BYU basketball gets a major boost heading into next season with the return of starting center Keba Keita, who announced he will be back for his senior year. Keita started all 35 games he played in this past season, posting averages of 7.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 67% from the field.
Though he experienced a bit of a slump midway through Big 12 play, Keita elevated his game over the final six weeks of the season and emerged as one of the conference’s top big men. Nationally, he stood out as a dominant rebounder, ranking 8th in offensive rebounding percentage and 13th overall — those numbers placed him 1st and 5th in the Big 12, respectively.
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Keita’s presence at the rim was a game-changer in several key victories, including a combined seven blocks in BYU’s NCAA Tournament wins over VCU and Wisconsin.
One area Keita will focus on improving is his free throw shooting, where he shot just 41% this season. If he can raise that number into the 60% range, it would significantly boost his late-game value for the Cougars.
With Keita confirming his return, BYU now awaits decisions from several other players regarding their future. Richie Saunders, Dawson Baker, and Brody Kozlowski are expected to return, while the status of Egor Demin and Mihailo Boskovic remains uncertain.
