In 10 days, the fate of our country will be changed forever. Tuesday, Nov. 5, will go down in the record books as one of the most influential days of our time. Is there an election that night?
Yep.
But, more importantly, BYU basketball makes its season debut against Central Arkansas. It will be the first time we see Kevin Young coach his newly assembled roster and open a new era for BYU basketball.
So, to preview this upcoming season, I’ll break down the 10 most important players for BYU basketball in this season preview series called 10 Players in 10 Days.
A disclaimer: important players have a different meaning than the best players. If a player has a unique skillset or is in a position with limited depth, then that player becomes much more critical to BYU's success.
Before we get to No. 10 on the list, we’ll break down some honorable mentions who will likely not see much playing time this season.
Elijah Crawford
The quick freshman guard out of Brewster Academy comes into BYU with a lot of promise. A typical four-star recruit and ESPN Top 100 player usually will see playing time as a freshman on most college basketball teams. However, because BYU is deep at guard this season, it will be tough for Crawford to crack the rotation. Crawford possesses a skill no other guard at BYU has: elite speed and explosiveness. So if Crawford does crack the rotation, it will change the pace of games, get the Cougars out and running in transition, and pick up the opposing team's point guard beyond half-court. While Crawford will not get many opportunities to flourish this season, he still projects to be the starting point guard of the future as BYU’s roster is currently constructed.
Brody Kozlowski
Another four-star, ESPN Top 100 recruit who also will most likely not crack the rotation for BYU this season. That is just how talented of a roster Young has assembled at BYU. The two-time Utah 6A Player of the Year is another talented scorer who will have to sit behind Kanon Catchings, Mawot Mag, Richie Saunders and Mahailo Boskovic. A smooth scorer and good rebounder, Kozlowski has a high ceiling and will be a key contributor for the Cougars in years to come.
Trey Stewart
As a senior, Stewart will likely have inconsistent minutes in this year's rotation. He still is one of BYU’s best on-ball defenders and will be used situationally when BYU needs him to defend the other team's best guard.
Now to number 10
The tenth most important player for BYU basketball this season is…
Trevin Knell
Putting Knell tenth feels like a slight to the most experienced player on BYU's team. This ranking is more about how talented the rest of the roster is than thinking Knell is not good. Last season, Knell averaged 10.6 points on 38.5% shooting from 3. He is one of the best movement shooters on the team. When he is at his best, Knell could crack BYU’s starting rotation and light teams up from the 3-point line. He should benefit from all the motion in the BYU offense this year. The Cougars will run a variety of actions with Knell as a screener to take advantage of his shooting gravity. He is a valuable piece to this year's team.
However, Knell’s game is limited when he does not shoot the ball at an elite level. During Big 12 play, Knell’s shooting was sporadic due to a lingering foot issue that hurt BYU's offense. When teams can chase Knell off the 3-point line, he is not a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, and finishing around the basket is not a strength in his game.
That makes guys like Dawson Baker, Dallin Hall, Egor Demin, and Richie Saunders much more valuable to how BYU should play this season. While Knell should still see playing time every game because of how valuable his shooting is, his minutes will fluctuate more than most players this season. It will all depend on how well he puts the ball in the basket on any night. When the ball is going in, Knell will win games for BYU and will play 20-25 minutes. If Knell starts off slow or is in a shooting slump, those minutes will disappear with how talented the rest of the guards on BYU's roster are this season.
