Since leaving the Phoenix Suns this spring to take over the BYU basketball program, Kevin Young has put together some interesting pieces in Provo, UT.
Kanon Catchings, a projected first-rounder in the 2025 NBA Draft, has signed with the Cougars ahead of the 2024 season.
A former Purdue commit, Catchings opened his recruitment earlier this month and took a few visits, to Florida State, North Carolina State, and BYU.
It was the visit to Provo that made the difference for Catchings and his family.
“My family and I met with Coach Young and the coaching staff last week, and we immediately clicked,” Catchings told ESPN. “I knew right away this was the best fit for me.”
Listed at 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, Catchings is ranked as the No. 38 overall player and the No. 8 power forward in the 2024 class.
The Atlanta, Georgia, product is the nephew of Tamika Catchings, a Naismith Hall of Famer, WNBA MVP winner, 10-time All-Star selection, and four-time Olympic gold medal winner. In his senior year of high school at Overtime Elite, Catchings averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds and shot 37% from beyond the arc.
Catchings joins a class of five incoming freshmen, most notably Egor Demin, who comes to Provo as one of the best NBA prospects out of Europe in recent years. Demin’s combination of size, shooting, and ability to control the floor makes him one of the best players in the nation in 2024, and yet another potential lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Young and the Cougars also brought in a couple of impact transfers, including 6-foot-7 transfer forward Mowat Mag (Rutgers) and 6-foot-8 center Keba Keita (Utah), both of which were starters at Power Four programs a season ago.
With Catchings’ commitment, BYU now has the No. 12 class in the country, per 247Sports Composite Rankings, and the No. 2 class in the Big 12, trailing only Baylor (No. 7).
