Charles Abouo's role with BYU basketball is different, but no less rewarding, in return to March

PROVO — Sitting in a corner next to BYU director of analytics and strategy Akash Sebastian, Charles Abouo's hands fly over a keyboard, his eyes darting back and forth on a screen that shows Wisconsin cuts as he stitches together highlights from the past season and prepares a scouting report for the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

He never stops, even as he entertains questions from a couple of reporters wanting to talk about "the good ol' days."

His role is different from the last time the Cougars advanced to the tournament's Round of 32, when Abouo was a junior who averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on a Sweet 16 squad that featured Jimmer Fredette, Jackson Emery, Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock.

But his excitement over a win was no less diminished when the 6-foot-5 Côte d'Ivoire international who prepped at Logan High and Brewster Academy was making buckets before a globetrotting 12-year pro career.

Richie Saunders and Egor Demin were the names that highlighted BYU's 80-71 win over VCU in the NCAA Tournament's first round, with a closing assist from Fousseyni Traore and others at Ball Arena.

But on the bench, Abouo, who earned a degree from BYU in exercise and wellness and is currently pursuing an MBA as a graduate assistant, was no-less involved than with that Jimmer squad in 2011.

"It's different; it's a little awkward, honestly," said Abouo as his eyes barely flinched from the computer screen in front of him. "I want the best for this team, and I get really nervous because I'm with them every day, I care about them as people, they're great dudes and great players — and you hope that they get what you feel they deserve.

"I'm usually pretty low-key and even-keeled. And then after the game, it sinks in where I'm proud of them … and I want them to get the next one, too. When you work hard and have these big moments, you want them to have these types of memories. And you want them to get the next one, too."

Abouo is in full-coach mode as he begins a new chapter of his life following a pro career that took him to Spain, France, and other overseas locales with limited playing time stateside before hanging up the laces to take a support role on head coach Kevin Young's staff at his alma mater: always preparing for the next game.

This time, it means preparing for a Wisconsin team seeded third in the NCAA Tournament that ranks 13th in KenPom's offensive efficiency ratings, 23rd in defense, and an 80 point-per-game offense led by top scorer John Tonje (19.1 ppg) and a pair of 7-footers capable of shooting the three at a 41% and 36% clip in Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter.

Even though Saunders, Denim, Dallin Hall, Trevin Knell or Keba Keita will be the ones determining wins and losses, the seven-member GA staff "plays a huge role" in the team's success, Denim noted.

"Charles is the one I'm working out with almost every morning," the five-star freshman from Moscow, Russia, said. "He's giving us so much impact and knowledge about basketball. He played a long career on the professional level, in different countries, and he speaks Spanish like a lot of us.

"Having GAs who are actual basketball players, I wish they could play for us. … We have a great group of people around the team. Our performance comes from everybody around the team, every coach, every GA, every manager, every office worker, everybody in the BYU family."

At 35, Abouo's basketball days are limited to his role on the coaching staff, and some morning runs with the other graduate assistants — he boasts the seven of them could take any GA staff in the country, though plenty of confidence comes from Kyle Sturdivant, who played 144 games with 49 starts at USC and Georgia Tech and was a key reserve on the Yellowjackets squad that won the ACC title in 2021.

He also ran Mawot Mag through plenty of private workouts when the Rutgers transfer from Melbourne, Australia, first got to Provo, too.

"Charles is one of the greats at BYU," Mag said. "He has a frame in the training facility, basketball knowledge, and one day he's going to be a great coach."

Eventually, Abouo wants to coach a program of his own, as a full-time assistant or head coach, at any level.

Until then, he'll go back to cutting video, working out players — and enjoying every minute of the Cougars' return to the madness of March from his seat behind the bench.

"I want to make sure I do my part, and help them get that next win," Abouo said. "Playing in the NCAA Tournament is awesome; every win you get is that much more confidence and that much more success to add to your resume.

"They deserve it, and you want them to have that."

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