Move over football; it's hoops season.
The 2024-2025 BYU men's basketball team took the Marriott Center floor for the first time Wednesday night in an intrasquad scrimmage. A plethora of newcomers and old-timers alike shined bright in front of the thousands of Cougar fans who showed up to watch.
Because several players switched teams at halftime, it's impossible to say who won. However, there were definitely winners and losers from last night's action. Let's talk about them.
Winner: Egor Demin stockholders
The 18-year-old Demin was every bit as advertised. From his silky smooth jumper to his brilliant court vision, the young Russian looked like the sure-fire NBA lottery pick that Cougar fans were expecting.
In the 30 minutes he played, Demin scored 12 points, snagged eight boards and dished out nine assists for a near triple-double. He's going to make defenders look silly and his teammates look amazing all season.
Loser: Fans that didn't get to attend
It's an absolute shame that this scrimmage wasn't televised. Any BYU hoops fan who wasn't able to go in person had to rely on clips off of X to see the team.
It makes sense, though. Why would you want to televise your brand new team to the whole world and every single opponent you're going to play this season?
Winner: Mihailo Boskovic
Coach Kevin Young's final addition to the team came in the summer in the form of the 6-foot-9 Serbian. Much like Demin, the 22-year-old Boskovic has experience playing professionally overseas.
Boskovic was impressive. The true stretch-five showed off his ability to knock down threes and attack the basket off the dribble. It'll be hard to keep him off the floor this season.
Loser: Trevin Knell's shooting percentage
This is getting nit-picky, but the sixth-year senior sharpshooter was ice-cold last night, going just 1 of 11 from beyond the arc.
It's one scrimmage, so there's no need to put too much stock in it, but the expectations are high for one of the best shooters in BYU history.
Winner: BYU basketball
This scrimmage showed a BYU basketball team that we truly have never seen before. The talent, length, experience and depth were palpable on the court.
This season is bound to be a fun one and this Cougar team will win a bunch of games. It's bound to be one of the most memorable seasons in BYU history.