๐ HEARTBREAKING NEWS: BYU Head Coach Kevin Young Stunned as Multiple Players Declare Unexpected Decisions
PROVO, Utah โ What appeared to be a routine offseason has shaken Cougar Nation to its core this week, as BYU menโs basketball head coach Kevin Young privately reacts in shock to a wave of unexpected departures via the transfer portal.
The first seismic blow arrived on April 8, when freshman guard EgorโฏDemin stunned BYU and NBA fans alike by declaring for the NBA Draft after just one seasonโleaving the program without a true point guard . In a nowโviral moment, Young quipped, โI only speak English, sorry guys,โ in an attempt to bring levityโbut his eyes betrayed the gravity of losing a multilingual calming force who had quickly become the teamโs onโcourt extension.
Then, within days, senior guard Dallin Hall, coming off an AllโBigย 12 campaign, quietly entered the transfer portal despite having returned only last season . Shortly thereafter, freshman Elijah Crawfordโall of 5.2 minutes per gameโalso opted to seek a new opportunity, compounding Youngโs mounting concerns .
The result? A depleted backcourt and a hasty need for a point guard they no longer appear to have. And it hit Coach Young hard. โWeโve been preparing for this since day one,โ he reminded reporters, citing a basketball staff he modeled as an โNBA front officeโ with global recruiting capabilities .
Still, the news leaves a rugged path ahead. When asked if he felt blindsided, Young paused, then replied: โOur staff has scouted nonstop. We wonโt rush. Weโll do this right.โ
Cougar supporters are now bracing for a major restartโnot just in strategy, but in identity. Young, a former NBA and BYU assistant, must now recruit new portal additions and realign his rotationโwith little margin for error.
This weekend wasnโt just darkโit was devastating. But BYUโs coach reaffirmed that this storm will be met the same way every Cougar does: with faith, grit, and unyielding hope.
