Former four-star recruit Spencer Ahrens returning to Boise State, what it means for Broncos’ 2026-27 roster

The Boise State men’s basketball team’s 2026-27 season outlook received a significant boost on Monday.

Forward Spencer Ahrens, a former four-star prep recruit, will return to the Broncos for his sophomore season, Boise State announced in a statement.

been waiting for this one #BleedBlue x #UnbreakableCulture pic.twitter.com/k1jcbSe2Sv
— Boise State MBB (@BroncoSportsMBB) April 13, 2026

The 6-foot-10 Ahrens appeared in all 32 games off the bench for the Broncos last year, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13 minutes per game. Ahrens ranked among the team’s top shot-blockers with 11 and made 22 of 62 (36 percent) attempts from beyond the arc.

A native of Ontario, Canada, Ahrens attended Arizona’s Bella Vista Prep and was rated a four-star prospect and the No. 121 overall recruit for the class of 2025 by On3. Ahrens signed with the Broncos and head coach Leon Rice over reported offers from Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington, among numerous others.

Ahrens is ticketed for a much larger role next season as the Broncos must replace all five starters from the 2025-26 team that finished 20-12 overall and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Ahrens is the fifth player to announce his return to Boise State, joining guards Julian Bowie and Pearson Carmichael and forwards Bhan Buom and Ethan Lathan.

The 6-foot-7 Carmichael averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds as a sophomore and will likely slide into a starting role at shooting guard.

The 6-foot-3 Bowie stepped away from the team after eight games last season following the death of his father. Bowie is a strong outside shooter who could provide scoring punch off the bench.

Buom, a springy 6-foot-8 forward, made 22 appearances as a true freshman last year and put up 1.6 points and 0.5 rebounds in limited minutes.

The 6-foot-10 Lathan played in five games over his first two seasons with Boise State.

Sophomore-to-be point guard Aginaldo Neto has not announced his intentions for next season. The 6-foot-3 Neto appeared in all 32 games as a true freshman and averaged 4.3 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds.

Boise State has already secured one transfer portal roster piece for next season in North Dakota State point guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas.

The 6-foot Wheeler-Thomas was a three-year starter for the Bison who led the team in scoring as a junior. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists last year while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

North Dakota State captured the Summit League regular-season and tournament titles and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.