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PROVO — Kevin Young isn't done yet.
After finalizing his coaching staff, retaining a core of his roster, and adding a pair of four-star recruits with four-star transfers from power conference schools, Young added another piece to his inaugural lineup that will enter BYU's second season in the Big 12 this winter.
It's a significant one, too.
Kanon Catchings, a 6-foot-8 forward from Indiana who played last season with Overtime Elite, has signed a financial aid agreement with BYU, the school announced Tuesday.
The four-star prospect by 247Sports rated No. 35 in the Class of 2024 by ESPN is a physical wing forward, the nephew of former Indiana Fever star and Tennessee legend Tamika Catchings averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season with Cold Hearts in OTE, where he played for BYU assistant Tim Fanning.
"We are so excited to welcome Kanon to BYU. He's a great young man," Young said. "Kanon's a big-time talent who brings great size, shooting, and athleticism to Provo. He has basketball in his blood, and we are equally as excited to welcome his family. His defensive ability is as impressive as his offensive talent. We can't wait to get Kanon on campus and get to work with our players and staff. We look forward to helping him develop and thrive in our program."
In addition to BYU and Purdue, where he previously signed a national letter of intent, Catchings had interest from Florida State, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Xavier and Butler, among others.
Catchings' 247Sports composite rating of 0.9849 is the highest for a BYU commit in program history, according to the recruiting service.
welcome to Provo @kanoncatchings 🫡 pic.twitter.com/11d3uGoYhW
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) June 18, 2024
Catchings, whose mother Tauja played at Illinois before being drafted in the third round by the Phoenix Mercury in 2000, played three seasons at Brownsburg High School in Indiana before transferring to Overtime Elite for his senior year.
Overtime Elite is a private school, basketball league and media company with a broadcast deal that includes Amazon's Prime Video. It allows prospects to accept a minimum salary of $100,000 and begin their pro career (many of whom eventually land in the NBA or overseas), or maintain their collegiate eligibility while playing elite-level grassroots basketball with players like Catchings.
Catchings, who left Brownsburg as a 6-foot-6, 170-pound small forward, averaged 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his junior season at the public school.
He maintained his nearly two-year commitment to Matt Painter and the Boilermakers through early June, when Painter granted his release, despite rumors as recently as January that Catchings may have had interest in reopening his recruitment. Fanning was released from Overtime Elite in January, though Catchings stayed with the organization, where he averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting nearly 70% from inside the arc and 37% from deep with Cold Hearts.
Shortly after being granted his release, Catchings told On3 that he planned to visit BYU and Florida State.
"(BYU) is involved with Catchings, I know for sure," On3's Joe Tipton told ESPN radio in Utah County. "Another school that I know is involved is Illinois, a little bit closer to home. It will be interesting to see if he considers schools closer to home, or if he takes a trip to BYU with coach Fanning.
"He's a really good spot-up shooter and offensive rebounder. He's a high-upside prospect who still needs to get stronger and develop, just like every freshman. If he were to join BYU's team this year, I wouldn't even necessarily say he's a bonafide starter; there may be a little bit of pressure to start him. But this is a BYU team returning a lot of experience, and there will be a lot of competition for his spot. Overall, he'd be a really good add for BYU."
Catchings joins highly touted Class of 2024 recruiting class that also includes four-star Brewster Academy point guard Elijah Crawford and former Corner Canyon star Brody Kozlowski, who previously signed with Stanford and USC, respectively. The trio adds to a group of additions that include Rutgers transfer Mawot Mag and Utah transfer Keba Keita, as well as a commitment from Real Madrid guard Egor Demin.
Here's a look at BYU's roster as it stands for the 2024-25 season, including a pair of walk-ons that are scheduled to join the team by the fall:
