Boise State makes final cut for prolific transfer portal scoring guard

The Boise State men’s basketball team has already secured one transfer portal point guard in North Dakota State’s Damari Wheeler-Thomas, and head coach Leon Rice and staff are finalists for another.

Lazerek Houston, a Division II second-team All-American last season while playing for Central Missouri, has reportedly trimmed his recruiting list to Boise State and Washington State.

The 6-foot guard averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 assists and four rebounds while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc in his lone season with Central Missouri. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Houston, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Year, helped lead the Mules to the program’s first NCAA-II Tournament appearance since 2015.

The Broncos have succeeded with lower-division transfers in recent years. Javan Buchanan, who spent his first two college seasons with NAIA Indiana Wesleyan, appeared in 68 career games for the Broncos and averaged 11 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Houston would likely be the backup point guard next season as the Broncos transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.

Wheeler-Thomas, who is also listed at 6-feet, averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season at North Dakota State. He made 38 percent of his three-pointers.

A three-year starter for the Bison, Wheeler-Thomas has one year of eligibility remaining.

Boise State announced the return of two more players on Thursday: Guards Noah Bendinger and Rayzhon Bergersen.

The 6-foot-4 Bendinger redshirted last season after starring for Utah’s Corner Canyon High School. He averaged 23.2 points, four rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals during his final season at the high school level.

The 6-foot-2 Bergersen appeared in six games during the 2025-26 campaign after transferring to Boise State from Division II Northwest Nazarene. Bergersen has one year of eligibility remaining.

Boise State’s top two freshmen from last year—forward Spencer Ahrens and point guard Aginaldo Neto—have yet to announce their plans for next season.

The 6-foot-10 Ahrens, a former four-star recruit, appeared in all 32 games off the bench as a true freshman and averaged 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 36 percent on three-pointers.

The 6-foot-3 Neto also played in 32 games and put up 4.3 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds.

The Broncos are up to six returning players off last year’s roster: Guard Julian Bowie, forward Bhan Buom, wing Pearson Carmichael, forward Ethan Lathan, Bendinger and Bergersen.

Boise State must replace all five starters from last year’s team that finished 20-12 overall and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.