BYU head basketball coach Kevin Young talks to members of the media at BYU in Provo on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter Tuesday. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week.Kevin Young is in the midnight hours of shoring up his basketball roster.Hes closing in on a valuable window of offseason conditioning and team-building exercises as players bond with each other and create chemistry. He has told media members he is working hard finishing his recruiting of post players and inside contributors, explaining that there have been some admission and visa hurdles to overcome.How important are the coming weeks to get this done?They are critical.The Cougars just got a commitment from 6-foot-9 Polish big man Jakub Urbaniak. He looks promising, but is he the answer? Question of the week With the commitment of a 6-9 center from Poland, BYU made a step toward obtaining some presence at the post position. What is your evaluation/opinion of Jakub Urbaniak?Jackson Payne: I think theres a lot to like about Urbaniaks game. He rebounds well and should be a solid rim protector. Above all else, hes capable of hitting 3-pointers, which will go a long way in Youngs offense. Young hasnt had a floor-stretching big man yet in his BYU tenure, and being able to put Urbaniak on the perimeter a few times per game will make the Cougars tougher to defend.Some fans may be underwhelmed by Urbaniaks 6-foot-9 stature, wishing BYU had brought in someone closer to the 7-foot mark; however, Urbaniak is actually taller than BYUs starting center from last season, Keba Keita, who measured under 6-foot-7 at the G League combine. Urbaniak wont be able to leap like Keita could (who can?), but hes still quite athletic and has a deeper offensive bag.Also, 7-footers dont grow on trees, and size alone does not make a great big man. BYU didnt lose to Texas in the NCAA Tournament solely because of a 23-point, 16-rebound outing from the Longhorns 7-foot center the Cougars lost that game because they shot 18% from deep and were lost defensively. Urbaniak being only 6-foot-9 isnt reason for concern.BYU will still add another center in the coming weeks, and perhaps hell be an upgrade over Urbaniak and can be the Cougars starter. But if Urbaniak does end up being the guy, he can absolutely contribute to getting BYU back into the Big Dance.Dick Harmon: I like this addition by Youngs staff for a lot of reasons. Urbaniak fills an immediate need. He is a seasoned, experienced veteran. He can score inside and out. He has very quick footwork and can peel off a pick-and-roll and make it to the rim. He can pick up his dribble and drive. He can work himself around taller and less mobile players. He has hops. Finally, he appears on film to be very athletic, which on a team of drivers, shooters and finishers can really challenge a defense.BYU hasnt had a huge presence at the post since Matt Haarms, a 7-foot-3 Dutch transfer who is now playing for Kagoshima Rebnise in the B League and the Netherlands national team. BYU has lived with smaller post players in the past, including 6-6 Fouss Traore, 6-7 Keita and even 6-9 Brandon Davies and 6-8 Eric Mika. It can be done.I do hope Young brings in another center. If he can bring in a bigger body, a taller athlete, hopefully with some international experience which is what it appears they are after then the post will be solidified.What shouldnt happen is to just go and grab a body like they did last year with Abdullah Ahmed. Id have taken Jeff Campbell or Larry Cheesman over Ahmed. Cougar talesFormer BYU All-American Lexy Halladay defended her steeplechase title in the U.S. championships this past weekend. Megan Hunter finished third in the 800 meters. Zach Wilson talks with Jay Drew about his recent challenges in NFL life in this piece.Brandon Judd opines on if Taysom Hill will retire or try for another year in the NFL in this story. From the archivesFrom X-versePre-order right here #BYUFOOTBALLhttps://t.co/58KD4piPTupic.twitter.com/jNZa3kztPf Dave McCann (@DaveMcCannTV) July 27, 2026BYUs BB3 among 10 Freshmen to Watch in 2026-27, as selected by @jeffborzello and @MedcalfByESPN: https://t.co/GOvVdVddvIpic.twitter.com/BX7LDTO5i2 Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) July 28, 2026Former BYU Hoopster Brandon Davies announces he is retiring from basketball.What a career.He played for the 76ers and Nets before heading to Europe to play in France, Italy, Monaco, Lithuania, Spain, Serbia and Japan.He was All-Euroleague two times (19 1st team & 21 2nd Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) July 23, 2026Extra pointsAnother jersey patch for Olympic sports (Deseret News)Detmer relishes the thought of BYU playing a No. 10-ranked Notre Dame (Deseret News)What goes into making hoops schedule? (Deseret News)FanalystsComments from Deseret News readers:Until KY emphasizes defense their ceiling is very limited. Compare Houstons approach and intensity to BYU on the defensive end. No comparison. Thats coaching. Love KY for many things but defense has to improve for any long run in the NCAAs. Bergy7I think this team is stacked at every position except center. Sure, they have some capable guys for that position, but just as Frank Layden once said, You cant coach size. I am hoping BYU can land both the Chinese guy and the Australian guy. One is 75 and the other is 76. Now if they had both those guys to play tag team at center, this team would have all the ingredients to go all the way. Without those really big centers, I am afraid they will find it tough against the teams that DO have that size. Water RocketUp nextAug. 1 | 7 p.m. | womens soccer | BYU intersquad gameAug. 8 | 7 p.m. | womens soccer | Idaho StateAug. 12 | 8 p.m. | womens soccer | @ UCLAAug. 15 | 1 p.m. | womens soccer | BYUAug. 19 | 6 p.m. | womens soccer | @ Wisconsin