Potential BYU Target and Utah Big Man Keba Keita Enters the Transfer Portal

Keita worked directly with new BYU assistant coach Chris Burgess

Feb 10, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes center Keba Keita (13) holds the ball away from / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Utah big man Keba Keita is now in the transfer portal. Keita entered the portal not long after BYU poached Utah assistant coach Chris Burgess from Utah. Burgess has worked directly with Keita during his two years at Utah. Given the timing of his decision to enter the portal and his relationship with Chris Burgess, there will be a natural link between Keita and BYU. BYU will be viewed as the favorite to land Keita, although in the NIL era, anything can happen once a player is in the transfer portal.

The Cougars need size since big men Aly Khalifa and Atiki Ally Atiki entered the transfer portal. Keita's size, however, is not necessarily elite. He is listed at 6'8 and in the Big 12, most teams have centers that approach 7'0. 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.

Last year, Keita averaged 16 mintes 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.

Keita has two years of eligibility remaining.