BYU Basketball continues homestand against UC Riverside

PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball under Kevin Young is off to a strong start to the 2024-25 season.

After defeating Central Arkansas 88-50 in its season opener, BYU will welcome UC Riverside of the Big West Conference to the Marriott Center on Friday night.

It’s the second of five home games to open the season for BYU, which is ranked in the top 20 in KenPom ratings entering the game.

BYU vs. UC Riverside: How to watch and listen

Date: Friday, November 8, 2024

Location: Marriott Center

Tip: 7:00 p.m. (MST)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)

Fabulous freshmen lead BYU basketball

BYU freshmen Kanon Catchings and Egor Demin shined in their college debuts earlier this week.

Right now Lob City is in Provo 🔥

(above @BYUMBB)
pic.twitter.com/xK6mkLOQXg

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 6, 2024

The freshman tandem combined for 35 points and hit eight three-pointers between the two.

Kevin Young wants Catchings to continue to develop on defense. The Brownsburg, Indiana native had three blocks in his BYU debut, the second-most blocks ever by a BYU Cougar in a first game.

“He is a gifted goalscorer. If he can defend, the sky’s the limit,” Young said at Catchings.

Demin became just the second player in Big 12 history to score 10-plus points and 10-plus assists in his freshman debut. He joined NBA All-Star Trae Young as the only players in league history to achieve that statistic in his first college game.

Staff notes

BYU was without Dallin Hall in its season opener against Central Arkansas.

“We expect with the medical team that he will be back as soon as he gets back,” Young said on Hall. “We don’t want him out in one day. So that’s kind of the approach.”

We’ll see if Hall can go Friday night.

Demin, freshman Elijah Crawford and redshirt junior Dawson Baker took over the point guard spot in the opening game.

Returning veteran Richie Saunders shined in the season opener. The former Wasatch Academy standout, who turned down the opportunity to join Mark Pope at Kentucky last offseason, scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the opening game.

“I love the guy,” Young said of Saunders. “He will do anything you ask. Its engine is incredible. I thought he actually gave us some momentum offensively with some of his drives to the basket and just his scoring touches. He was a real force early in training camp and I was happy to see his efficiency out there.”

Meet the UC Riverside Highlanders

UC Riverside enters Friday night’s game at the Marriott Center with a 0-1 record.

The Highlanders lost their season opener at new Big Ten member Oregon 91-76.

UC Riverside was tied with the Ducks through the first 10 minutes of the game, but Oregon pulled away in the final 10 minutes of the first half, led by former McDonald’s All-American Kwame Evans, who scored 23 points.

Barrington Hargress, the preseason All-Big West sophomore, led the Highlanders with 20 points.

With Hargress and returning lettermen Nate Pickens and Isaiah Moses, the Highlanders have one of the best backcourts in the Big West this season.

UC Riverside was picked to finish fourth in the preseason Big West poll, but received a first-place vote from one of the league’s coaches.

BYU previously had a meeting with UC Riverside. That was the start of the 1999-2000 season. Former BYU star Mekeli Wesley had 24 points and Terrell Lyday had 14 in his Cougar debut in the 91-62 win.

BYU/UC Riverside projections

• KenPom: BYU 85, UC Riverside 67 (95% chance of BYU win)
• ESPN BPI: 96.9% win probability
• Bart Torvik: BYU 85, UC Riverside 68 (93% chance of BYU win)
• Haslam metrics: BYU 83, UC Riverside 66

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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