So next year, if that starting pitching is half as good as we thought it was this year, and the offense, we've proved we can hit home runs and score runs, that bodes into five or six more wins easy.

Yeah, I know.

I agree with you, Rich.

I think two things I will say is that and going to the Paul Skeens, let's start with Paul Skeens.

And, you know, I always ask myself why when things take place throughout the course of a season, I go, why? And Paul Skeens, you know, obviously he came on the scene with a lot of fanfare, obviously.

being a 1-1, making it through the system to the big leagues relatively quickly, and then having success being rookie of the year and a Cy Younger War winner the next year.

So it's a lot of stuff thrown to you on and off the field.

What do you think they need to do this offseason to strengthen the lineup, to get them over the hump, to win a division and get into the postseason?

Like, where should a parent start? And what are some of the misnomers? What is some of the, you know, what are some of the misperceptions around this that we can maybe clarify a little bit right now for people that aren't aware of really what's happening?

Yeah, they're great questions.

So like with anything, I believe that the reason we're even in these physical bodies is because we set out a path that we wanted to go through some challenges.

We wanted the positive result of going through the negative.

So everyone's got to find their own way in this.

And it's very easy for me in the past.

I could try to figure out people's problem and tell them what it was and then get them to do it.

No.

Yeah.

Uh, there's been a lot of work and a lot of people have asked me, where's it going? Cause it looks like it's not going to happen nearly.

Uh, but Jeff, uh, young particularly, uh, he's put in an enormous amount of effort in the background, many things and many days, many hours, I'll never know.

Uh, And we've worked together and gone down and we've secured some government funding towards this, which gets paid at the end of the movie, not along the way.

So our budget changed.

Our budget went from $242,000 and it went to $1.8 million.

And then I think at the moment we've been able to do things to bring it back in and we've got about 1.2 million.

Yeah.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

So let's fast forward to 1999.

Obviously, it's a year that I felt like it was a big turning point year.

I don't think people realized that that year, all the things that took place.

Obviously, you suffered, which could have been a career ending injury that year.

It was one of those things that I look back at that year and before we go into a little bit of that, because it is a testament to who you are as a man and who you were was a teammate.

But I was looking at it and I go in 1999.

watch out there it come yeah

Mm-hmm

...

I feel the same way.

I mean, it is something else.

So let's fast-forward to, uh, 1999.

Um, obviously it, it's a year that I felt like, um, it was a big turning point year.

I don't think people realize that that year, all the things that took place.

Ooh

And generation

is one of those things.

And the access to generators, as you mentioned, is really very apparent and easy access for customers to go and get those.

The one thing about generators, though, they do good in terms of giving you temporary power if and when they're hooked up correctly.

If they're not hooked up correctly, there's the potential for those generators to back feed our lines, and it really becomes dangerous for our customers because when we have control of the system, we can determine which way the power is coming from, from a primary source or a substitute source.

But when customers don't have their generators hooked correctly and they back feed that voltage onto our lines, If there are wires down and things of that nature, it really puts the customers at risk and the community at risk.

yeah just kind of some advice for folks with generators how do you hook them up properly and make sure everything's going good maybe the amount of time they can be on just kind of give us some some uh generator advice

First thing I would say is if you have a generator, make sure you have somebody licensed to install that.

Do you think that that's, you know, correct?

Yes.

I, I think it is correct, but I'll go back to what we talked about before.

When we went into the off-season last year, what was the need? It was for left-handed bats that were run producers.

Um, so what we ended up doing, we ended up getting Brandon Lowe, we ended up getting Ryan O'Hearn, uh, and obviously Jake Mangum is a switch hitter, so he provides that.

Uh, but we had a, a c- couple episodes ago, I talked about the significance of, of Jake Mangum, and early in the year I said, "If Jake Mangum ends up getting 450 at bats, I mean, we're looking at a 500 ball club." And the reason why I said that is because we didn't go into off-season looking to add that type of player.

We needed power.

Seems like the NL Central is, is doing a lot of buying right now, KY.

But in addition to landing a player the caliber of A.J.' 's ilk, how has the BYU brand expanded and amplified since you became head coach?

Well, I think, you know, we've tried to just, you know, kind of just push the envelope.

You know, obviously, you know, start out with Yegor Yeoman and then obviously AJ comes in and, you know, what, you know, you look at draft night, you know, you got AJ going number one, you got Richie going as the second pick in the second round, you know, K with K to signs an E10.

So I think just the, I think our brand, as you say, has gotten a little bit more of a platform, you know, just kind of nationwide.

You know, I think the way that we've now been received to different recruits and their families and their circles, you know, has been positive.

But, you know, we're just trying to keep the momentum, right? I mean, that's the hard part in any sport is to have sustained success.

I think that's what I talked about when I came in here and didn't want this to just be a – you know, a one- or two-year run.

I know college basketball is a year-to-year process right now, but is it harder and harder to retain that talent than it's ever been because we have no guardrails on player movement or NIL right now?

If they don't believe it, it doesn't matter.

Yeah, and I think, yeah, you, you tapped on it perfectly.

I think the end of the day, you, you really focus on the individual, and that's what the most gifted coaches, you know, managers, connectors of men, that's what they do.

They connect individually to what the strengths or weaknesses are, and then you, you focus more on what they have individually.

That whole team concept, you can have a team concept, you know, when it works, uh, specifically wh- where you work together.

But for an individual standpoint, you need to know, like you said, Nick Gonzalez, is he a guy that you want to have a high walk total? I mean, if you do, then you're gonna, you're gonna sacrifice something specifically for him with his, his aggression and bat-to-ball skill set.

And so you have to understand that.

True

All right, Coach, how would you sum up what this night means to you and BYU basketball to see AJ go number one?

Well, number one, I'm just super happy for AJ and his family.

You know, it's been a, you know, a long journey, you know? And just to be a part of their story in some small way is, is amazing.

I'm also s- just really happy for just all of BYU Cougar Nation.

Like, to be able to have someone represent the university the way he does, and then obviously be, uh, not just the number one pick.

I think he's got a chance to be a, a marquee superstar in the NBA, you know? And to, and to have...

I've heard you talk about, you know, the way that that's gonna just permeate, you know, just the scope of sports for years to come is incredible.

[laughs]

Kevin, I would imagine, like, in terms of culture, you know what the vision is, but since the team changes every single year, what is your vision for the team that you have right now?

Yeah, you know, it's interesting 'cause I've had two start, uh, wildly different teams, I think, in year one and year two.

Year one, it was a lot of spacing and ball movement.

Year two was a lot of dynamic one-on-one talent.

Our spacing got a little tricky at the end with all the injuries that we faced.

So trying to really put together a combination of what we did in year one and in year two.

So I love our shooting.

So Kevin, to that point, with your background and your staff's background that you just referenced, how pro ready do you think AJ is right now? And then what, what parts of his game do you think that he'll look to develop once he gets there when he finds out where he is playing?

In fact, do you expect him to go number one overall, and what has your message been to the Wizards? Or if you have one, what is it?

it?Yeah, I've talked to those guys.

You know, he's, uh, uh...

Look, everyone knows AJ's talent.

You know, my, my message to, to them and others is, is, uh, you know, he's so good with the ball in his hands.

You know, that for me is, is probably where it starts and, and it, and ends on the court.

You know, he's just so dynamic as a playmaker, as a scorer.

So Kevin, to that point, with your background and your staff's background that you just referenced, how pro ready do you think AJ is right now, and then what, what parts of his game do you think that he'll look to develop once he gets there when he finds out where he is playing?

How would you summarize that journey with him?

Um, you know, just amazing probably.

You know, surreal to some respects, mainly because the type of person he is.

You know, he, he made it really fun to coach him.

Um, you know, a guy like that comes in and could very easy make it all about himself, but he was super locked into, you know, one, BYU, two, what we were trying to do as a team, and then three is just like a teammate and a good- you know, a great guy.

And um, and then obviously just some of the moments come to mind.

You know, stuff the, the, you know, the Utah game in the Marriott Center comes to mind.

We begin with Kevin Young giving an update on the search for a BYU center.

What about these poems were not ready for daylight?

Well, you know, s- books take a while, and poems can too.

It's set up in sort of four sections, um, starting with one poem and then the sections get longer and longer and end with, uh, Dante in sequence at the end.

And I think getting that sequence, uh, really made the book into a book.

You know, I had ideas or starts, but to be able to sort of focus them and think about this journey through the underworld, um, and this journey into what I hope looks a little like paradise really helped shape the book.

Um, and, you know, that's just sort of the process.

I, I started it essentially shortly after my father died, and I wrote other poems about my father's life and death.

It's, uh, it was, it was quite impressive.

How would you summarize that journey with him?

Um, you know, just amazing probably.

You know, surreal to some respects, mainly because the type of person he is.

You know, he, he made it really fun to coach him.

Um, you know, a guy like that comes in and could very easy make it all about himself, but he was super locked into, you know, one, BYU, two, what we were trying to do as a team, and then three, as just like a teammate and a good, you know, a great guy.

And, um, and then obviously just some of the moments come to mind, you know, stuff, the, the, you know, the Utah game in the Marriott Center comes to mind.

You know, the Clemson game, some of the different things that he did in some of these mar- you know, the, the dunk he had in the tournament, different things like that.

What's a fair expectation with a center? Because I'm sure you guys are anxious to get that person in and gel with this group.

Unprovoked the center situation.

I'll just hit it right out of the head.

Cause I get asked it every day, anywhere I'm at the big situation, you know, there's a, We've been in lockstep with really one specific guy for a while.

There's a lot of logistical things that have to get ironed out on some of these guys, given their academic situations and where they've played and stuff like that.

So we've been locked in with one guy in particular.

Can't really say too much about it.

And then there's also other things that are going on as well.

bringing it all together was that a lesson that he learned and this was his response

Et non, non, Cruz.

C'est drôle parce que je vois des fans qui sont frustrés parce qu'ils veulent beaucoup d'un joueur jeune et talentueux.

J'arrive toujours à la défense d'O'Neal, car je pense que les gens oublient que la taille m'intéresse.

Le gars est 6'6", 6'7".

Il a joué une nouvelle position au cours des dernières années et il doit le faire à l'aide de son frame.

Il y a beaucoup de dégâts sur ton corps quand tu es un outfielder, surtout quand tu es dynamique comme lui.

Je veux dire, il bouge vite, il est long.

Tous les matchs m'intéressent, ils sont tous précieux.

What are you seeing from Dean Rueckert and how do you see him in his potential?

Man, he's been super impressive with his motor.

He just is a guy, I mean, you could have him in there for 10 hours a day and he wouldn't blink.

He's just been really impressive with his work ethic.

I love his shooting.

That was the thing that really drew me to him.

But you're also talking about a 6'8", legitimate athlete as well.

Last question.

How would you describe these past three months of roster construction now getting here to summer practices?

Every year is different.

You know, every offseason has been different.

This one's been, you know, probably the...

most wild west of them all, just the landscape, things like that, which has made things just different.

But in terms of where we've landed on things, you know, I really like the guys we've brought in just in terms of their character, how they fit into the program, just the team chemistry is really building from the guys we've brought in.

So, yeah, I feel good about it.

Last question.

That's the anointing of God.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, you're, you're saying I was reminded of, well, two things really, you know, when, when, when someone's presented with the gospel.

Yeah.

You know, some, some people would say you got to give them the whole thing, kind of like what you're saying before the, so they know what they're, they're accepting and, you know, and.

It's easier said than done because the whole thing is not necessarily digestible for someone who is just receiving.

It's the... it's the i don't yeah no man i yeah it's not even a dilemma

Young included Kevin and his brother in his work, his hunting, and his construction projects.

The house he's talking about that burnt down, it was a true mud adobe house.

So every single adobe that was in that house was made by hand by my mom, my dad, myself, and my brother.

All the vigas in the ceiling were, uh, we skinned them with draw knives.

Then, uh, he had split cedar up there.

All that cedar was split by hand.

So it was, it was quite a chore.

That person would be difficult enough to find in good conditions, but according to Kevin, we don't even have as much information as we should.

But they couldn't have said, oh, yeah, this is what it's going to be.

right right now i think you know in their mind everybody has a plan right and so yeah it's nothing better than when a plan comes together uh the intentions and all the people that ben sharrington and the people that he had you know working in that front office to try to make it work where the roster is improved dramatically and you addressed a number of things and i think That's probably the biggest thing you can say.

Every move that was made was made with the right intention to make us a winner, not to manage money, not to make other priorities.

It had to do with actually winning.

And so that's why the fans of Pittsburgh are excited about it, because they're able to see their team obviously playing above 500 baseball.

Um, they're playing winning baseball.

Things look very similar to winning baseball.

Am I going to go after the guy at the plate or am I going to try to hold this guy on? Because every 90 feet, that guy's going to possibly score at a percentage higher rate, higher rate, higher rate every 90 feet.

My man. I think that that may have sounded like coach speak. I thought that was brilliant, what you just said, that you want to rely on habits that you've already established, but more importantly, you don't want to have to rely on something that you don't have. I love that. It's not gonna just show up, right? It's not going to just show up on the big stage. So if you've established those habits, you can fall back on them. What about being picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll? How did that sit with you and your team? Did you care about that? And then how, how long did it take you to realize, "Man, we're a pretty good team now?"

Yeah. As f- as it relates to the, the, the preseason deal, no, I didn't really care, honestly. I, I, I said this the other day when someone asked me about, uh, that same topic. I mean, I, I, I have a weird relationship with expectations. You know, I don't think they're healthy, I think they, they're very limiting. Um, you know, good and bad. If you're, if you're, if you're expected to do this and you fall short, okay, then what? Well, if you're expected to do something else and you exceed it, then what? I think, you know, for me, my mindset is just trying to have our team get better every day. That, that... A lot of this stuff does sound like coach speak, but it is for a reason because, um, that's, that's why we've been good, 'cause that's been our approach. We just want to get better every day. I mean, this wasn't like an overnight thing. I mean, we started out 1 and 3 in the Big 12, 2 and 4 in the Big 12, and we had to, uh, you know, we had to look ourselves in the mirror, figure out ways we could get better and then, you know, put that into, into play every single day, and that's exactly what this team did. So, you know, that's kind of been my approach, um, trying to navigate this season. You know, as it, as it, as it being my first year, you know, in the Big 12 and understanding who some of the powerhouses are, so on and so forth. Now, to your question about when did I realize we could be a good team? Early. Honestly, I mean, we played Ole Miss early on in the Thanksgiving Tournament, we lost to them in overtime. You know, they've been a top 25 team all year. Um, so for me, just trying to learn the landscape of college basketball and, and relativity, right? Who's good? Who's this? Who's that? You draw, you, you draw some comparisons. And that was something I tried to share with our group. I think we are a good team and I had to kind of instill that in their mental, uh, space and, and they eventually believed it.

Talking to Kevin Young, BYU head coach. You know, you mentioned trying to navigate college basketball. I had a conversation... Well, I haven't aired it yet, but I had a conversation with a good friend of mine, Eric Musselman, and me and Muss and I go way, way, way back and we talked about his NBA career. In fact, we always talk about his NBA career and he never saw himself as a college coach, and then finally did it and absolutely loves it. What about you, Kevin? What's the transition been like for you to the college game? Having had the success you had in the NBA game, was this a route you thought you would take?

No. Definitely wasn't a route I thought I would take. Kind of came, came at me in a, in a, in a time that was, uh, quite surprising, honestly. I mean, I was... I'd been going through head coaching interview cycles in the NBA for a couple of summers in a row and kind of worked my way up to being, you know, probably the next man up in a couple of instances, and was pretty far down the road with one particular team where I thought I was gonna be the next head coach there and then I got a call from BYU, uh, and that kinda, you know, made me rethink things. Uh, you know, the NBA is great. It's a great league, great players, loved everything about my time there. Uh, I got three young kids, felt like the college world was one that could potentially be something that was a little bit more conducive, and, and BYU was really the ultimate place that I felt like I could do that. I, I didn't... I would probably not have left for any other college job. Uh, my wife was a student at BYU when we met, when I was coaching the G League a long time ago, and then when I started to really do my homework on, on BYU and, uh, the amount of support that they have and how many people want BYU to be great, I felt like it was a place that was set up to succeed, which matched with, uh, you know, kind of the things I had going on in my personal life. So it was kind of a perfect storm. And now, man, I pinch myself every day. I still can't believe I'm a college head coach, can't believe I'm about to coach in my first tournament. It's, uh... But it's been super fun, man. It's been really fun to learn something new, especially at this stage of my career and, um, it's been very challenging and rewarding all in the same, same breath.