Tag: Kevin Young

BYU adds 6’10 big man from Serbia to roster for 2024-25 season

It was a good week for BYU basketball, as they picked up a huge addition to the 2024-2025 team in Serbian center Mihailo Boskovic.

BYU basketball coach Kevin Young picked up a massive addition to the roster this week. Mihailo Boskovic has been added to the Cougars roster and is eligible immediately.

Boskovic is 6’10 and can hit the outside shot. He also has shown the ability to protect the rim on the defensive end.  He is not a traditional freshman coming into a program, as he was the MVP of the FIBA Europe U20 Tournament. He won the award over Bobi Klintman, who was drafted by the Pistons 37th overall in the 2024 NBA draft.

Last summer, Boskovic had a pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings, but elected to withdraw his name early in the process.

https://twitter.com/franfraschilla/status/1831420007827296536

That is now seven new recruits for the Cougars, along with the eight players that remained on the roster following the departure of Mark Pope.

Coach Young already added a star from overseas in Egor Demin, and now brings in Boskovic to help in the interior, joining Keba Keita and Mawot Mag who both entered the program. Keita came from Utah, and Mag is coming from Rutgers.

Interviews: NBA coaches who met with Rockets or plan to meet during 2023 search

In the aftermath of Ime Udoka meeting with the #Rockets on Wednesday, here’s an updated look at the team’s list and schedule of head coaching interviews.

As of Thursday, April 20, the coaching search for the Rockets is now approaching the end of its second week. In-person interviews with a number of candidates have already taken place in Houston.

After finishing with the NBA’s worst or second-worst record for three straight years, Houston (22-60) recently declined to pick up the team option on the contract of former head coach Stephen Silas.

With that, the Rockets entered into a search for his replacement. As usual, led by general manager Rafael Stone, they’re casting a wide net and making plenty of contacts, with the interview list including both former head coaches and current assistants around the league.

However, in the wake of Silas not working out after being a first-time hire in 2020, it’s believed that head coaching experience is more of a priority in 2023. Thus, former coaches such as Frank Vogel, James Borrego, and Ime Udoka are among the list of confirmed interviews.

Here’s a look at where the Rockets appear to be at in their search, as of Thursday afternoon. This list does not yet include Toronto’s Nick Nurse, since he remains under contract with the Raptors as head coach and will not interview unless a parting of ways is announced.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, interviews with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (formerly head coach of the Nets) and 76ers assistant Sam Cassell are planned but not yet scheduled, as a result of their teams playing in the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Some of these interviewees may also factor into Houston’s potential staff of assistants beneath its new head coach. The Rockets plan to fill the lead role first, and then that person will be able to make decisions regarding who will fill out the surrounding coaching staff.

Rockets coaching search updates: James Borrego, Ime Udoka interview

The #Rockets are now in week two of their coaching search to replace Stephen Silas, with former NBA head coaches Ime Udoka and James Borrego among the latest interviewees.

The Houston Rockets appear ready to move to the next phase in their franchise rebuild.

The team’s ongoing head coaching search to replace Stephen Silas is in its second week. The team has interviewed a handful of NBA assistants as part of a diverse and widespread search. However, it’s believed proven experience in the lead role will be a key criteria in their final choice. That could explain why former Pacers, Magic, and Lakers head coach Frank Vogel appears to be an early front-runner.

While Vogel was the first established name to interview, he will be far from the last. On Monday, former Hornets head coach James Borrego visited Houston to meet with general manager Rafael Stone and the Rockets. On Wednesday, former Celtics coach Ime Udoka will do the same.

Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson — previously Brooklyn’s head coach — and current Toronto head coach Nick Nurse could factor into Houston’s search, as well. However, scheduling an interview with both of those men is more complicated. Nurse would have to formally part ways with the Raptors  first, and Atkinson’s Warriors are in the middle of a first-round playoff series versus Sacramento.

As of Tuesday evening, April 18, here’s a look at the latest reports involving the Rockets and their ongoing search for a head coach.

Rockets coaching search tracker: Frank Vogel interviews, Sam Cassell up next

Here’s our roundup of #Rockets coaching search news, headlined by an official interview of former Lakers coach Frank Vogel and a looming interview of Sam Cassell.

As their rebuild continues, the Houston Rockets are ready to move to the next phase, according to general manager Rafael Stone. And that phase will not include former head coach Stephen Silas.

As soon as the 2022-23 season ended for the Rockets (22-60) this week, Silas had the team option on his coaching contract declined for the 2023-24 campaign. That put Houston into the coaching market. Former Pacers, Magic and Lakers head coach Frank Vogel; former Celtics coach Ime Udoka; former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson; former Thunder and Wizards coach Scott Brooks; and current Raptors coach Nick Nurse are among the initial list of prospective candidates.

The Rockets are expected to put a premium on experience in this search, with a proven name potentially able to help their market appeal in a 2023 offseason when they have approximately $60 million in salary cap room — likely the most of any NBA team.

However, as Stone acknowledged in Monday’s press conference, the Rockets will likely interview candidates without prior head coaching experience as well. Houston’s third-year general manager expects the job to be quite attractive.

The team will not issue updates during its search, but tidbits from knowledgeable sources are likely to emerge. As of Thursday, here’s what we’ve learned about the process and the candidates involved, which could soon include Nurse, now that Toronto is eliminated from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.