Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
Faith has always been important to Steve Cleveland, but there are some things you need to see to really believe. On Friday, when No. 8 BYU hosts No. 25 North Carolina in an exhibition game at the Delta Center (7 p.m, ESPN+), the former coach will catch a glimpse of something he never saw coming. “Probably not,” Cleveland told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “Especially where college sports is today. The whole dynamic has changed. There is no way I could have.” Instead of the 1-25 program Cleveland inherited in 1997, he will see a BYU team take the floor that features the world’s top recruit, a roster built to reach the Final Four and the highest preseason ranking in program history. Yes, times have changed. “I watched us build that thing and turn it around and get to the tournament and do things,” said Cleveland, whose teams won nine games in the first year, 22 games the second, and reached the NCAA Tournament in the third. “Dave (Rose) did a tremendous job taking the next step, continuing to get to the tournament six, seven, eight times. I saw the program moving forward, but what’s happening today with the transfer portal and the ability to pay guys, it’s changed the climate of college athletics, and I think it’s going to continue to get better. I love the transfer portal.” Kevin Young, in his second year at BYU, tapped the transfer portal to add Rob Wright III (Baylor), Kennard Davis, Jr. (Southern Illinois), Tyler Mrus (Idaho), Nate Pickens (UC Riverside) and Dominique Diomande (Washington). The new faces bolster a roster that includes returners Richie Saunders (first team All-Big 12), Keba Keita, Dawson Baker and Mihailo Boskovic and features AJ Dybantsa — the highest-rated recruit in program history, AP Preseason All-American and potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft. Watching a player with such high expectations will be new to Cougar Nation, but it is something Cleveland has seen before — up close and personal. By George! He did it! After leaving BYU for the Fresno State head job in 2005, Cleveland set out to rebuild the soon-to-be sanctioned Bulldogs after the previous staff left the program in deep trouble with the NCAA. Along the way, Cleveland and his staff signed a prospect out of Los Angeles named Paul George. “He was a skinny 6-6 and maybe 175, but he was skilled,” Cleveland said. “That first year, he had to get in the weight room, and he changed his body.” The following season, during a game at Pepperdine, everything changed. “There were about 20 NBA general managers in the gym,” Cleveland said. “They weren’t there to see Paul, they were there to see some other guys.” During the second half, George hit six consecutive 3-pointers. “All of a sudden, there is a buzz in that place,” Cleveland said. “I can still remember when my assistant coach, Senque Carey looked at me and said, ‘Coach, he’s gone!’ He was right.” The rest of the season turned into an NBA preview show for George, which Cleveland had to manage, much like Young will do with Dybantsa. George was picked 10th overall in the 2010 NBA draft by Indiana. Today, at 6-8 and 220 pounds, the league veteran suits up for Philadelphia. Cleveland sees notable differences between his former star and Dybantsa, but also a lot of similarities, including their attitude for the game and gratitude for those around them. “I have seen in college situations where (a player thought) he was the man and the guy and kinda had an attitude and carried it with him, and pouted. Who wants to be around guys like that?” Cleveland said. “That’s not AJ. That’s not Paul George. “When you are talking to young players today, yes, you have to develop your skill set, but if you can’t manage yourself and your approach and being selfless and a good teammate, that’s going to be really hard for you. That’s what Paul and AJ have.” Season opener Dybantsa scored 30 points in his BYU debut last Saturday in an exhibition game at Nebraska. After Friday’s glorified scrimmage with North Carolina, Dybantsa and the Cougars will set their sights on what is arguably the biggest season opener in program history. BYU will face Villanova on Nov. 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The nonconference slate also includes nationally televised bouts against No. 4 UConn (Boston), Clemson (New York), No. 24 Wisconsin (Delta Center), and Miami (Orlando). The Cougars are picked to finish second in the Big 12 in a league that features No. 2 Houston, No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 12 Arizona, No. 16 Iowa State and No. 19 Kansas. “What Kevin is doing is he’s finding the best teams he can play, because he knows what’s ahead,” Cleveland said. “You are better off losing in the preseason to good teams (as opposed) to beating really poor teams and not giving your team a chance to grow. That’s what you do (in nonconference games) — you grow.” Many of Cleveland’s experiences are captured in his new book “Touch All the Lines — Lessons in Basketball, Faith and Life,” which will be available Nov. 10. Being an author and watching a player like Dybantsa at BYU are two things so surprising that even as a man of faith, Cleveland must see it to believe it. Starting Friday at the Delta Center — he will.
