In the land of BYU basketball, where the roar was short-lived in Mark Pope’s departure and early NCAA Tournament exit last spring, Kevin Young is making noise. Big noise. And it’s not just the kind that echoes across the gym on game nights — it’s the kind that carries through the recruiting halls and into the classrooms of high school basketball’s elite.
Enter Xavion Staton. A 7-foot shot-blocking savant out of Sierra Vista High in Las Vegas, Staton’s commitment to BYU isn’t just another “get” for Young. It’s a statement. It’s the kind of move that sends a message, not just to BYU fans, but to the entire college basketball landscape: Kevin Young isn’t just a placeholder; he’s building something that might just rival the heavy hitters in the blue-blood land of college hoops.
The buzz around Staton is loud. Ranked the No. 2 center and No. 23 overall player in the class of 2025 (247sports), Staton is the kind of raw, untamed talent that makes scouts salivate. And yet, for all the hype, there’s something else — something more important — behind this commitment: potential.
Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”
Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.
On paper, this is an elite-level recruit who, with Chamberlain Burgess of Orem High, could be the foundation of a top-five class, and the ripple effect is real. If Young can reel in No. 1-ranked five-star AJ Dybantsa, the 6-9 small forward from Utah Prep Academy, and his talented teammate JJ Mandaquit, a point guard ranked No. 9 in his position, well, then BYU’s coaching staff might just be looking at their best recruiting haul ever. The Cougars could go from a team that’s looking to rebuild to a team with aspirations of competing at a national level.
It’s not just Staton’s physical gifts — his freakish shot-blocking timing, his ability to change a game on the defensive end, his unreal speed on the floor — that have turned heads. It’s his mind. In a recent broadcast announcing his decision, Eric Bossi of EBO Hoops raved about Staton’s intelligence, both on and off the court.
“It’s hard to explain,” Bossi said, as he gushed over Staton’s physicality. “He has incredible timing. He’s an elite shot blocker because he’s got these insane physical gifts. But the thing that blew me away is the way he reads the game. He’s a step ahead of everyone else.”
And that’s the thing. Staton’s instincts are what truly separate him from the rest of the pack. Bossi described him as a “savant” on the defensive end, a guy who doesn’t just react to plays but anticipates them. He’s already the kind of player who’s shouting directions to his teammates before the ball even swings to the other side of the court. That’s rare for a high schooler, and it’s exactly the kind of mindset that makes him a potential game-changer for BYU.
Offensively, Staton is still raw — but the ceiling? It’s ridiculously high. Bossi sees a player who could develop into a real threat in the low post with a jump hook that will soon become a weapon, expanding his game beyond his dominant left shoulder. The other thing Bossi was quick to point out was Staton’s ability to pass from the post — another underappreciated aspect of his game that speaks to his high basketball IQ.
And if you want to talk about a complete package, don’t forget how he runs the floor. For a man his size, Staton moves with a grace that makes him a dangerous lob target. His combination of size, agility and basketball IQ means that once his offensive game catches up to his defense, the sky’s the limit. The kid’s a real project for Young and his staff — but one with the kind of raw materials you don’t see every day.
“The overall fit is it for me, with its proximity to home and NBA development,” Staton told Joe Tipton of On3sports.com. “Being able to be around an NBA ‘program’ with their staff is important to me. It’s a place where I can enjoy living without having to worry about distractions so I’m able to focus on getting better and have fun doing so.”
Add this commitment to an already impressive haul of talent Young has assembled in just six months, and it’s safe to say the first-year BYU coach is on the map. If Egor Demin, Kanon Catchings, Brody Kowzlowski, Elijah Crawford and Keba Keita weren’t enough to make college basketball circles take notice, then the announcement of Staton certainly will.
And now, with Burgess, another four-star recruit, committed for 2025, the BYU program is primed. The Cougars might be just a year or two away from being not just a competitive mid-major but a team with a legitimate chance to make a run in March Madness — and when you’ve got players like Staton, the future looks pretty bright.
Kevin Young, for all his success so far in the recruiting game, is just getting started with the PRO-vo theme. With Staton leading the charge, BYU’s future on the hardwood could be more than just special. It might be legendary once he finishes the 2025 class.
