"Unveiling the Future of BYU Basketball with AJ Dybantsa"

Players Likely Not on the Roster Next Season

Egor Demin, almost certain to head to the NBA, was a starter alongside freshman phenom Egor Demin until he got injured. Fousseyni Traore is a senior this season. Trevin Knell is also a senior. Kanon Catchings has a chance to return but is still a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Mawot Mag and Trey Stewart are seniors as well.

These players have made significant contributions this season but are likely to move on, leaving a void that needs to be filled.

Players Likely to Be on the Roster Next Season

Guards

Dallin Hall, a starter when Egor Demin was healthy (now injured), is an excellent floor general. He flirted with the transfer portal in the spring but returned. If he returns next season (as a senior), he is likely to have more ballhandling duties. Dawson Baker transferred from UC Irvine last season and is starting to come into his own after missing most of the 2023-24 campaign due to injury. Through 10 games this season, he averages 9.3 points in 19.4 minutes per contest. He'll be a senior next season and appears to be the only rotation-level true shooting guard on the roster.

Elijah Crawford, a top 150 prospect out of high school, committed to Stanford but followed former assistant coach Brandon Dunson to BYU. As a freshman, he only averages about 8 minutes per game, but that could increase next season if Demin departs.

Jared McGregor, a walk-on, hasn't played much this season but is still a junior.

Wings

AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound prospect, will be given every opportunity to star for the Cougars next season and is likely to leave after that, potentially being the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Richie Saunders is the heart and soul of the roster in terms of toughness. A senior next season, he is a versatile player who will get plenty of minutes wherever head coach Kevin Young needs him most.

Khadim Mboup, a native of Africa, was originally part of the Class of 2025 but reclassified and was set to be a freshman this season. There have been some issues with the admissions process, but if it gets sorted out, he could make an impact down the road.

Townsend Tripple and Max Triplett are both walk-ons who haven't played much this season but are still juniors.

Bigs

Keba Keita, a junior transfer from Utah, has started to unlock his potential and is expected to have a great season next year. Mihailo Boskovic is a solid reserve who has been added to the roster this season. There will be competition for starting spots, but he should be in the mix.

Brody Kozlowski, a graduate of Corner Canyon High in Utah, originally committed to USC but flipped to BYU after a coaching change. He has barely played this season and will face a lot of competition for playing time next year.

Xavion Staton, one of the best center prospects in the country in the Class of 2025, will join Dybantsa as a freshman next season and is expected to share minutes with Keita at the 5 spot.

Potential Starting Lineup/Rotation/Additional Needs

At this point, the projected starting lineup could be Dallin Hall, Dawson Baker, Richie Saunders, AJ Dybantsa, and Keba Keita. The reserves could include Mihailo Boskovic, Elijah Crawford, Xavion Staton, Khadim Mboup, Brody Kozlowski, and Jared McGregor and Townsend Tripple.

By this projection, BYU will have around three scholarships available to use to continue building the roster around Dybantsa. These scholarships could be filled through various means, such as awarding walk-ons, adding high school and international players, or going into the transfer portal next spring.

Church Mission Notes

There are two players who have signed with the Cougars but will not join the team until after 2025 due to church missionary service. 2024 signee Brooks Bahr, a guard from Texas, is currently serving in the Alpine-German Mission and is slated to join the team in 2026. Utah big man Chamberlain Burgess, the nephew of assistant coach Chris Burgess, just signed with the Cougars a few weeks ago and plans to join the team in 2027.