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BYU forward Mawot Mag practices with his team for the upcoming Sweet 16 game against Alabama at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
NEWARK, New Jersey — Leading scorer Richie Saunders told and retold his story about becoming the “Tater Tot King,” 26-year-old Trevin Knell joked about being so old that he could have been on BYU’s last Sweet 16 team in 2011, and teenager Egor Demin drew a lot of attention because he might be an NBA lottery pick in June if he decides to leave BYU after just one year.
But the player who drew the most attention from the East Coast media on Wednesday when the No. 17 BYU Cougars (26-9) spoke to reporters on the eve of Thursday’s Sweet 16 showdown with No. 7 Alabama (27-8) was Rutgers transfer Mawot Mag, naturally.
Mag played for Rutgers — Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway is less than an hour’s drive down Interstate-95 from Prudential Center — for four years before moving on to BYU for his final season of eligibility. Suffice it to say, some folks in Piscataway, New Brunswick, and other parts of the so-called Garden State (seriously?) were not happy that the man who Maryland coach Kevin Willard called the best defender he’s ever coached against left Rutgers.
“I just felt like it was best for me,” Mag said. “I spoke to my family. I felt like it was time. I spent four years here and I just felt like it was time to have a change of scenery.”
The 6-foot-7 graduate who was born in Sudan and moved to Melbourne, Australia, when he was 2 was asked several times about the differences — culturally, geographically and everything else — between Utah and New Jersey and every time took the high road.
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Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3), forward Richie Saunders (15) and guard Trevin Knell (21) laugh during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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BYU head basketball coach Kevin Young speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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BYU head basketball coach Kevin Young speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) speaks during a press conference about BYU’s upcoming NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
“I always liked being in Jersey and I am glad I am back here,” he said. “… I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Rutgers. … It is pretty cold, but it is Jersey, so you can’t really complain.”
Mag has played at Prudential Center — which also houses the NHL’s New Jersey Devils — several times against Seton Hall in what is called the Garden State Hardwood Classic. Rutgers won last season’s matchup 70-63 at Prudential Center and Mag scored four points and had eight rebounds in 24 minutes.
“I played well, and we won,” he said. “So hopefully I play well tomorrow and end on a good note, too.”
The BYU-Alabama winner will face the Duke-Arizona winner on Saturday for a chance to go to the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
Coincidentally, Alabama’s Clifford Omoruyi and Mag were roommates and teammates all four of their years at Rutgers. Omoruyi scored 11 points and had 13 rebounds in last year’s game at Prudential Center.
Mag said they haven’t spoken much this season, except on Selection Sunday when it became apparent they could face each other in Newark, but will chat after the game.
“We are pretty close. We will definitely get time to talk,” Mag said, noting that the 6-foot-11 Omoruyi was born in Nigeria in West Africa and he was born in Sudan, in Northeast Africa. “We both came in (to Rutgers) and we were young and left full grown. … We grew a lot. Won some games, lost some games. But we grew a lot. That’s my brother, so yeah.”
In Provo and throughout BYU’s national fanbase, Mag will always be remembered as the defensive stopper who caused Wisconsin’s John Tonje to put up an airball after Tonje had torched BYU for 37 points in a Round of 32 game.
He said his phone “definitely blew up” after the big play sent BYU to the Sweet 16.
“I definitely had a lot of texts. I lost count,” he said. “It took me until the next day to reach back to everybody. So, I appreciate them for supporting me.”
BYU had a team dinner planned for Wednesday night, but no other activities were on the docket because coaches want the players focused solely on the Crimson Tide and what is arguably BYU’s biggest game in 14 years. That means Mag won’t get to play tour guide, or that he even wants to.
Backup guard Trey Stewart is also familiar with the area because his father, Ray, a former BYU women’s basketball assistant coach and Utah Valley basketball star, grew up in the Newark area and played prep basketball for Perth Amboy High in New Jersey.
“Yeah, we talk about Jersey all the time, me and Mo,” Stewart said. “My dad actually grew up 30 minutes from here. So we just talk about New York, just the vibes here. Mo is really excited. This is like his second home. So he’s really excited. He’s grateful to be here.”
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BYU forward Mawot Mag, left, huddles up with teammates during Big 12 tournament semifinal game against Houston at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, March 14, 2025. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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