The BYU basketball program officially tipped off the Kevin Young era on Wednesday with an exhibition win over Colorado Christian. BYU’s heralded recruiting class, including Kanon Catchings, Egor Demin, and Elijah Crawford, made their first appearances in BYU uniforms and they didn’t dissappoint. True freshman Kanon Catchings led BYU in scoring with 19 points. He also had 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Catchings was extremely efficient, shooting 8/10 from the field and 2/3 from three.
Egor ➡️ Kanon ➡️ Bucket pic.twitter.com/UbgvViLehh
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) October 31, 2024
Fellow true freshman Egor Demin led BYU with 11 assists. Demin is a gifted passer – his ability to see the court and use his length to create passing lanes is what makes him a coveted NBA prospect. Demin struggled to score, going 0/3 from the field, but he impacted the game in other ways. He added six rebounds, two steals, and one block.
hit em with the no-no. pic.twitter.com/qhbKd94bk3
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) October 31, 2024
Former four-star point guard Elijah Crawford made an impact in the exhibition as well. Crawford had 9 points no 75% shooting. He also added 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Crawford has a way of impacting the game in a myriad of ways. In a crowded BYU rotation, Crawford is going to be hard to keep off the court.
Mihailo Boskovic, who is waiting for approval from the NCAA before he can play in non-exhibition games, scored 8 points in just 7 minutes. If Boskovic is eligible, he will make an impact for BYU.
It wasn’t only the newcomers that shined in the exhibition. Veterans Trevin Knell and Richie Saunders were great as well. Knell and Saunders finished with 17 points and 15 points, respectively.
