As BYU basketball prepares for its second year in the Big 12, if Dallin Hall is any indication, the team is just as excited as the fans are to get the ball rolling. Dallin Hall recently sat down with BYU Sports Nation to talk through the team’s development over the summer, the new faces in the gym, and the expectations around BYU hoops.

When he was asked to summarize his summer, Hall pointed to one theme: change. “Lots of change, you know, with coaches, team, new guys,” he said. “But a lot of fun, too. We’ve been trying to create a culture here at BYU where we compete at a super high level, and we love coming to work every day.”

The practices, Hall says, are very competitive. He emphasized the intensity that the coaching staff brings, which makes the gym a battlefield. Players are pushing each other to their limits. “We’ve got a lot of athleticism in the gym, it’s kind of crazy. We’re posting our own guys getting dunked on, but that’s just how it is,” Hall said, smiling. The competition hasn’t created big egos, though. Instead, it has brought the team closer, with everyone focused on improving and contributing to the greater good.

A big influence on this competitive culture is the NBA experience brought by the coaching staff. Hall has been impressed by their ability to help players develop on an individual level while also building chemistry as a team. While he’s never played in the NBA, Hall says the coaches have created an environment to help players reach their goals: “The coaches really care about our dreams of playing at the next level, and they have the experience to back it up.”

As the team prepares for the upcoming season, Hall sees the attention the team is getting on a national level, which is a contrast from last year when their success was more of a pleasant surprise. “The energy people bring when we run into them is so exciting. But ultimately, we understand that the hype doesn’t control our fate. We do.”

Hall was quick to point out that the Cougars will play Utah twice this season and winced as he remembered last year’s painful loss to the Utes. The team is also looking forward to taking care of business against Kansas at home. “It’s going to be a dogfight every night,” Hall said. “I’m just excited to get out there in front of The ROC and get the Marriott Center jumping a little bit.”

While there have been some noteworthy recruiting developments during the offseason, Hall also mentioned a couple of players flying under the radar, like Dawson Baker and Mawot Mag, who have impressed him with their scoring ability during summer workouts.

With BYU basketball on the rise, Hall’s optimism is contagious. The mix of talent, leadership, and a strong team culture makes this an exciting upcoming season for Cougar fans. And as Hall put it, they’re still putting the final pieces together, but when they do, it’s going to be something special.