Keba Keita didn’t need long to make his NBA debut count.
In the Indiana Pacers’ preseason opener on Wednesday night, the former BYU big man logged his first NBA minutes and finished with four points and one rebound in two minutes during a 123-112 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Keita made his presence felt immediately. His first basket came when he carved out space near the rim, sealed his defender, and finished through contact on a contested layup. His second score was a putback tip-in over two Timberwolves players.
The game took place at Hilton Coliseum in Iowa State territory, a building Keita knows well from his BYU days. The last time he played there, the Cougars outlasted the Cyclones 88-85 in a double-overtime game, and Keita posted seven points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.
Keita’s path to this moment has moved quickly. He took part in the NBA G-League Combine in May, went undrafted in June, and then joined Indiana’s Summer League group. In four Summer League games, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 13.5 minutes per game.
His strongest showing came in the finale, when he put up 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, and added two steals and three blocks in 16 minutes.
That summer momentum kept the door open for him, even as he briefly explored another route. After the NCAA announced its new 5-in-5 rule for the 2027-28 season, a wave of recent seniors filed lawsuits seeking a fifth college season for 2026-27.
Keita was among the players trying to return and was included in the same temporary restraining order as BYU center Jaxon Kohler. After weighing that possibility for a few weeks, he stayed with the Pacers organization and signed a one-year Exhibit 10 deal on September 19.
That leaves Keita with work to do. Exhibit 10 contracts do not guarantee a permanent NBA roster spot, and the competition is steep. He’ll need to fight for a chance and try to earn a two-way deal if he wants to stick around.
Keita is undersized for an NBA center, but his physical tools stand out, and he has flashed enough to suggest a pro future. His rim running and rebounding are the foundation, and if those skills continue to translate, he can keep building a case for himself.
For one night, though, he looked right at home. The Pacers still have three preseason games left, so there is time for more opportunities, but the clock is ticking. After the preseason ends, Keita will have to wait and see what comes next for the upcoming NBA season.
Kevin Young has already sent Egor Demin, AJ Dybantsa, and Richie Saunders to the NBA. Keita now has a chance to become Young’s fourth player in the league if he can keep pushing his way there.
In Other News...
BYU's Biggest Offensive Concern Didn't Go Away In The Iowa State Win
BYU got a much-needed win over Iowa State, and Bear Bachmeier had a hand in just about all of it. The quarterback threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 yards on the ground, giving the Cougars enough juice to control the game even without injured running back LJ Martin in the lineup.
Kalani Sitake liked the result, but the bigger offensive question still lingers. With Martin sidelined, BYU leaned heavily on Bachmeier and did not get the kind of production it usually wants from the rest of the backfield, leaving the Cougars with a familiar development task as they move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Got The Breakout It Needed Before Notre Dame
Missing its top offensive threat in LJ Martin, BYU still found a way to leave Iowa State with a 21-10 win, and the performance came at a timely moment with Notre Dame looming. The Cougars needed someone else to carry the load, and sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier answered with his most complete showing yet, throwing for 329 yards and adding a career-high 109 on the ground.
Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga II also became important pieces in the passing game, giving BYU a different kind of balance when it needed it most. For a team trying to sort out its identity heading into a marquee matchup, the bigger question now is whether this kind of all-around production can hold up when the competition level rises again. [Read more 🡒]
BYU's Playoff Path Suddenly Runs Through One Massive Test
With Week 6 arriving, the playoff picture is already starting to take shape, and BYU is firmly tied to it through the kind of test that can redefine a season. The Cougars have played well enough to stay in the conversation, but the next stretch will tell the real story as college footballs biggest conferences keep sorting out contenders and pretenders around them.
This is the part of the calendar when every result seems to carry extra weight, especially for a BYU team watching the wider race while trying to protect its own spot in the mix. The preview of the weekend slate points to injury questions, high-profile matchups and shifting expectations across the SEC, Big Ten and beyond, but for BYU the focus is narrower now: one massive challenge looms, and everything about the playoff path suddenly runs through it. [Read more 🡒]