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Kevin Young is in the midnight hours of shoring up his basketball roster.
He’s closing in on a valuable window of offseason conditioning and team-building exercises as players bond with each other and create chemistry. He has told media members he is working hard finishing his recruiting of post players and inside contributors, explaining that there have been some admission and visa hurdles to overcome.
How important are the coming weeks to get this done?
They are critical.
The Cougars just got a commitment from 6-foot-9 Polish big man Jakub Urbaniak. He looks promising, but is he the answer?
Question of the week
With the commitment of a 6-9 center from Poland, BYU made a step toward obtaining some presence at the post position. What is your evaluation/opinion of Jakub Urbaniak?
Jackson Payne: I think there’s a lot to like about Urbaniak’s game. He rebounds well and should be a solid rim protector. Above all else, he’s capable of hitting 3-pointers, which will go a long way in Young’s offense. Young hasn’t had a floor-stretching big man yet in his BYU tenure, and being able to put Urbaniak on the perimeter a few times per game will make the Cougars tougher to defend.
Some fans may be underwhelmed by Urbaniak’s 6-foot-9 stature, wishing BYU had brought in someone closer to the 7-foot mark; however, Urbaniak is actually taller than BYU’s starting center from last season, Keba Keita, who measured under 6-foot-7 at the G League combine. Urbaniak won’t be able to leap like Keita could (who can?), but he’s still quite athletic and has a deeper offensive bag.
Also, 7-footers don’t grow on trees, and size alone does not make a great big man. BYU didn’t lose to Texas in the NCAA Tournament solely because of a 23-point, 16-rebound outing from the Longhorns’ 7-foot center — the Cougars lost that game because they shot 18% from deep and were lost defensively. Urbaniak being “only” 6-foot-9 isn’t reason for concern.
BYU will still add another center in the coming weeks, and perhaps he’ll be an upgrade over Urbaniak and can be the Cougars’ starter. But if Urbaniak does end up being the guy, he can absolutely contribute to getting BYU back into the Big Dance.
Dick Harmon: I like this addition by Young’s staff for a lot of reasons. Urbaniak fills an immediate need. He is a seasoned, experienced veteran. He can score inside and out. He has very quick footwork and can peel off a pick-and-roll and make it to the rim. He can pick up his dribble and drive. He can work himself around taller and less mobile players. He has hops. Finally, he appears on film to be very athletic, which on a team of drivers, shooters and finishers can really challenge a defense.
BYU hasn’t had a huge presence at the post since Matt Haarms, a 7-foot-3 Dutch transfer who is now playing for Kagoshima Rebnise in the B League and the Netherlands’ national team. BYU has lived with smaller post players in the past, including 6-6 Fouss Traore, 6-7 Keita and even 6-9 Brandon Davies and 6-8 Eric Mika.
It can be done.
I do hope Young brings in another center. If he can bring in a bigger body, a taller athlete, hopefully with some international experience — which is what it appears they are after — then the post will be solidified.
What shouldn’t happen is to just go and grab a body like they did last year with Abdullah Ahmed. I’d have taken Jeff Campbell or Larry Cheesman over Ahmed.
Cougar tales
Former BYU All-American Lexy Halladay defended her steeplechase title in the U.S. championships this past weekend. Megan Hunter finished third in the 800 meters. Zach Wilson talks with Jay Drew about his recent challenges in NFL life in this piece.
Brandon Judd opines on if Taysom Hill will retire or try for another year in the NFL in this story.
From the archives
From X-verse
Extra points
- Another jersey patch for Olympic sports (Deseret News)
- Detmer relishes the thought of BYU playing a No. 10-ranked Notre Dame (Deseret News)
- What goes into making hoops schedule? (Deseret News)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
Until KY emphasizes defense their ceiling is very limited. Compare Houston’s approach and intensity to BYU on the defensive end. No comparison. That’s coaching. Love KY for many things but defense has to improve for any long run in the NCAAs. — Bergy7
I think this team is stacked at every position except center. Sure, they have some capable guys for that position, but just as Frank Layden once said, “You can’t coach size.” I am hoping BYU can land both the Chinese guy and the Australian guy. One is 7′5″ and the other is 7′6″. Now if they had both those guys to play tag team at center, this team would have all the ingredients to go all the way. Without those really big centers, I am afraid they will find it tough against the teams that DO have that size. — Water Rocket
Up next
- Aug. 1 | 7 p.m. | women’s soccer | BYU intersquad game
- Aug. 8 | 7 p.m. | women’s soccer | Idaho State
- Aug. 12 | 8 p.m. | women’s soccer | @ UCLA
- Aug. 15 | 1 p.m. | women’s soccer | BYU
- Aug. 19 | 6 p.m. | women’s soccer | @ Wisconsin