In a recent BYU SportsNation interview, Assistant Coach Tim Fanning was asked “What is it about this staff that is working so well in recruiting?”
That’s the million-dollar question, and Fanning attributes the success to Kevin Young’s track record of player development as well as the very diverse and experienced staff. Whatever is in the secret sauce, it’s working.
Fanning was Catchings’ coach at Overtime Elite and has nothing but high praise for the young man. Catchings is a top 40 recruit who is talented enough to get minutes on day one. He brings length, athleticism and offense to the roster. What else does he bring to the team, and what drew him to BYU?
Distraction-Free Environment
One of the unique aspects of playing at BYU is the honor code, which requires students and players to follow specific rules if they want to maintain eligibility. Fanning mentioned his early expectations of the added difficulty this would cause in recruiting, saying that he thought it was going to be an obstacle.
Although it is sometimes seen as a recruiting hurdle, it appears that the opportunity to play in an environment with fewer distractions has been a key selling point for at least a few of BYU’s recent signees.
In the interview, Fanning emphasized how important that kind of environment is for Catchings: “He’s a guy with really high aspirations, and he’s very serious about basketball. Some things that deter other guys are really attractive to him.”
While it’s often much easier said than done, when the entire roster is committed to that kind of high standard, it elevates the whole team.
Love of the Game
Another point of emphasis for Fanning was Catchings’ love of the game. It’s something you can’t teach, and is one of the best predictors of longevity in a playing career. When asked by scouts about the top NBA prospect at OTE during his time there, Fanning would point to Catchings: “As a coach, you’d always rather try to get a guy to turn it down than to constantly get him to turn it up. He loves to hoop.”
Unselfishness
“He’s a prolific scorer, but he’s really unselfish.” If you watched BYU basketball last season, you know that description could fit most of the starting lineup, including Jaxson Robinson, Trevin Knell, and Spencer Johnson, among others. Mark Pope built his offense around unselfishness, always encouraging the extra pass, and looking for the open shot.
In describing Catchings, Fanning underscored that Kanon is an extremely unselfish player. As a scorer he’s naturally always looking for his next bucket, but his high IQ allows him to find the open man consistently. With that kind of mentality, he’ll fit right in.
It’s hard not to be excited about a guy who is arguably BYU’s most talented pickup of all time, and a projected 2025 first-round draft pick. Again, Fanning emphasized unselfishness and dedication to the game as two things that stand out to him about Demin.
“Egor is a fantastic basketball players, really enjoys finding his teammates. One of the things that I’ve enjoyed watching with him is just how good of a passer he is.” “It’s not normal that you get a 6’9″ point guard, that can play pick and roll, does a lot of different things.”
“He’s another guy, like with Kanon, that being in an environment that allows him to lock in on basketball is something that was attractive for him.”
A pattern is starting to emerge here. KY and his coaching staff are bringing in players who are unselfish and dedicated to honing their craft in a distraction-free environment.
With so many versatile and talented players on the roster, it makes you wonder what role each one will play. Which players will get the minutes and who will lead the offense?
Unsurprisingly, Kevin Young is looking to keep things flexible, utilizing each guy for the things they do best. Fanning confirmed this, saying “I think how KY is envisioning playing offensively is that there’s not a lot of differentiation between positions 1-4.”
With a healthy balance of veteran players and talented up-and-comers, it’s important to have leaders like Dallin Hall, who know the BYU culture, on and off the court. “Egor and Elijah are freshmen and there’s probably going to be some growing pains along the way, so I expect Dallin to help them get through some stuff and maximize their potential.”
This is an exciting time for BYU basketball, and there’s a lot to do this offseason to prep for a big upcoming season in the Big 12. If KY and his staff have shown us anything, it’s that they are up for the challenge.