Way-Too-Early Look At BYU Basketball Roster For 2021-22 Season
Mar 21, 2021, 11:42 AM | Updated: Apr 14, 2021, 1:34 pm
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Caleb Lohner #33 of the Brigham Young Cougars is guarded by Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs defeated the Cougars 88-78. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – It’s never too early to get a look at next year’s BYU basketball roster, right? Well, it might be a touch early with the era of dynamic rosters that college basketball teams experience these days.
But it’s worth taking a look at what BYU basketball has in store for the 2021-22 season.
At the end of the month of March, BYU has seen four players from the most recent year’s roster enter the Transfer Portal in Connor Harding, Kolby Lee, Wyatt Lowell, and Jesse Wade.
BYU Basketball Roster 2021-22: Returning personnel with eligibility remaining
Listed in alphabetical order
Gavin Baxter, Forward
Hunter Erickson, Guard
Gideon George, Forward
Richard Harward, Center
Spencer Johnson, Guard
Trevin Knell, Guard
Caleb Lohner, Forward
Cameron Pearson, Guard
Brandon Warr, Guard
*****
Pepperdine's Lorenzo Romar on #BYU's Caleb Lohner: "To me, he is one of the best freshmen in the country. He's really good."#BYUHoops @kslsports
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 7, 2021
BYU will return two starters from its final starting five in Caleb Lohner and Gideon George. Lohner showed flashes of brilliance in his first season at BYU and is likely going to be the star of the program next year depending on the status of BYU’s three seniors. He was named to the All-WCC Freshman team in his first year with the Cougars.
Gideon George became one of the top stories in college basketball this year with his service for his home country of Nigeria.
Trevin Knell is viewed as one of the best shooters in the program. He had a team-high 20 points off the bench in a loss to No. 1 Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament Championship Game.
Gavin Baxter will return from a season-ending ACL injury suffered last November. Wyatt Lowell will also be working to recover this off-season after suffering an Achilles injury just months after coming back from a torn labrum.
What happens with the seniors?
Brandon Averette, Guard
Alex Barcello, Guard
Matt Haarms, Forward/Center
*****
#BYU big man Matt Haarms after loss to UCLA: "That was my college career."#BYUHoops #GoCougs https://t.co/jIZmlyTcUf
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 21, 2021
An interesting element of this college basketball off-season is the possibility for seniors to return. Matt Haarms has said on multiple occasions that his one year at BYU was his final season as a collegiate player. Brandon Averette and Alex Barcello haven’t made any public decisions.
Seniors that do move on from college basketball will have to submit their name into the NBA Draft early entry list this season due to the free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Returning Missionaries
Trey Stewart, American Fork High School
Jeremy DowDell, Olympus High School
Nate Hansen, Timpview High School
Casey Brown, Pleasant Grove High School
*****
Stewart follows Mark Pope and his staff from UVU to BYU. An explosive guard out of American Fork, Stewart was spreading the gospel while throwing down slam dunks during his mission. He is an intriguing prospect with a lot of upside.
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DowDell committed to Mark Pope as a preferred walk-on out of Olympus High School. A sharp-shooter from three, DowDell was a walking bucket during his prep career.
Nate Hansen signed with BYU when Dave Rose was the head coach. At Timpview, Hansen scored 1,167 points in his three years with the T-Birds.
Brown was a preferred walk-on commit to Rose’s staff.
Incoming freshmen to BYU Basketball roster
Fousseyni Traore, Wasatch Academy
Atiki Ally Atiki, London Basketball Academy (Canada)
*****
The paint enforcer. At 6’7” 224lbs, Fousseyni Traoré is a secret beast on the boards & an old school big. Classic basketball, Fouss gets it done. He has the perfect blend of size & finesse to embarrass players attempting & failing to guard him in the low post. Read more on Insta! pic.twitter.com/FOWzHLtX1t
— Wasatch Academy Basketball (@WATigersBB) November 3, 2018
Fousseyni Traore signed with BYU last November. Mark Pope’s staff recruited Traore for over a year before landing his letter of intent this past fall. A versatile 6-foot-7 forward at Wasatch Academy, Traore is averaging 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds on one of the nation’s top prep programs.
Atiki Ally Atiki is expected to sign with BYU in April. A native of Tanzania, Atiki picked BYU over an offer from Lon Kruger and Oklahoma. He’s currently at a prep academy in Canada.
Excited to announce that 6’11 F Atiki Ally Atiki of @lbahoops has committed to @BYUbasketball – From Mwanza Tanzania originally, Atiki has spent the last two years playing for Coach Provenzano in London Ontario Canada. Has been quite the journey for the young man. pic.twitter.com/vmN5Ow9o5K
— JUCOadvocate (@JUCOadvocate) February 16, 2021
Players leaving for missions
Townsend Tripple, Guard
Jake Wahlin, Timpview High School
*****
Called to serve in the Baltic Mission speaking Lithuanian!! Mission includes Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus and Estonia. So excited for this opportunity Heavenly Father has given me! 🇱🇹🇱🇻🇧🇾🇪🇪 pic.twitter.com/Q0DPFjDkCv
— jwall (@WahlinJake) February 24, 2021
Townsend Tripple was part of the program this past season. He battled injuries from training camp throughout the year. Jake Wahlin was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee out west for his play at Timpview High School. Wahlin will be serving in Lithuania.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
