BYU men's basketball unveils new lineup in exhibition game | News, sports, jobs

BYU players finally get a chance to play against someone in a different colored uniform.

The Cougars have been going at each other since the spring. Now they can invite their closest friends and the ROC to the Marriott Center for a friendly game against Division II Colorado Christian (also the Cougars) on Wednesday.

BYU fans and media are eager to find out who will start for BYU men's basketball and how new coach Kevin Young will handle rotations.

“It was a touchy subject,” Young said at Big 12 Media Day last week. “I’ve been asked that much more often than any other question. I don't look at it as a five-man deal. I look at it as, “What lineup combinations can we play around with and feel comfortable with?” How does that affect who starts? How does this affect who comes off the bench? How does this affect who you end the game with?'”

As a former NBA assistant, Young is used to a 48-minute game, not the 40 minutes of a college contest. He expects to try many different combinations during the Cougars' 11-game preseason schedule.

“One of the things I like about our team is I think we have a high level of versatility,” he said. “We can go in many different directions. I had a trainer friend in practice who really complemented our skills. I think we have guys who can dribble, pass and shoot across the board and that gives us a lot of flexibility. I think that can make it really hard to protect us no matter who is out there.”

Veterans Dallin Hall, Trevin Knell, Richie Saunders and Fousseyni Traore are well-known, but the debuts of squad newcomers such as newcomers Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings are a headliner.

“Both (Demin and Catchings) are extremely talented, but they are very different players,” Young said. “Egor is a ball-in-hand guy who has an incredible feel for the game and is a very talented passer. As a team, we joke: Either our defense is really bad, or he's just that good.

“Kanon is extremely gifted and has a tremendous amount of raw talent. What I love about him is that he puts the ball in the basket. There are things he's still learning, but at the end of the day he can do it. Egor is probably a little more polished, but Kanon has improved faster than anyone we have.”

BYU officially opens its preseason schedule Nov. 5 against Central Arkansas, the first of five home games before a road trip to San Diego for the Rady Children's Invitational.

Men's Basketball Exhibition Game

BYU vs. Colorado Christian

Wednesday, 7 p.m. MT

Marriott Center, Provo

TV/Streaming: None

Radio: Sirius XM 143/BYU Radio.org/BYU Radio app/KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM

Live Statistics: byucougars.com

The word: Colorado Christian, based in Lakewood, Colorado, is a Division II team that competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. … The Cougars were 11-17 overall and 7-15 in RMAC play last season. … The leading returning scorer for Colorado Christian is 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore Bradley Land (11.1 points per game). … BYU brings starting point guard Dallin Hall (9.0 points, 5.1 assists per game), shooting guards Trevin Knell (10.6 ppg) and Richie Saunders (9.6) and forward Fousseyni Traore (10, 9 points, 5.2 rebounds per game).