal for this point in the year.
