Recruiting Notebook: How BYU Basketball Could Fill Its Final Roster Spots

It’s been nearly a month since BYU’s season came to an end, and the roster has undergone a massive overhaul.

Departures

Since the season ended, 12 players have left the program.

Outgoing Transfers

Kennard Davis
Dominique Diomande
Aleksej Kostic
Abdullah Ahmed
Xavion Staton
Tyler Mrus
KJ Perry

Exhausted Eligibility

Richie Saunders
Keba Keita
Mihailo Boskovic
Jared McGregor

NBA Draft

AJ Dybantsa (projected No.1 pick)

Returnees

That leaves just five returning players from this past season’s roster.

Robert Wright
Khadim Mboup
Dawson Baker
Nate Pickens
Brody Kozlowski

After initially entering the portal, Wright eventually withdrew and found his way back to Provo to remain as the starting point guard next season. Mboup was another key piece the Cougars retained. Though he is still developing, he has a ton of upside and has shown promising flashes so far.

The rest of the returning group has either seen limited action or has yet to feature at all in their BYU careers.

Baker has appeared in just 46 of a possible 105 games due to foot and knee injuries. He will be heading into his seventh season of college basketball. Pickens missed the entire season with an ankle injury and has yet to play a minute, while Kozlowski has played in only nine games in two years, also battling injuries.

Newcomers

BYU has already started to rebuild the roster with a mix of high school talent and transfers.

Incoming Freshmen

Bruce Branch (5-star)
Dean Rueckert (4-star)
Brooks Bahr (3-star)

Incoming Transfers

Collin Chandler (Kentucky)
Tyler Betsey (Syracuse)
Jake Wahlin (Clemson)
Adam Stewart (TCU)

What BYU Still Needs

The Cougars have done a nice job with their additions so far. They have brought in several players who can shoot the three and who have length, while also retaining some key pieces from last season’s roster.

That leaves BYU with 11 of its 15 roster spots currently filled. Adam Stewart does not count toward that limit after being classified as a Designated Student-Athlete (DSA) under the House v. NCAA settlement, giving Kevin Young added flexibility as he rounds out the roster.

With Stewart as the lone true center currently on the team, BYU is now focused on adding more size in the frontcourt. The staff is also expected to pursue another guard to provide depth, particularly given the injury history in the backcourt.

Key Targets to Watch

Obinna Ekezie Jr. (High School)

BYU remains heavily involved with five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr., who is currently the No.4 prospect in the 2027 class but is considering reclassifying to 2026.

Ekezie combines elite size, length, and athleticism with a skill set beyond his years. He's an elite lob threat and offensive rebounder who can also handle the ball and step out to the perimeter. Defensively, he's among the best rim protectors in his class, with the timing and discipline to challenge shots without fouling.

The Cougars have been recruiting him for over a year and are firmly in the mix alongside Arkansas, Michigan, and Louisville. Recent developments, however, could play in BYU’s favor.

With Louisville landing Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga and USC transfer Gabe Dynes, and with Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam committing to Michigan, Ekezie's recruitment appears to be trending towards BYU or Arkansas.

After previously taking visits to Kentucky, USC, and Maryland, he visited Arkansas and Louisville in the past week. Now he is starting his visit at BYU today (Saturday), sources told BYU On SI.

Ekezie has yet to decide whether he will officially reclassify, but if he does, BYU is in a very good spot. Should he decide to join the 2026 class, he could announce a commitment in the coming days.

You can watch some of his highlights below.

Luigi Suigo (International)

One of BYU’s top priorities is 7’3” Italian center Luigi Suigo, who currently plays for Mega Superbet in Serbia—a club known for developing NBA-level talent. This season, Suigo is averaging 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1 block per game against older competition in the ABA League.

His game centers on using his size and length to impact both ends of the floor. Defensively, he's a capable rim protector who limits angles in pick-and-roll coverage and excels at defending cutters in the paint. Offensively, he operates as a floor-spacing big with a developing three-point shot, strong offensive rebounding, and underrated playmaking ability.

Suigo recently declared for the 2026 NBA Draft but is also seriously considering playing college basketball. BYU has been recruiting him for over a year and has emerged as one of the favorites to land him — alongside Duke, Villanova, and Texas Tech — should he decide to withdraw.

The biggest question is timing. International players have until June 13 to withdraw from the draft, and BYU must decide whether it can afford to wait that long while filling out the roster. The 2026 NBA Draft Combine runs from May 10-17, so it's possible Suigo could make a decision on which path to take just after then.

You can watch his highlights below.

Aly Tounkara (Arkansas State)

Another big to monitor is Arkansas State transfer Aly Tounkara. BYU has been involved in his recruitment, along with Memphis, NC State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, and others.

In 18 minutes per game, Tounkara averaged 4.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1 block. He grades well in a few different defensive metrics: 2.5 DRAPM (93rd percentile), 6.6% block rate (87th percentile), and 19.8% defensive rebound rate (83rd percentile)

Tounkara would give BYU needed size, rim protection, energy, and physicality in the frontcourt. Should he decide to come to Provo, the 7-footer would likely come off the bench as a backup center.

You can watch his highlights below.

7’0 C Aly Tounkara (@Bigg_aly13) is developing into a BIG interior presence for Arkansas State. He was quietly an excellent rebounder and
recorded 6 games with 10+ rebounds this season.

• 4.3 PPG
• 5.5 RPG
• 1.0 BPG
• 62.9% FG

A big physical athlete! Tounkara controls the… pic.twitter.com/vfvtSn4vs4
— Workin It Hoops (@workinithoops) March 30, 2026

Ethan Copeland (Stetson)

One guard to keep an eye on is Ethan Copeland. The Stetson transfer is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was one of the best three-point shooters in the country last season.

Copeland averaged 15 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game and shot a blistering 43% from three. He was 21st in the country in three-pointers made last season, going 109/254 from deep. He was one of just 17 players who made at least 100 threes and shot at least 40%.

BYU has been in contact with Copeland and he could be a candidate to add more shooting and backcourt depth for the Cougars.

You can watch his highlights below.

Stetson guard Ethan Copeland (@EthanCope412) will enter the transfer portal after a big year averaging 15.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 44.1% FG, 42.9% 3FG.

Had 9 games with 20+ points.pic.twitter.com/YRjrE5nK1D
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) March 17, 2026

Derrick Rivers (JUCO)

BYU has also shown some interest in Derrick Rivers, a crafty 6'0" guard who has spent the past two seasons playing for Dodge City Community College.

This past season, Rivers averaged 21 points, 3.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds and received NJCAA D1 All-American honors. He is a career 33% three-point shooter and shoots an impressive 86% from the free throw line on over 350 attempts.

You can watch his highlights below.

Derrick Rivers (Dodge City CC/ 6'0"/ SO/ 3.2 GPA)

#39 on my JUCO Files Top 40
#54 on @JucoRecruiting Top 100

Excellent floor-general. Super-physical defender and a automatic paint touch. His game is all about exploiting angles. Clear starter for MM/LM+ D1 teams. pic.twitter.com/hOcoW6NxGc
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) April 19, 2026

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