Back on July 21, BYU finally got a big man when Polish forward/center Jakub Urbaniak committed to BYU. BYU hasn’t announced the signing, but things seem to be moving in the right direction. Jakub’s Pro Club announced last Thursday they have to a buyout of his contract.
Jakub will compete to start at the four or five spot, depending on who BYU brings in to fill out the roster. While Urbaniak isn’t the prototypical 7-footer fans were clamoring four (he is 6-foot-9), he is a Big 12 caliber front court player and brings a high motor, rebounding tenacity, some offensive skill, and the ability to switch and guard on the defensive end. Arman Jovic is a European Scout and gave the below breakdown of Urbaniak. One of Urbaniak’s best qualities is that he can make an impact with low usage rate.
Assuming Urbaniak makes his way to campus, BYU has two roster spots to fill. The bomb that dropped Friday in the US District court of Colorado granted class-wide preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to declare eligible all HS class of 2022 athletes eligible. That essentially means that all four-year players, across all sports, who lost their eligibility are now eligible to play this next season. The NCAA can and still likely will appeal this, but the court decisions have not been going in their favor.
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Many coaches around the country have been actively recruiting graduated seniors over the past couple weeks with the expectation that they will be eligible. There is still the risk for players and schools the NCAA will get federal courts to overturn the rulings, but for now many schools are full steam ahead in recruiting the impacted players.
Even with the influx of players, there is still questions schools need to answer outside of the uncertainty if the NCAA’s appeal will be successful. How much money do schools have left? Many schools have exhausted most of their budgets. How many roster spots to schools have left? Will graduated players count against the 15-player limit, or will they get an exemption? Is it worth adding a one-year player this late and potentially disrupting team chemistry and displacing other players? Lots to consider, and the money one if the most practical and relevant out of all of them.
The impact for BYU is that they could get an absolute gift and add a starting-caliber big man late in the offseason. Guys like Keba Keita, Jaxon Kohler, and others are suddenly options. Below are some some of my thoughts based on intel I’m receiving and my opinions.
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
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Jaxon Kohler is particularly relevant to BYU. The American Fork, Utah native is LDS and was one of the best big men in the Big 10 last year. Kohler spent all four seasons at Michigan State, going from bench player his first two seasons to starting 69 games his last two seasons for Tom Izzo. Kohler went from a back-to-basket big man his first two year two a stretch big his last season. As a senior, Kohler averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and shot 39% from three and and 87% from the FT line. Kohler was 0-5 combined his first two seasons from three, and as a senior shot 58-139. Kohler has great footwork in the paint, can shoot the three ball, and is a great rebounder. Listed at 6-foot-10 by Michigan State, Kohler primarily played the four in Michigan State’s big lineup but would primarily play the five at BYU.
Kohler is one of the top graduated players available. Had he entered the transfer portal back in April, he would be a top 10 transfer this cycle. If he would have entered the portal then, he would have been the most impactful player big man BYU could have realistically landed. Just look at what Kohler did when Michigan State played at Michigan, the national champion with three lottery big men in their frontcourt. Kohler scored 23 points and grabbed 8 boards on 10-13 shooting from the floor and 2-4 from three. He led the Spartans in points and rebounds against the vaunted Wolverine front line. Kohler had 12 double doubles last season and was top 5 in the Big 10 and offensive and defensive rebound percentage.
BYU has been in pursuit of Kohler. Sources tell me that BYU and Kevin Young had a Zoom call with Jaxon on Thursday, showcasing how they would feature and use him in their scheme. I’m told the call went very well and BYU made a big impression on Jaxon. BYU has a lot of things going in their favor, but also some stiff competition. Multiple people have told me there is a real draw for Jaxon to come home for his final season and play close to family and friends. BYU gives him runway to a big role and a chance to feature different parts of his game with the spacing BYU can provide.
This isn’t a done deal by any means, however. Schools like Kansas and Kentucky are in pursuit of Jaxon. Two sources have told me that Kansas and Bill Self in particular have made a strong push for Jaxon the last few days. Bill Self has a need in the frontcourt and a long track record of developing big men.
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The other question is money — can BYU be in the ballpark? I don’t think BYU will need to be the highest bidder for Jaxon, but there can’t be a massive chasm between them and other schools. BYU has used up most of its revenue share, and BYU as an institution is cautious about large NIL, non revenue-sharing deals that could be challenged by the clearinghouse. Other schools aren’t as cautious and are fine with their boosters writing massive checks.
We could find out in the next week or two. Jaxon would take BYU from a fringe top 25 type team to a team that would be close to the top 15 range. Jaxon would be one of the top 3 or so big men in the Big 12. I would have questions about BYU’s defense. Jaxon isn’t a shot blocker, and BYU would have deficiencies there. Jaxon played under Tom Izzo for four years, however, and you don’t stick around under Izzo if you don’t play your tail off on defense. Offensively, BYU would be one of the top offenses in the country with high-level spacing and a big man who could post up, shoot outside, and rebound. No one available would raise BYU’s ceiling more than Jaxon Kohler.
Keba Keita
As a class of 2022 player, Keba would be eligible under the new ruling. And he would certainly be cheaper than Kohler. Keita wouldn’t have the same impact of as Jaxon, but you could do a lot worse than running it back with Keba as your starting center. Keba would give BYU additional continuity as a third-year starter and someone who could plug right in. Adding Keba this late in offseason would be a gift for BYU compared to what else they could add. Up to this point, Keba hasn’t been included in any injunctions going for a fifth year nor has he stated if he intends to come back to college basketball.
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And don’t hold your breath on adding Keba AND Kohler. I don’t see a scenario of that happening.
Other Bigs
There are multiple other bigs available. And the good news for BYU and other schools is that could come at a discount compared to the portal prices for bigs earlier in the cycle. The supply catches up to the demand a little bit with the number of bigs out there, spots available, and money teams have to spend. Guys like Shawn Phillips, Duke Brennan, Micah Handlogten, Robbie Avila, and Cameron Fens are among the starting caliber bigs who are now eligible. All of those expect Avila have said they are pursuing another year of college.
Bottom line is if the court injunctions hold, BYU stands to be a big beneficiary and add a quality big late in the process.
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Dallin Hall
Dallin isn’t coming back to BYU. BYU doesn’t need a point guard to pay him close to what he would command in the open market.
David Okwera, Australia
Okwera had been one of BYU’s top international targets, but sources have told me that Okwera is unlikely to get NCAA clearance. Fortunately for BYU, they can turn their intention to fifth year guys.
Xu Xin, China
Xin was a target for schools like BYU, Ohio State and others, but he likely falls down the priority list with the influx of bigs suddenly available. The amount of money he could get likely goes way down, too.
