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It’s no easy chore for BYU basketball players to escape the program’s soaring expectations, which, like the morning sun, seem to rise brighter each day. Whether it’s Joe Lunardi’s projection as a No. 2 seed for next year’s NCAA Tournament or CBS Sports ranking BYU No. 5 in its preseason poll, the Cougars are hot and getting hotter.

To get out of the heat, Keba Keita and Khadim Mboup are going to a place that’s even hotter — but for a very cool reason. No one in Senegal or Mali is spending the summer worrying about whether BYU can reach the Final Four. They have weightier issues and fellow countrymen Keita and Mboup are returning home to lighten their load.

A trio of Cougars, including former BYU player Mawot Mag, are joining forces with other college players, including Ibi Traore (Utah) and Malick Diallo (TCU) at next month’s Africa Elite Basketball Camps. The first camp will be in Mboup’s country of Senegal (June 3-4) with the second one set for Mali (June 7-8), where Keita and former Cougar Fousseyni Traore are from.

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“Those boys come back and give back at these (basketball) camps,” Utah businessman Carlos Iglesias told the “Y’s Guys” podcast recently. Iglesias supports the camps for Mike Clayton, who formed the non-profit Mali Wellness Foundation in 2016. “Even the schoolteachers and staff look at these young men and how they have really grown up with their opportunities.”

The initial goodwill missions by the foundation provided Mali with medical and dental services and health education. They also built their first basketball court. Iglesias and his team mixed the cement by hand using shovels and sticks.

“Having kids come to those courts to play basketball gives them a reason to come to school,” Iglesias said. “Most of these courts are at school and school isn’t necessarily mandatory for them. We have to do something to keep these kids in school — so, why not sports?”

In time, those attending the camps, like Keita, Traore and Mboup, earned opportunities to come to the United States to attend high school, play basketball and earn a college degree. Iglesias and his wife Kari are Keita’s American parents. They also assist other players who come to the U.S. through the foundation.

“We do this to help these young men have a future,” Iglesias said. “Their parents are giving up these children for the future of their families and their villages and communities and we are seeing the fruits of our labor that we started in 2016 — to have college graduates start giving back to their communities.”

For Iglesias, as a volunteer board member, his motivation to assist in Mali and Senegal stems from his own childhood, where he was raised by his valiant mother, a Guatemalan immigrant, in the inner-city neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

“We struggled. It’s not a good thing,” he said. “I have always said, ‘If there was a way that I could give back one day, if I could just make enough money to make ends meet, I’m going to try to help people.’

“There is nothing better that touches the human heart than serving others. I don’t care how many problems you have, there are other people dealing with way more.”

There is no guarantee that the Cougars’ preseason hype won’t follow Keita and Mboup halfway around the world and they might even get asked a question or two about the globe’s top recruit AJ Dybantsa.

This is indeed a different time for BYU basketball and for two weeks in June, these two Cougars are pausing on the present to go back in time to inspire the future — mentoring starstruck kids who will stand and shoot at the same baskets where they used to play before someone came to help them.

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.

If you would like to support the Africa Elite Basketball Camps, please go to maliwellnessfoundation.org and scroll to sports.

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FC Tucson opened its 2025 season the way they have for a couple of years: a tune-up match against Selección Tucsón, a team of standout Southern Arizona players. The match at Kino North Stadium went well for FC Tucson, but they were unable to staunch a comeback by the scrappy amateurs and settled for a 2 – 2 draw.

“We let them stay in the game for too long,” said FC Tucson coach Sebastian Pineda.

The first half was dominated by FC Tucson, with the only two early advances coming from the feet of former Real Salt Lake player Donny Toia. However, the one-time professional went down after charging for loose ball in minute 22 and had to get subbed out early.

By that time, FC Tucson had already built up a strong lead. In minute 11, Alexis Ledoux, who had already been a menace in Selección Tucsón’s box, dished the ball off to Pima College player Robert Castaneda who slotted it past Selección keeper John Suarez. Castaneda scored again in minute 19.

FC Tucson tried to extend the lead with shots before the hour mark. Sebastian Guzman had an attempt from distance when he caught the keeper out, but it sailed harmlessly over the crossbar. An attempt by Juan Galves to dribble into shooting position was broken up by a surprisingly well-organized defense.

As the match went into the final frame, things started to fall apart for FC Tucson. Selección’s chippy play eventually made FC Tucson’s players reciprocate.

Both Casteneda and midfielder Frank Castro got yellow cards for fouls. With pride on the line, Selección played with a bit more urgency that FC Tucson and found more chances on FC Tucson goalkeeper José Ortiz, who came on as a sub around the hour mark.

Antonio Morales, a Pueblo Warrior, found the back of the net in minute 82. Only moments later, the team earned a penalty kick that Ricardo Flores sent just past Ortiz’s fingers.

FC Tucson would have to settle for a draw despite dominating most of the match. After the match, Selección coach Ivan Jiménez admitted that it took a while to adjust to the athleticism of FC Tucson’s players, but they were motivated.

“It was just hard work,” he said. “They really wanted this. The last two years they lost. These boys wanted to show they can play with the best.”

FC Tucson coach Sebastian Pineda admitted that a few missed chances early and mistakes near the end allowed Selección to earn the draw. He also noted that the team isn’t quite complete yet, with the first match not coming until the 20th.

“The guys are just getting in town; they don’t know each other well yet,” he said. “We’ve got some local guys and we were thankful that they helped us. We want the experienced players to come out and slow the game down and not give away the ball so quickly, those little details that experience gives you. That wasn’t there today. We finished with a very young team.”

One of those local players that filled the roster was Robert Castaneda. As a fill-in player, he is not expected to be on the full roster when league matches begin, but it’s hard to see a player that scored two goals not be considered.

“I knew about Robert since he was at Pima, that’s why I brought him in for training,” Pineda said. “He’s putting himself out there, and he’ll get a chance to prove himself.”

Castaneda’s partner in the offense was Alexis Ledoux, a French forward who earned the assist on the first goal. Ledoux just got done with his last season at UC Santa Barbara where he scored 14 goals for the Gauchos. He brings the experience Pineda was talking about, with time at academies in France before playing college soccer in the US.

“Ultimately, my role is to help the team score goals. That means I have to find spaces and help the team get chances,” he said. “I think I did that today, but I could finish better.”

The 5′ 6″ forward was a target for the more physical play of Selección’s back line, an indicator of how dangerous they knew he was. He’s gotten used to this.

“I’ve always been one of the smallest players on the field,” he said. “I’m always getting kicked around. I usually get fouls from those and that creates chances. It’s part of my game.”

FC Tucson’s first league match is away against Stars FC with their first home game coming on May 24 against Redlands FC.