New BYU Basketball Addition Keba Keita Throws Down Poster Dunk in Practice

Casey Lundquist | Jun 25, 2024

Jan 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes center Keba Keita (13) dunks the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Summer practices for Kevin Young and the BYU basketball program are underway. On Tuesday, the BYU basketball account posted a practice clip from the day. In the clip, BYU point guard Dallin Hall finds newest BYU big man Keba Keita for a poster dunk. Hall beat his defender off the dribble thanks to a screen from newest signee Kanon Catchings. Then Keita rolled to the rim after setting a screen for Catchings. Dallin Hall found the rolling Keba Keita for the dunk.

sneak peek into practice today👀 pic.twitter.com/rr6PYN5X8T

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) June 25, 2024

The six-second clip was a perfect example of what Keba Keita will bring to the BYU offense next season. He is the rim-running big that Kevin Young was looking for when he took the job at BYU.

The practice clip was also a nod to the recruiting of Kevin Young. When Young arrived, Dallin Hall was in the transfer portal and Keba Keita and Kanon Catchings were set to play for different teams next season. Young's recruiting efforts got Hall to come back, one of the biggest recruiting wins of the offseason, and he added two starting-caliber players in Keita and Catchings.

Last year, Keba Keita averaged 16 minutes per game. In those minutes, he averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. His foul trouble kept him off the floor at times. He averaged more than 5 fouls per 40 minutes. He took a big step forward as a sophomore, and there's a reason to believe he is only scratching the surface of his potential.

Keta won't be the tallest man on the floor in the Big 12, but his athleticism will help him overcome mismatches. He is listed at 6'8 and in the Big 12, most teams have centers that approach 7'0. While his size isn't elite, his athleticism, on the other hand, is elite. He plays above the rim, he's disruptive on defense, and he's dominant on the boards. His athleticism is similar to former BYU big man Atiki Ally Atiki, but he's been more productive in his minutes on the floor than Atiki was at BYU.