To get ready for Big 12, Kevin Young tapped ESPN analyst and roster that's been there

PROVO — Kevin Young doesn't get jealous easily, or if he does, he hides it well.

If he did, he might have a thing or two to say about coaching basketball at a school where football has often garnered the spotlight, earned the most headlines, and demanded the most attention of the majority of its fans like BYU has for 40-plus years.

But Young is just as captivated by the recent success of his counterpart Kalani Sitake and the 17th-ranked football team as anyone. He, too, was getting riled up about BYU's 36-14 win over No. 23 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl to cap an 11-2 season, he admitted Monday afternoon on a call with local media.

"There's excitement around, not just what they're doing, not just what we're doing, but even cross country and track and field and on down the list; there are a lot of cool things happening at this university," Young said, crediting the leadership team of from athletic director Tom Holmoe to university president Shane Reese. "I'm just happy to be a part of it. It's exciting.

"I'm hoping we can kind of carry the torch now that football's over, and we can keep this momentum going."

The torch will pass officially Tuesday afternoon, when the Cougars host Arizona State in a Big 12 opener for both teams (2 p.m. MST, ESPN2) — a Big 12 that looks different than even a year ago with the addition of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, and yet no less daunting.

Six of the top 26 teams in the NET rankings come from the Big 12, led by No. 5 Houston and No. 7 Iowa State. That's just behind the SEC and Big Ten, which have seven each.

KenPom's predictive ratings are just as daunting, where BYU is rated 42nd nationally and eighth in the conference — 13 spots ahead of Arizona State.

The Cougars' 9-2 nonconference finish includes an 0-2 mark in Quad 1 games and a 9-0 record against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents. It hasn't been a murderer's row, but BYU hasn't lost a game it shouldn't with only blemishes to the NET's No. 39 Ole Miss and No. 72 Providence and their only true road game.

Young knows the numbers, and he has a staff full of analytics wizards to guide his coaching and methodology. But he also tries not to get bogged down in them, either.

"I'm a huge numbers guy," he said. "But I think winning can't be blinded by all the analytics and stuff."

To that end, experience can be the greatest teacher. Young has never been through the league as a head coach, but the former highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns has had plenty of advice on navigating what many view as the deepest college basketball conference in the country.

"I spent a decent amount of time with Fran Fraschilla, kind of the guru of the Big 12. He gave me a good road map of the Big 12," said Young, noting the former college coach-turned-ESPN-analyst's reference to the physicality, aggressive defenses, and older players in the league.

"Those were the commonalities," Young added. "Being able to navigate the aggressive, tough-minded teams has been what stood out as I talked to different people."

He's also been able to rely on a number of veteran players on the roster who navigated that grind a year ago, including point guard Dallin Hall, and seniors Trevin Knell and Fousseyni Traore, among others.

"I think we still have a lot of space to improve on. But we're ready," Hall said. "Guys like (fourstar freshman Kanon Catchings) and Egor have played against the best players in the country their whole lives.

"Obviously, the Big 12 is a beast of itself. We've just been making sure the practice environment is similar to what it's been when we step out on the floor. These guys are pros, they handle their business on and off the court, and they're ready for the challenge."

The Cougars are expected to be at full strength — or close to it — Tuesday afternoon, with the return of Richie Saunders (concussion) and Egor Demin (knee) to the rotation.

"Barring anything unforeseen," Young said of Saunders and Demin, "those guys should be available."

In other words: It's go-time.

"The Big 12 is probably the best conference in college basketball," Catchings said. "But you've just got to be ready for everything that it brings."

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