Former BYU Guard Aleksej Kostic Lands at Northwestern

Aleksej Kostic found a new landing spot in the Big Ten

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars guard Aleksej Kostic (6) reacts after a basket in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Former BYU guard Aleksej Kostic has found a new home in the Big Ten. On Friday, Kostic committed to Northwestern. The Austrian native spent just one year at BYU, so he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Kostic's role grew as the season progressed, especially following the injury to Richie Saunders. Kostic was inserted in to the starting lineup down the closing stretch of the season. He started the final five games of the season, including BYU's NCAA Tournament game against Texas

He averaged 4.4 points per game in 12.0 minutes per game. Most notably, he was one of the better three-point shooters on the roster at 36.7%. The departure of Kostic is less about the production he had last season and more about what his production could have been. He had the potential to be a knockdown shooter in the future in Provo. Kostic will need to improve on the defensive end if he hopes to play more minutes at Northwestern, but he has flashed the offensive upside to carve out a role for himself.

Without Kostic in the fold, Kevin Young has turned to the transfer portal to bring in more shooting. The Cougars added both Collin Chandler and Tyler Betsey to the roster who were two of the best three-point shooters in the Power Five ranks during conference play.

Other BYU Transfers That Have Found New Homes

Dominique Diomande - Pitt

Dominique Diomande committed to the Pittsburgh Panthers shortly after entering the transfer portal. Pitt will be Diomande's third school in as many years since coming to the US to play college basketball. Diomande started his career at Washington before transferring to BYU.

Diomande played a reserve role for BYU in 2025-2026. He appeared in 24 games, averaging 7.2 minutes per game, 1.9 points per game, and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Xavion Staton - Oregon State

Xavion State was a top 50 recruit when he signed with BYU and one of the top centers in his class. Staton wasn't ready to be BYU's starting center next season, but he could have been on the roster as a backup. Staton entered the portal after one season in Provo with a "Do Not Contact" tag, meaning he had a destination in mind before entering the portal.

The destination? Oregon State. The Beavers recently hired Michigan assistant Justin Joyner to be their new head coach. Joyner recruited Staton out of high school and Michigan was one of Staton's finalists. Staton will reunite with Joyner in Corvallis.