BYU Basketball 24-25-Bring out the Jelly!

[Goatnapper'96]

Here we go with the new KY era!

At this point here are the players anticipated to be on BYU's roster:

Fouss Traore- SR
Noah Waterman-SR
Trevin Knell- SR
Trey Stewart-SR
Dallin Hall- JR
Richie Saunders-JR
Dawson Baker-JR
Brody Kozlowski - FR
Isaac Davis- FR

Gone from last year's roster to the portal are Atki Aly Atiki, Aly Khalifa and Marcus Adams. Also lost is projected incoming freshman Collin Chandler who is joining Mark Pope in KY.

So BYU has 4 scholarships available. Jaxon Robinson's situation is not yet clear. He has simultaneously declared for the draft and entered the portal. My instinct is if Jaxon Robinson doesn't go pro he will be back at BYU next year so I think the staff is holding out one scholarship for Robinson and if he does go into the NBA Draft they will try to fill that scholarship starting in late May. So my guess is KY is looking to actively recruit 3 portal players in the next few weeks. It doesn't seem BYU is as active in the portal this year but this is likely because Coach Young is getting to BYU full-time this week-likely things should start picking up wrt the final 3-4 scholarships and the assistant coaches.

My wish list is an experienced big and a young big with multiple years of eligibility and then likely a combo guard would be my dream. I have no clue what KY's dreams are yet but hopefully in time we will see where he is going with his new ship.

I believe BYU hired Brandon Dunson from Stanford to be an assistant coach. So there is still 2 (3?) assistant coaching spots to fill.

As many of you are aware BYU is spending a lot of money to get KY as their coach. This could be a serious change in BYU's approach to basketball-in that it is going to spend the money it has to to secure the coaches and potentially players it will need to compete in the Big 12 to the best of its ability.

We shall see how this goes. I know nothing about KY. With Pope I knew he was far better prepared than most BYU HC hires in my lifetime and I also believed he was both very smart, insufferably competitive and likely was only viewing BYU as a stepping stone. Time will tell on KY but from what little I can tell many folks in basketball think he really understands the game. Being a brilliant offensive basketball mind does not college success guarantee. There are many vitally important components of running a college basketball program that KY is not as well versed in -time will tell how the staff he puts together and his own capacity to learn on the fly mitigate that potential exposure.

All things considered I am pretty excited about BYU's hoops future. I make no secret I would have loved Pope to have stayed a few more years-but I was pretty aware what he was when BYU hired him. Time for KY to get things rolling and fill his staff and roster!

[Jeff Lebowski]

I wonder how good Isaac Davis will be.

[Goatnapper'96]

I wonder how good Isaac Davis will be.

I have seen him play. I am no expert on these things but here are my thoughts:

1.) Great teammate and not a primma donna. Isaac played football his senior of HS just so he could win another state championship with his classmates/teammates. I think he will be a great teammate and I think his instincts are to prioritize team success over individual glory.

2.) Good athlete for a BYU 4. He can move, jump and defend on the perimeter if needed. Good size at about 6'7" and likely about 250 lbs.

3.) Good offensive player who I believe will be able to score at all levels in the college game. Right now likely most comfortable with his back to the basket where he is similar to Yoeli Childs-not as good as YC was coming out of HS but both quick and strong like Yoeli was. Not as polished as Fouss but I think a better all around athlete. Isaac has shown some development of a mid range game the past few years and even some perimeter shooting behind the arc. My prediction is that aspect won't show up at BYU for a couple of years though.

4.) I felt at times he should have been more dominant-especially in rebounding and blocking shots. Not sure yet he understands the intensity required to compete at the D1 level-learning to play hard all the time is likely a lesson he will have to learn when he is forced to be in situations where his enormous physical advantages no longer allow him to be lazy. Likely an issue many HS bigs-especially kids from rural states like Idaho, deal with and have to learn. On the other hand I might be exaggerating his raw physical athleticism and was expecting too much.

5.) I am in the camp that doesn't expect him to contribute much next year. I was hoping BYU could keep Adams for another year or two and let Isaac grow into a role. I don't know much about Kozlowski but it sounds like his strengths are rebounding and perimeter shooting-which are not what I would say are Isaac's core strengths-so I see it being that if BYU needs behind Noah in games require more physical around the basket play and defense Isaac will get the nod, but if the needs are rebounding and perimeter shooting it seems Kozlowski is better equipped there.

6.) I do think by his junior year he will be a very good Big 12 4. Double digit scorer, good defender all over the court and hopefully 6-8 rpg as well.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I have seen him play. I am no expert on these things but here are my thoughts:

1.) Great teammate and not a primma donna. Isaac played football his senior of HS just so he could win another state championship with his classmates/teammates. I think he will be a great teammate and I think his instincts are to prioritize team success over individual glory.

2.) Good athlete for a BYU 4. He can move, jump and defend on the perimeter if needed. Good size at about 6'7" and likely about 250 lbs.

3.) Good offensive player who I believe will be able to score at all levels in the college game. Right now likely most comfortable with his back to the basket where he is similar to Yoeli Childs-not as good as YC was coming out of HS but both quick and strong like Yoeli was. Not as polished as Fouss but I think a better all around athlete. Isaac has shown some development of a mid range game the past few years and even some perimeter shooting behind the arc. My prediction is that aspect won't show up at BYU for a couple of years though.

4.) I felt at times he should have been more dominant-especially in rebounding and blocking shots. Not sure yet he understands the intensity required to compete at the D1 level-learning to play hard all the time is likely a lesson he will have to learn when he is forced to be in situations where his enormous physical advantages no longer allow him to be lazy. Likely an issue many HS bigs-especially kids from rural states like Idaho, deal with and have to learn. On the other hand I might be exaggerating his raw physical athleticism and was expecting too much.

5.) I am in the camp that doesn't expect him to contribute much next year. I was hoping BYU could keep Adams for another year or two and let Isaac grow into a role. I don't know much about Kozlowski but it sounds like his strengths are rebounding and perimeter shooting-which are not what I would say are Isaac's core strengths-so I see it being that if BYU needs behind Noah in games require more physical around the basket play and defense Isaac will get the nod, but if the needs are rebounding and perimeter shooting it seems Kozlowski is better equipped there.

6.) I do think by his junior year he will be a very good Big 12 4. Double digit scorer, good defender all over the court and hopefully 6-8 rpg as well.

Interesting. Thanks.

Lots of excitement for Kozlowski, but I know some people who think he won't amount to much. My son-in-law (who coached HS ball in Utah as a BYU UG) is really high on him.

[Goatnapper'96]

Interesting. Thanks.

Lots of excitement for Kozlowski, but I know some people who think he won't amount to much. My son-in-law (who coached HS ball in Utah as a BYU UG) is really high on him.

From what little I know of Kozlowski the issue is whether or not he is athletic enough to contribute at the next level. His skills as a basketball player are reportedly good-the question is will he be able to use them or limited because the opponents are athletically dominant enough that he cannot. I don't think those who have seen Isaac play wonder if that will be an issue-the question for him will be whether or not he is good enough at the basketball skills required to be effective at the next level.

[byufan4ever]

I think it was on VTF who wrote an article when Isaac Davis signed and compared his playing style to Damon Green. Not his personality or tendency to get technical fouls, just his play style. Kinda like Foos, I think he plays bigger than his height would suggest.

That being said, I really think we need TWO 6-9 or taller true post players on the roster. I would love for Foos to be our starting PF with Davis backing him up and for us to grab two C in the transfer portal.

Edit: I meant Draymond Green.

[Clark Addison]

I think it was on VTF who wrote an article when Isaac Davis signed and compared his playing style to Damon Green. Not his personality or tendency to get technical fouls, just his play style. Kinda like Foos, I think he plays bigger than his height would suggest.

Hopefully this includes kicking opposing players in the nuts.

(I am assuming we are talking about Draymond Green here?)

[byufan4ever]

Hopefully this includes kicking opposing players in the nuts.

(I am assuming we are talking about Draymond Green here?)

Ah yes, Draymond, oops!

[byufan4ever]

I'm not sure where I read/saw that Draymond Green comparison as I looked up the VTF article and this is what they said about him last April 2023:

A 6-foot-6 or 7 (depending on who you ask) power forward, Isaac Davis is an elite athlete with upside to be a foundational piece for BYU. The easy comp is Yoeli Childs since they are similar size. Yoeli had better skills around the basket at the same age, but Isaac is a better athlete. Isaac’s athleticism will allow him to contribute right away as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. He has a tremendous motor and strength for his age, so rebounding and hustle plays should allow Isaac to play early on. He’s showed well offensively on the AAU circuit, and his offensive game will only continue to refine as he develops. Isaac has range out to the three-point and that will improve as he gets game experience. One underrated part of Isaac’s game is his passing — he has good instincts and decision making as a point forward. His athleticism and physicality is what sticks out most, but the decision making part of his game is what separates him from just strictly an athlete.

Being 6-foot-6 could cause some challenges for Isaac at the four spot, but his movement laterally and vertically will allow him to play against bigger players, guard 1-4 and even the five spot in certain lineups, and cause mismatches on the offensive end when guarded by less athletic players. Isaac’s combination of size and athleticism jumps off the page and will allow him to compete physically in the Big 12. Going from Idaho to the Big 12 will be a huge leap, so it could take at least a year for Isaac to make a real impact. Don’t be fooled by the fact Isaac prepped in Idaho — he has the body, athleticism, and skill to play at the highest level. I could easily see Isaac blowing up this summer in the AAU circuit and seeing his recruiting ranking rise higher.

[byufan4ever]

https://espn960sports.com/byu/byu-ba...t-isaac-davis/

Here it is, an ESPN article

Davis’ play and abilities have drawn comparisons with former BYU standout Yoeli Childs due to his size, strength and versatility, although his coach draws comparison with NBA star Draymond Green.

Matt Jolley, who has coached Davis since the fourth grade, describes Davis as someone who can play effectively in both the post and out on the perimeter, who should develop into a good 3-point shooter. Jolley also cites Davis as a superior ball distributor for a player of his size who can defend the 1-5 positions on the hardwood.

[LiveCoug]

Chris Burgess to BYU. I woulda been ok with him as HC, but to get him back as an assistant is pretty awesome.

Any Utes worth bringing over?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Chris Burgess to BYU. I woulda been ok with him as HC, but to get him back as an assistant is pretty awesome.

Any Utes worth bringing over?

[SteelBlue]

Chris Burgess to BYU. I woulda been ok with him as HC, but to get him back as an assistant is pretty awesome.

Any Utes worth bringing over?

Seems like a big get.

[BigPiney]

Ha ha. Suck it utes.

[myboynoah]

Seems like a big get.

Yeah. Like LC, I was looking at Burgess as the best HC option.

Holmoe et al are doing pretty much everything possible to create the infrastructure needed to be excellent at BB. Just crazy.