BYU basketball's curtain call in March comes with higher ceiling for future

NEWARK, N.J. — At one point this past season, BYU men's basketball was 2-5 in Big 12 play coming off the No. 347-ranked nonconference strength of schedule without a Quad 1 win or true road victory to its name.

What a difference a few months make.

Richie Saunders scored 25 points with six rebounds, and Egor Demin added 15 points and seven assists as the 17th-ranked Cougars lost to No. 7 Alabama 113-88 a mere 2,181 miles away from campus in the Prudential Center.

Yes, BYU's season ended Thursday night. The Cougars had higher goals than a 25-point loss to the Tide.

But when the curtain lowered on Kevin Young's first season, the first-time collegiate head coach said something he hadn't said before as he addressed his team one last time after a game: he told them how proud he was.

From being picked ninth in the Big 12 to one of the last teams standing, Young — who hasn't been shy about the expectations he is building at BYU — was proud of what this group accomplished.

"I'm just proud of that statement from this group of guys and my staff," he said after the game. "I've been pretty clear that we're trying to establish something that is pretty big-time at BYU. Building off the very successful program they've had for many years, this was a step in the right direction as far as continuing to elevate it — and for that, I'm proud of our players and our staff."

The sentiment was echoed by Saunders, who went from reserve role player to Big 12 most improved in a year.

"I'm super proud of this team, and just super grateful that I am a part of it," said Saunders, who hasn't committed to coming back for his senior year or turning pro. "It's been fun."

For much of the start of the season, the Cougars (26-10) hardly resembled a team that would push through to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Not with a soft nonconference schedule, an inconsistent roster, and Big 12 coaches who picked them in the bottom half of the league.

But something changed with this squad in late January and early February. Some attribute the change to the first true road win on Jan. 21, a 83-67 win at Colorado, or the turnaround on Feb. 1, an 81-75 win at UCF.

Whenever it was, BYU showed it wasn't a team that would get "punked" as it rattled off wins in 13 of their last 15 games to finish fourth in the Big 12 and secure a No. 6 seed to the NCAA Tournament.

"Obviously, you don't really envision doing all this," senior guard Trey Stewart said. "That's the goal, but you try to remain present. And I feel like we did a good job of that. The resilience and toughness of this team was phenomenal, and how we made a run was evidence of that."

If there's one thing by which the 2024-25 BYU men's basketball team hopes to be remembered, it's their toughness and "the joy we had with one another on and off the court," point guard Dallin Hall said.

"These are all guys who a lot of them I trust with my life," he said. "We had a lot of great memories, we stuck together when things were hard, and when everyone counted us out.

"I hope we're remembered as a resilient group that proved a lot of people wrong," Hall added. "I know each of these guys in this locker room is going to go find success moving forward. I've seen their character and how they carry themselves."

As the season ends, so will this iteration of BYU men's basketball. Four players will head off to post-BYU careers in Stewart and fellow seniors Trevin Knell, Mawot Mag and Fousseyni Traore.

More will likely join them in departing BYU via the transfer portal.

Demin has a decision to make, about cashing in on a likely first-round NBA draft pick or returning to BYU to join five-star signee AJ Dybantsa and improve on what he started.

Same with Saunders, who rose from pivotal role player a year ago to team's leading scorer and vaulted himself into NBA consideration as a 6-foot-6 junior out of Riverton.

"I'm trying to figure that all out," Saunders said of his future. "I kind of was just trying to get to the end of the season, and then dive into what the future holds."

The Cougars can shed tears at the conclusion of a season while being happy about the season they had.

But in Young's new era of BYU men's basketball, the old ceiling could be the new floor. Year 1 of the first-time collegiate head coach showcased just what is possible at the private, religious school in Provo.

"We want to establish our style as a team that year after year is making runs like this, and going even farther," Young said. "We want to be the last team standing in this tournament; it's really hard to do, obviously. But that's our goal.

"In Year 1, I think we've got a pretty good foundation of our identity and how we want to play," he added. "Now it's on me and our coaches to continue to recruit to that identity, and bring in players that can continue to push this thing to a level that BYU's never seen before."

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