Latest news with #KevinYoung
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa lands 8-figure Fanatics deal, says NBA-ready program won him over
AJ Dybantsa has been signed by Fanatics (Image via Getty Images) AJ Dybantsa is one of the top young basketball players in the United States. Before ever stepping onto a collegiate basketball court, the 2026 NBA draft prospect has already amassed a fortune. A multi-year contract with Fanatics Collectibles was just signed by him. Before he became a global star, many top colleges wanted him to join their team. However, in the end, he chose BYU, or Brigham Young University. In a recent interview, he admitted, though, that BYU was not his first choice at the beginning. Fanatics signs incoming BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa to multi-year exclusive deal As per Sportico, AJ Dybantsa's deal with Fanatics' memorabilia division is worth eight figures. Fanatics-owned Topps trading cards and other merchandise will be the focal point of the exclusive agreement. It was disclosed in an embargoed media release on Wednesday and will begin immediately. AJ Dybantsa is a remarkable player. Even though he was courted by traditional powerhouses like Duke and North Carolina, he felt a stronger bond with BYU's program. He realized that it could offer him a supportive atmosphere to develop on and off the court, in addition to a competitive NBA -style program. As per Athlon Sports, in a recent interview, AJ Dybantsa talked candidly about the surprising path that ultimately led him to commit to BYU. The school wasn't initially at the top of his list. According to the Utah Prep star, his parents decided to bring him home. This choice ultimately led him to pursue the exceptional opportunities offered by BYU rather than other programs. AJ Dybantsa in action (Image via Getty Images) He then said that he did not know much about BYU or the basketball program. However, things changed when he visited the campus and met the coaches. After weighing his alternatives, AJ Dybantsa revealed that he felt that the BYU coaching staff and Kevin Young's vision aligned with his own. It made the Cougars the only team he could completely commit to. Dybantsa further said that BYU's training, support, and focus on developing NBA players really impressed him. Now, he is keen to build his own brand outside of the hardwood. His YouTube channel has just started, and he intends to provide content all season long. Additionally, his goal to engage with fans and provide them an intimate glimpse into his one-and-done college experience is reflected in this project. This further illustrates that his goals go well beyond his accomplishments on the court. Also read: Caitlin Clark's first signature sneaker could be worth nine figures, says expert Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How NIL and transfer portal have changed the way college basketball coaches lead
Editor's Note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here. Midway through his junior season, Richie Saunders, a 6-foot-5 small forward at BYU, received an unexpected piece of advice from his head coach. Saunders was in the midst of a breakout season, which meant that endorsement offers were starting to surface. However, he worried about distractions, so he wanted to wait until the offseason. Advertisement That is, until Kevin Young, BYU's first-year head coach, told him the financial component was worth prioritizing now. 'He's kind of helped me see, for example, being a professional basketball player, you have to have these kinds of conversations during the season,' Saunders said in March, during the Cougars' run to the Sweet 16. 'And it can't detract from your focus, but you need to have them.' Until recently, a college basketball coach encouraging a player to pursue endorsements during the season would have been unimaginable. However, that was before the era of name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal. The birth of paid players and de facto free agency has reshaped college sports in almost every way. It's also challenged the traditional leadership archetype of a college basketball coach. Once upon a time, the leadership style of a college coach was simple: intense, demanding, rigid, focused on detail and motivating with more stick than carrot. However, as the college game has become more professionalized, the result is a coaching model that is a little younger, a little more flexible and a little more in line with their NBA brethren. The evolution has left coaches grappling with a big question: As college basketball players gain more money, more agency and more power, what is the best way to lead them? In the early 2000s, Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist and science journalist, conceived a framework for leadership, identifying six leadership styles commonly found in the business world. They were, in order: coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. Each style included a detailed description, but Goleman offered a useful shorthand. Through research and experience, Goleman maintained that the best leaders toggled between styles, utilizing each one at the appropriate moment, like different clubs in a golf bag. The classic archetype of a college coach has often leaned on two styles, blending what Goleman called 'coaching' leadership with 'coercive' leadership. Perhaps most visible in coaches like Bobby Knight, Tom Izzo or Mike Krzyzewski, these styles emphasized discipline, rigid demands and high standards to prepare players for the next level. Advertisement However, that style, former college coach and NBA coach Lon Kruger said, is harder to employ in the pros, where players are grown men with lavish salaries and stars often possess more power than the coach. As a result, NBA coaches have usually prioritized other leadership styles, leaning more on Goleman's 'authoritative', 'affiliative' and 'democratic' leadership styles. 'With NBA guys,' Kruger said, 'it's more of a communication thing than a challenging or demanding type of thing.' When Brad Stevens transitioned from head coach at Butler University to the Boston Celtics in 2013, he found that the most difficult challenge in the NBA was creating a sense of purpose in a group amid the anticipation of roster turnover. If a player wasn't sure if he would be back the following season, he was less likely to buy in. The cyclical nature of college basketball has consistently led to roster turnover. However, the recent addition of unlimited free transfers has created a system with more turnover and more uncertainty than almost any level of professional basketball. 'I get a kick out of people when they say, 'Man, you've got like pro rules,' ' Izzo said in March. 'I always say, 'Which ones are those? We don't have free agency. We don't have a salary cap. We've got beyond pro rules.' ' Over the years, Izzo is among those coaches who have softened his most grueling methods. In his earliest days at Michigan State, he borrowed football pads from Nick Saban and put their players through the famous 'War Drill,' a full-contact rebounding exercise. He eventually stopped using the pads, though not because he worried about his players. 'The lawyers would sue me,' Izzo said. 'So I don't do that anymore.' Izzo, though, still feels like that drill is essential. When he studies other successful coaches, he sees similar values. Players need to be disciplined, tough, accountable and connected. The difference in the era of NIL may lie in the ways coaches communicate their standards and values to players. Advertisement 'We go too far to the right or too far to the left when we're making adjustments,' Izzo said. 'And that's why I vowed that I'm going to do what I believe in.' Michigan State, which advanced to the Elite Eight last season before losing to Auburn, has retained much of Izzo's foundational program culture. However, the portal, coaches say, has put more pressure on coaches to create bonds and connections before each season. 'You feel like you can skip steps when you really can't,' Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. 'You have to start from ground zero every summer.' For years, Scheyer says, the Duke program ran on the idea of empowering players to lead, passing down the culture to the next generation. 'Players teaching players,' Scheyer said. That changed, in part, with the emergence of one-and-done freshmen, which led to increased roster turnover. And it changed even more as the portal wreaked havoc on continuity. So last offseason, the Duke staff embarked on an unofficial summer class: Duke Basketball 101. 'We went back to the basics this (last) summer of just how to build this team from the ground up, build the connectivity, teach the standards, hold them accountable to what the standards are,' Scheyer said. 'And that's something I know we're going to have to do each year going forward.' When Alex Jensen became the head coach of Utah in early March, he surveyed the landscape of college basketball: player movement, money, negotiations for what amounted to year-long deals. For Jensen, previously an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, the system resembled one of his former stops: head coach in the NBA's G League. 'The college game, I think it's becoming more and more professional,' Jensen told reporters at his opening news conference. However, Jenson said he thinks most players are still the same. Advertisement 'They want to know if you care and two, if you know what you're talking about,' Jensen said. Jensen, who played at Utah, was the latest NBA assistant to land a Power Four college job (Florida State also hired Luke Loucks, a former Sacramento Kings assistant). The coaches were comfortable with the transactional nature of professional basketball. In some cases, Jensen says, 'it makes it simpler if that makes any sense.' 'That chaos has been my reality,' Loucks said in March. 'My reality as a professional coach and a professional player in Europe is constant roster turnover, constant ego management. One player is on a $300 million contract, and the other one is on minimum wage. Minimum wage in the NBA is like $1.2 million, but … there's egos involved.' What Loucks learned during his years as an NBA assistant was not that coaches should lower their standards or be overly deferential to players. It was that trust and respect were paramount in building relationships. To lead players at the professional level meant understanding who they were and what motivated them. 'You never want to be friends with your players,' Loucks said. 'But you need them to trust you. Or all of your words and all of your teaching, all of your coaching is in one ear and out the other. And it has to be authentic. If you don't build authentic relationships, you have no chance.' The trend has not been limited to head coaches. In May, Kansas hired former NBA head coach Jacque Vaughn — a program legend — to fill an assistant coaching opening, while Duke hired Evan Bradds, a 31-year-old assistant with the Utah Jazz. In announcing the hire, Duke touted Bradds' 'player development and NBA coaching experience.' Meanwhile, Kansas coach Bill Self said that Vaughn 'brings immediate credibility to guys that want to be pros out there.' Advertisement When Kruger coached in the NBA, he often heard the phrase 'players' coach.' Its definition was always elusive, depending on the source. Still, he came to this conclusion: A player's coach was a good communicator, honest and empathetic, who always provided a clear path forward. 'My style was not to yell and scream,' Kruger said. 'Which I think certainly doesn't work in the NBA. You have to communicate on a more peer basis rather than saying, 'I'm the coach and you're the player and disregard everything else.' ' College coaches may soon resemble their NBA counterparts, Kruger says, but the secrets of leading basketball players remain the same, no matter the level: You need to be able to adjust. You need to embody different styles. You need to build relationships. In other words, you need to be an effective and consistent leader.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU Reacts to Big AJ Dybantsa Announcement on Friday
BYU Reacts to Big AJ Dybantsa Announcement on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Similar to the hype that surrounded Duke Blue Devils star and soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg coming out of high school as the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, AJ Dybantsa is generating similar buzz as the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025. Advertisement Dybantsa, a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, made headlines with his bold decision to commit to BYU and head coach Kevin Young—who brings NBA-level experience—over powerhouse programs like Alabama, North Carolina, and Kansas. Currently projected as the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa received more big news on Friday. He was officially named to the United States U19 Men's National Team, which will compete for its ninth gold medal at the FIBA World Cup from June 28 to July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland. BYU celebrated the news by posting a graphic of Dybantsa with the caption, 'USA U19 NATIONAL TEAM.' BYU fans reacted to the news: Advertisement "Was there ever any doubt? They should change the name of the team to the U19 AJs," a fan said. "LET'S GO!!" Another fan posted. Someone else added, "Captain America kinda a hard nickname [not gonna lie]." One more fan commented, "Easy gold." BYU Cougars signee AJ Dybantsa (3).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Dybantsa will be joined by several other top prospects in the country, including Mikel Brown Jr., Caleb Holt, Jasper Johnson, Morez Johnson Jr., and Brandon McCoy Jr., among others, as the final roster was rounded out this week. The team will be led by Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd, with Texas Tech's Grant McCasland and Micah Shrewsberry serving as assistant coaches. Advertisement Team USA will open its FIBA U19 World Cup campaign on June 28, facing the Australian U19 National Team at 11:15 a.m. ET. Related: Jon Scheyer Breaks Silence on Cooper Flagg Likely Going No. 1 to Mavericks in NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Nets expressing 'particular' interest in BYU G Egor Demin
The Brooklyn Nets have five picks to use in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft that begins on Wednesday at Barclays Center, the home of the Nets. Brooklyn may not use all of their picks to take players in this class, but they are closing in on players they're interested in, including a player with some upside. "We've heard consistent buzz that he is drawing particular interest from Brooklyn," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote (h/t Rookie Wire's Cody Taylor) in his article for The Stein Line while explaining why BYU guard Egor Demin seems to be underrated. Demin's college coach, former NBA assistant Kevin Young, had some praise for his former player as Demin looks to take his game to next level, potentially to the Nets. Advertisement "Many front offices appear intrigued by the talent that complements Demin's lengthy frame," Fischer continued while relaying what most front offices think of Demin. "It is no stretch to say that he is the highest-rated NBA Draft prospect with Real Madrid in his background since a certain Doncic." Demin, 19, is one of the more interesting prospects in the draft given the way that he could fit multiple positions because of his size and potential shooting ability. Demin, listed at 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, is coming off a 2024-25 season in which the Russian averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 27.3% from three-point land. "Egor Demin will earn consideration from late-lottery teams that buy the playmaking and are willing to bet on his shooting development," Jonathan Wasserman wrote of Demin in his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report. Wasserman has being taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 17th overall pick in the draft, two picks before the Nets could potentially take him. At the moment, it seems that Demin's main appeal to teams is his ability to make plays for himself and others along with his ability to use his size to get to the rim against his defender. Demin's shooting is a work-in-progress, but if he is able to make significant improvements in that department, he could be the kind of steal that Brooklyn is hoping for. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets expressing 'particular' interest in BYU G Egor Demin
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU Basketball Offers No. 1 Recruit in the 2027 Class on Father's Day
BYU Basketball Offers No. 1 Recruit in the 2027 Class on Father's Day originally appeared on Athlon Sports. At midnight on Father's Day, BYU took the opportunity to offer top recruit Baba Oladotun. It was the first hour college basketball coaches were permitted to start contacting recruits in the 2027 recruiting class. The five-star, 6-foot-10 phenom has made his way in many NBA circles. He was introduced to several general managers, executives and scouts at the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs, Colorado last October. He's the nation's top ranked player for a reason and shares many similarities to AJ Dybantsa. Advertisement Oladotun, a junior at Maryland's Blake High, has a high shot release and true athleticism. His unique skill set for a young player with a rare talent and drive have some comparing him to Kevin Durant. BYU and head coach Kevin Young have definitely turned heads by pulling in top talent. The Cougars signed the nation's top recruit in Dybansta out of the 2025 recruiting class. He's part of a top lineup that has been getting national attention. Related: BYU's AJ Dybantsa Becomes College Basketball's Top NIL Earner BYU is hoping that a successful season could put them on the map as an emerging basketball powerhouse. After Egor Demin's successful true freshman season in Provo, they're hoping Dybansta can solidify his status as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Oladotun, a junior at Maryland's Blake High, has a high shot release and true athleticism. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
