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BYU's Kevin Young Targeted Elite Shooters and Hit the Mark
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- BYU's Kevin Young Targeted Elite Shooters and Hit the Mark
BYU head coach Kevin Young | BYU Photo
After BYU 's loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament, Kevin Young told the media that BYU would prioritize shooting when forming the roster for the 2026-2027 season.
"I've been very clear since I've taken this job to me shooting is the holy grail," Young said. "Bottom line, you've got to be able to make shots at a high level, and we didn't have enough guys that could do that this year...there's just no substitute for shooting, so we'll have that's at the top of the list for me every year, but definitely, you know, this was a double down on how important it is."
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It took longer than expected for the Cougars to put the finishing touches on the roster. After months of searching, BYU finally landed a starting center when Jaxon Kohler committed to the Cougars . Now that BYU's roster is complete, it's clear that Young fulfilled his vision to add shooting.
Kentucky transfer Collin Chander was one of the first additions to the roster. Chandler led the Wildcats in both three-point shots made and three-point shooting percentage. He shot 41% from three, one of the top 135 marks in the country per KenPom. Chandler's shooting got better and better as the season progressed. He shot 45.7% from three in conference play, the second best percentage in the SEC.
Speaking of recruiting wins over Kentucky, BYU point guard Robert Wright III took a visit to Kentucky then decided to return to Provo. Wright was only in Lexington for one day before realizing he wanted to play for Kevin Young. Wright was BYU's best three-point shooter last season. Wright shot the three at the same clip as Collin Chandler : 41%.
The Cougars also added Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey. Betsey shot, you guessed it, 41% from three last season. Similar to Chandler, Betsey's shooting improved as the season progressed. He shot 44% from three in conference play.
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BYU could start three players in Wright, Chandler, and Betsey that shot better than 40% from three last season. What will make this BYU team different than any other team in the Kevin Young era, however, is the ability to space the floor with a center that can also knock down threes.
BYU beat out Kentucky (not a typo, BYU got the better of Kentucky in this recruiting cycle) to land former Michigan State star Jaxon Kohler . Kohler is an excellent rebounder and he can score with his back to the basket. He really developed as a three-point shooter at Michigan State. In his final season with the Spartans, Kohler shot 39% from three on 149 attempts.
Last year, BYU had as many as three or four players on the floor that weren't efficient three-point shooters. This year, BYU could have five players on the floor that can knock down threes. It's safe to assume that shooting large volumes of threes will be a top priority for this team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/byu as BYU's Kevin Young Targeted Elite Shooters and Hit the Mark .
