BYU Basketball: Why Mawot Mag is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

No matter how you look at it, last season was a great success for BYU. Sure the Cougars were brutally upset by Duquesne in the Big Dance, but they actually made it to the NCAA Tournament. This was their first year in a strong Big 12 after some mediocre play in their final years in the WCC. BYU absolutely exceeded expectations last season but can they repeat that feat this year?

Mark Pope left to become the new head coach at Kentucky, with Kevin Young and his staff tasked with building a roster to win in the Big 12. There weren’t a ton of moving parts in the offseason, though this team will certainly miss top scorers Jaxon Robinson and Spencer Johnson. Getting Trevin Knell, Fousseyni Traore and a few other rotation pieces back was vital, but BYU also added a few pieces in the offseason.

While there will be a few freshmen on the sidelines in Provo, BYU’s staff has hit twice in the Transfer Portal already, helping to replace those like Robinson who transferred away in the offseason. The first big piece was landing former Utah big man Keba Keita a few months ago, and the Cougars are certainly excited about his impact in the frontcourt, though he’s not the only new weapon in the arsenal.

Mawot Mag joins BYU after spending the last four seasons with Rutgers in the Big Ten. The native Australian stands 6’7 and played a starting role at forward for the Scarlet Knights the last two seasons. Despite missing more than a month with an injury, Mag still managed 9.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on the year.

Though BYU lost a coach and a number of important players, they aren’t exactly leaning on Mag or the other new players to come in and be a revolution. Mag provides much needed size and depth in the frontcourt, as most of the returning talent was guards from last year. He’s also shown potential with Rutgers that was significantly limited by that knee injury he suffered in February.

Nevertheless, there’s reason for excitement if Mag can be a significant weapon in the frontcourt for the Cougars. He has the size and talent and pairs nicely with Traore at the back end. While the shooting and shot blocking numbers were far from elite, Mag is expected to contribute in the paint in both regards and also has the potential to step outside and make 3-pointers; the kind of unique weapon that Young wants in his system.

There hasn’t been a ton added through the Portal for the Cougars but Mag is certainly the most exciting of the bunch. If he can stay healthy and fit into this system then he can help BYU win plenty of ballgames. Will it be enough to get the Cougars to another Big Dance in an even tougher Big 12? Does Mag have the ability to take that next step and become a significant force for the Cougars?