Utah basketball adds Spanish guard to 2025-26 roster

Runnin' Utes add backcourt depth ahead of Big 12 play

Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen and his program added Spanish guard Lucas Langarita to their roster. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Alex Jensen and the Utah men's basketball program received an early Christmas gift Wednesday with the addition of Spanish guard Lucas Langarita to the 2025-26 roster.

Langarita, a 6-foot-5 prospect with experience playing in Spain's top professional league, Liga ACB, will join the Runnin' Utes immediately, according to a statement from his professional club team, Casademont Zaragoza.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old was one of the top scorers in the FIBA U20 Eurobasket tournament over the summer, putting up 17.1 points while collecting 3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1 steal per game for a Spanish team that finished No. 8 in the final standings. Langarita showcased an ability to score from multiple areas on the floor, as he averaged 2.3 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 41.5% from 2-point range.

Outside of his national team duties, Langarita went toe-to-toe with players much older than him in some of the most competitive leagues Europe has to offer, starting when he was 15 with Zaragoza U18 in the Istanbul league.

When he was 17, Langarita split time between Zaragoza's youth team and the main squad, Casademont Zaragoza, a professional club based in Zaragoza, Spain. Utah assistant Martin Schiller was the head coach of that team during the 2022-23 season. Langarita suited up in six games and averaged 5.2 minutes of playing time in those appearances.

This past season, Langarita averaged 16.3 points, 3.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds across nine games with the Casademont Zaragoza Liga U team.

Langarita is part of a wave of European players who've made a move to the States to take advantage of the opportunities U.S. college basketball can provide through playing time and NIL earnings. Sean Pouedet, a native of Belgium, recently signed with Dayton and is expected to make his debut soon. Nikola Dzepina, a Serbian forward who signed with Washington, scored five points in his first collegiate action Dec. 13 against Southern Utah.

For the Runnin' Utes, they'll look to incorporate Langarita and his versatile skillset into a backcourt rotation that features Terrence Brown, Don McHenry, Jacob Patrick and Obomate Abbey.

"It's a complicated moment for me, and I didn't think it would come so soon," Langarita said. "I came to this club practically as a child, with a lot of enthusiasm and many dreams to fulfill, and I left becoming a player and, above all, a much more mature person."

"I leave deeply grateful and proud to have worn this shirt for so many years. Who knows if one day our paths will come together again and we can have the opportunity to enjoy basketball again here in my house, my city."

The Runnin' Utes conclude nonconference play in Seattle for a matchup against Washington on Dec. 29 before opening Big 12 play Jan. 3 against Arizona.