How 2 seniors forced BYU into 11-man rotation, keying run towards March

PROVO — Trey Stewart was going to make himself valuable to the team, no matter what it took.

Even if BYU coach Kevin Young wasn't sure it would lead to more minutes for the senior from American Fork.

The first-year head coach brought Stewart into his office earlier this year, sat him down, and had a honest conversation with the 6-foot-2 senior backup. Young wanted Stewart to know that he had taken notice of his game, of his work ethic, of the fact that he was — at times — the best, or at least hardest working, player on the practice court.

But he wasn't sure if it would lead to more minutes in games. There are only so many spots in the rotation, and Young — like most NBA coaches from which he's drawn his high-profile pedigree in his inaugural campaign at BYU — was solidifying the lineup around breakout star Richie Saunders, five-star freshman and potential NBA lottery pick Egor Demin, stalwart seniors Trevin Knell and Fousseyni Traore, four-star freshman Kanon Catchings and returning point guard Dallin Hall.

Add in starting center Keba Keita and key additions like Mawot Mag, Mihailo Boskovic, Dawson Baker and developmental pieces like Elijah Crawford, and ... well, you get the picture. Could a Big 12 men's basketball team really peak at the right time with a regular 11-man rotation?

"He was very honest," Stewart recalled of the conversation, "which I appreciate, man-to-man and as a coach. It was all love, and I told him, I will still rock with you and I'll do whatever this team needs to get where it needs to be."

If that meant being the best practice-squad player, then so be it, Stewart decided. But somewhere along the way, he found more. He found a niche.

It started on defense, where Stewart has carved out a similar role as Mag — a consummate "3-and-D" type player, one coming in for 8-15 minutes per game off the bench that has helped key a seven-game win streak ahead of Saturday's regular-season finale against in-state rival Utah (8 p.m. MST, ESPNU).

Stewart will be one of four seniors honored during the program's senior night, along with Knell, Traore and Mag.

"Trey's been an unsung hero, honestly," Young said. "Even before he sort of cracked the rotation in the last couple of weeks, he's been unbelievable in practice.

"He helped us get a lot better ... and it just got to the point where we couldn't ignore it. We gave him some opportunities, and every time we did, he came in and made something happen with his energy and his effort. I've loved coaching him, and he really contributes to our culture and in our locker room."

The offensive contributions haven't been immense — Stewart, for example, averages just 1.3 points per game and Mag 5.9 points in 28 games, including the last 16 starts. But both players have have been efficient in their offensive takes, and defensively keyed the Cougars to their current run as one of the hottest teams in the country, one that ranks No. 2 nationally by barttorvik.com during its current win streak.

"In a perfect world, for me, I switch one through four, keep the five in coverage, and off we go. That has not been the case with this team," Young said. "We've been better to allow Mawot to do what he does on guys, and Trey is a guy who can do the same thing.

"We learned from Mawot, knew Trey could also give us that, and we had this two-headed monster that allowed us to have a fresh set of legs and athleticism on guys."

For Stewart, it's all about the team — which was something he's had to learn in four years of coming off the bench after signing the Cougars following an all-state high school career where he averaged 14.8 points per game as a senior prior to serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England and Kennewick, Washington.

"I never want to get in the way of the team just because my ego is in the way," said Stewart, who also founded a clothing brand Default Happiness focused on mental health awareness and creating joy. "It would be easy to be frustrated, but that's never been my vibe. It's not the embodiment of me. I've just been beyond grateful."

He'll get one more chance to protect the Marriott Center this weekend with a group of seniors that include Knell, whom he first met at former BYU wing Spencer Johnson's wedding when he had just come home from his mission and quickly became "an all-time brother" for him, as well as Traore, the gentle giant who like Stewart had to adjust to a new role as a senior.

Then there's Mag, who Stewart admits has also been key to the Cougars down the stretch as another defensive stopper whose offensive game emerged even more than the coaching staff expected when he transferred from Rutgers.

"He's one of the best dudes I've ever met," Stewart said of Mag. "When he first came in, he was a vet and I really valued his experience. And he's a defensive-minded player, so I obviously meshed with him."

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