BYU basketball's big man dilemma
It's no secret that BYU basketball has not played up to expectations so far this season.
While there is still hope for an NCAA Tournament bid, these last eight games mean the world for the Cougars.
Likely needing to go 6-2 to finish the season, coach Kevin Young is throwing everything he can at opposing teams, but there is one spot that is limiting the Cougars flexibility in a major way: The big man.
All season long, BYU has rotated between two players at the five-position: Starting transfer Keba Keita and senior Fousseyni Traore.
Seemingly opposite players, Keita makes his mark on defense, the glass, and as a lob threat, while Traore has some of the best post work of any player in the country. Keita is an athletic specimen, and Traore, in his senior year is slow and steady, but efficient nonetheless.
Both players are undersized for the center position. Keita comes in at 6-foot-8 and Troare is listed at 6-foot-6.
| PPG | RPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | |
| Keba Keita | 6.5 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 61.8% | 43.6% |
| Foussseyni Traore | 8.8 | 5.8 | 0.4 | 62.8% | 81.3% |
On Saturday's game against Cincinnati, both Keita and Traore sat on the bench for seven minutes straight after the Cougars fell down by over 20 points. It was the longest such stretch of Big 12 play.
Who played in their absence? Mihailo Boskovic, a 22-year-old Bosnian national team member who is in his first year with BYU. Boskovic primarily plays when the game is out of reach.
During this stretch, the Cougars were able to cut the lead to eight points, and Boskovic finished with eight points of his own. He even made two 3-pointers, something that Traore has only done once this season, and Keita has never done in his career.
This was the first time that BYU could play a five-out offense during conference play, and the difference was apparent.
Boskovic wasn't without his fair share of blunders. He tried to force a pass down low to Kanon Catchings, but sailed it well over Catchings' head, resulting in a turnover. He also only managed to grab one rebound in nine minutes.
Traore ended the game with two points in only eleven minutes of play. Keita scored eight points, three boards and no blocks.
But how did BYU's center position get to this point?
In the 2021-22 season, Traore was BYU's prized gem. He became a full-time starter just 12 games into his career and had some monster performances along the way.
Perhaps his greatest game came against Pepperdine, when he scored 25 points, snagged 19 rebounds, had three assists, and blocked the ball twice in a win. He then recorded double-doubles in both of BYU's West Coast Conference tournament games.
He quickly became a fan-favorite across Provo, and students began to shout "FOOOUUUSSS" in a low-pitched tone whenever the Mali native scored a bucket.
Traore followed up his impressive freshman season by leading BYU in points per game the next year, but in the 2023-24 season, there were signs that those dominant games might be behind him.
Traore suffered a hamstring injury in November of 2023 that ruled him out for six weeks. In his absence, Aly Khalifa took the starting center spot and excelled in unique fashion.
Ali Khalifa, nicknamed the "Egyptian Magician," was the college version of Nikola Jokic: tall, chubby and slow, but with eyes on the back of his head and a knack for finding the open man.
In non-conference play, Khalifa had the nation's best assist-to-turnover ratio at 14-1. You read that right. 14-1.
When Traore returned from injury in January, Khalifa still held the starting spot, but depending on the matchup, there were clear "Fouss games" and "Khalifa games."
If the game required some energy, instead of having Khalifa hold the ball up top and wait for the play to develop, then head coach, Mark Pope, could throw in Fouss to get a bucket in the paint. Traore had two 20-point games in Big 12 play, and the Cougars earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
BYU could also run lineups with Noah Waterman at the five. The 6-foot-11 sharpshooter could be a body down low on defense and also gave the offense versatility and shooting ability.
After the season ended and Pope took the head coaching gig at Kentucky, both Khalifa and Waterman transferred to Louisville, leaving BYU to sign Keita, who transferred from Utah, and Boskovic, who was playing in Europe.
From the moment the season started, it was clear that Traore might still be recovering from a nagging injury. His speed was not the same, and at times he was so slow on defensive switches that Young had to pull him for Keita, who cannot do much offensively outside of lobs and easy finishes.
In the last six games, Traore has not played more than 17 minutes, something that would have been absurd two years ago. His last double digit scoring output was against Utah in the middle of January.
Defensively, Traore only has two blocks in Big 12 play and 10 total on the season.
Where Traore shines and Keita falls behind is on offense. Traore has some of the best footwork of any post player in the country and has a soft touch around the rim. He is able to finish in tight spots and can be a great pick-and-roll threat when paired with the right facilitator.
The problem for Young is when BYU is trying to make a comeback. When the Cougars need offense, Keita has to come out. However, Traore getting the ball down low slows the game down. A lot.
If you are down by 10-15 points, throwing the ball down low to Traore, only to get a 2-point attempt with five seconds left on the shot clock is not going to help your team come back.
Not to mention the lack of his once admirable defensive presence.
"He's got to be better," Young told the media on Monday regarding Traore's level of play. "We're at that point in the season ... where I can't give pep talks and motivational this, that, and the other. Guys gotta go out and produce."
So now, Young is left with three options. He can play a lob threat, a post-man, or an inexperienced offense-first Bosnian. All three have their perks. All three have their flaws.
Next season, BYU will be welcome Xavion Staton out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Staton is the No. 2 ranked center in the class of 2025 and stands tall at 7-foot-1. The world class shot blocker is three inches taller than Boskovic, who is the tallest player on the Cougars' roster.
Until then, Young will have to figure out which lineup works best down the stretch, and fast.