Full Breakdown
BYU Cougars Rebuild Roster for 2025-26 Season
4/26/2026, 1:16:53 PM
Background & Context
After the 2024-25 season, BYU’s men’s basketball program saw twelve players depart, prompting head coach Kevin Young to launch a roster rebuild aimed at fielding a competitive squad for 2025-26.
Roster Composition & Statistics
Only five veterans—Robert Wright, Khadim Mboup, Dawson Baker, Nate Pickens, and Brody Kozlowski—remain. The team added three high-rated freshmen (Bruce Branch, Dean Rueckert, Brooks Bahr) and four transfers (Collin Chandler, Tyler Betsey, Jake Wahlin, DSA-exempt Adam Stewart). With Stewart excluded from the 15-player cap, eleven roster spots are filled, leaving four open.
Key Figures & Groups
Coach Young oversees the rebuild, relying on Wright and Mboup for backcourt stability. Freshmen Branch, Rueckert, and Bahr bring elite shooting. Transfer Chandler adds experience, while Stewart provides size at center under the DSA exemption.
Official Statements & Responses
BYU’s athletic department says the priority is to add frontcourt size and guard depth to offset backcourt injuries and the loss of key contributors. The DSA status of Stewart is cited as a roster-flexibility tool while the staff evaluates remaining options.
Targeted Prospects to Fill Remaining Spots
Frontcourt targets include five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr., a top-2027 prospect who may reclassify to 2026 and is visiting BYU, and 7-foot-3-inch Italian Luigi Suigo, a 2026 NBA-draft entrant playing in Serbia. Transfer center Aly Tounkara of Arkansas State offers rim protection. In the backcourt, three-point specialist Ethan Copeland of Stetson and JUCO standout Derrick Rivers are being pursued for shooting and depth.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Ekezie’s reclassification and Suigo’s draft-withdrawal decisions remain pending, leaving the final roster composition uncertain.
Why It Matters / Impact
Adding interior size and reliable three-point shooting addresses the roster holes created by injuries and departures, giving BYU a more balanced lineup for the upcoming season. The DSA exemption illustrates how recent NCAA policy changes can provide roster-building flexibility.
What’s Next
BYU will host Ekezie’s campus visit, track Suigo’s June 13 draft-withdrawal deadline, and seek to secure the remaining commitments before the season’s roster deadline.
Verbatim Quotes
"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." — Rising Ballers Network, Twitter
"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." — Ersin Demir, Twitter
"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." — Sports Illustrated
"Now he is starting his visit at BYU today (Saturday), sources told BYU On SI." — Sources, Sports Illustrated
