BYU Basketball Recruiting Notebook: Transfer Portal Closed, Roster Needs Clear

Big man is clearly the biggest need. I expect BYU to add one more expensive player and for that guy to be a big. I went into detail about 7-foot-3 Italian big man Luigi Suigo last week, and he is still a top target for the Cougs. Suigo is a NBA caliber big man who is considering entering the NBA Draft. BYU would like him, but they can’t sit around forever for him to make his decision. If BYU waits potentially weeks for him to make his decision and he enters the draft, then BYU could miss out on other prospects.

BYU is in on several other starting-caliber bigs while Suigo makes his decision. BYU is talking to other multiple international players and players in the transfer portal. Two players I’m watching in the portal are Georgetown transfer Julius Halaifonua and Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke.

Julius Halaifonua, Georgetown

Halaifonua was a late addition to the portal. The New Zealand native is listed at 7-feet, 260 pounds and is a skilled big man at his size. Julius started 28 games for the Hoyas and averaged 19.8 minutes. As a sophomore this past season, he averaged 9.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks on 61% shooting from the floor, 75% from the foul line, and shot 6-22 (27%) from three.

Halaifonua is a skilled big man who has great touch around the basket with both hands and can score in the paint or on jump shots. He’s shown he can contribute at the high major level and would immediately step in as BYU’s starting center. He shot just 6-22 from three, but he has the ability to expand his three-point game and make that a bigger part of his arsenal. He would pair well with Rob Wright since he is more than just a lob guy and could operate him in PNR situations and stretch the floor some.

You can watch some highlights here. Industry sources tell me BYU got involved as soon as he hit the portal and is one of the schools to watch. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Anton Bonke, Charlotte

BYU recruited Bonke out of JUCO when Mark Pope was head coach. After a season at Providence, the 7-foot-2, 270 pounds big man went to Charlotte this year where he averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. Bonke is a big body in a space where big men are valued at a premium. Lots of schools are involved with Bonke, and BYU is one of them. Bonke would give BYU legitimate size inside.

Between the two players, I prefer Halaifonua. Halaifonua has shown he can produce at the high major level and has more tools to score. Either player would be BYU’s starting center.

Suigo is still in play and is a player I am still definitely monitoring. All these guys are expensive, so BYU would only get one and then get a cheaper player as the backup five.

The market for big men is crowded and EXPENSIVE. Lots of teams still need starting fives and there are only so many starting-caliber high major bigs out there. BYU will have to pay up to get their starter, and I expect that they will, whether that is Suigo, Halaifonua, Bonke, or someone else from the international ranks.

Other Positions

BYU has Rob Wright and Collin Chandler locked in as the starting backcourt. Nate Pickens, Dawson Baker, and Brooks Bahr are all the backup guards and all three have questions. Pickens missed all of last season after ankle injury, but he is the safest bet to contribute. His injury wasn’t major and he has three years of experience at the D1 level. Pickens can play either guard spot, hit shots, and defend. He’ll be a contributor. I was really high on Bahr out of high school. He is a big 6-foot-4 point guard who reminds me in a lot of ways of Dallin Hall. It will be tough for him to crack the rotation right off his mission, but if he acclimates quickly he could get minutes. Dawson Baker is a wildcard. Anything BYU gets from Dawson is a bonus. He is coming off a major knee injury and foot issues before that. He’ll provide leadership as a 7th-year senior, and if he can crack the rotation and hit shots then that is a win for BYU.

With all those questions, I expect BYU so add one more guard. One potential name to watch is Stanford grad transfer Ryan Agarwal. Agarwal played his first two seasons at Stanford under current BYU assistant Brandon Dunson when he was an assistant there, so there is a long-standing relationship. Agarwal started 48 games for Stanford the past two seasons, and this season averaged 5.9 points and 4.1 rebound on 35% shooting from three. Listed at 6-foot-6, Agarwal is mostly a shooter but he showed the ability as a junior to play some point guard. Agarwal was forced into point guard duties due to injuries and averaged 2.1 assists and had a career high 8 assists in a game versus NC State. I haven’t heard that BYU is one of the top schools for him, but he’d provide experience off the bench as someone that can shoot, play hard, and handle the ball a bit at 6-foot-6.

Potential Starting Lineup

Seven months ahead of the season, this would be my guess as the starting lineup:

1 – Rob Wright

2 – Collin Chandler

3 – Bruce Branch

4 – Jake Wahlin

5 – Big TBD

The 1-3 spots are locked in. I think Jake Wahlin gets the first crack as the starting 4. He has over 50 games of starting experience in the Big 12 and ACC, and at 6-foot-10 gives floor spacing and rebounding. Jake is an experienced player and would be solid in that spot. Khadim Mboup is a wild card. He will play, and if he can get a semblance of a jump shot then he could push for starting minutes. Tyler Betsey and Brody Kozlowski also fill factor into that four spot and can also play on the wing.

BYU should have more depth than last and has the makings of a preseason top 20 team.