Provo, Utah – BYU men’s basketball announced the addition of former Utah center Keba Keita on Wednesday.
"We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Keba to BYU," head coach Kevin Young said. "He fits into our program perfectly both on and off the court. He brings a level of toughness, athleticism, and defense that has been a big priority for us. I can’t wait to get to work with him."
In his two seasons on The Hill, the native of Bamako, Mali, appeared in 66 games including 13 starts where he averaged 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
As a sophomore in 2023-24, Keita appeared in 35 games including 13 starts for a Ute squad that won 22 games and advanced to the semifinal of the NIT. He scored in double figures 12 times en route to averaging a career-high 8.3 points per game, shooting 61.0 percent from the floor. He finished with 189 rebounds including pulling down a team-high 73 offensive boards.
Keita scored a career-high 23 points in a win over Southern Utah going 11-of-12 from the floor. The 6-foot-8 center also had three double-doubles highlighted by a 18-point, 15-rebound performance against Oregon State where he pulled down a career-high seven offensive boards.
Keita appeared in 31 games as a true freshman in 2022-23 averaging 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He shot 60.9 percent from the floor, the third-highest clip among freshmen in program history behind Jakob Poeltl and Mikael Jantunen.
He was instrumental in the Utes upset over No. 4 Arizona, finishing with seven points and a then career-high 11 rebounds including five offensive boards.
A three-star recruit out of Wasatch Academy, Keita ranked No. 84 in the ESPN 100. He led the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) in rebounding as a senior after recording four games with double-digit rebounds. He was also named the NIBC Defensive Player of the Year and all-defensive team.