Utah basketball officially announces the return of Babacar Faye
May 4, 2026, 5:33 PM | Updated: May 6, 2026, 9:42 am
Babacar Faye at practice in summer of 2025. Photo courtesy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah basketball’s rebuilt roster has now officially locked in another piece to next season’s roster.
The Runnin’ Utes announced Babacar Faye’s return with a graphic on social media, making official what had been long assumed. This is one of the more important roster pieces to the team’s construction, as some program’s are experiencing that big men have become increasingly difficult to land.
For a program that has spent the spring reshaping its roster through the portal, international additions and internal retention, Faye’s return gives Utah something it badly needed: an experienced frontcourt player with production, physical tools and familiarity with the program.
😎😎😎😎 pic.twitter.com/8L33LMzlW7
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) May 4, 2026
A valued frontcourt piece returns for Alex Jensen
Faye was considered the starter last year, before he suffered a season-ending injury just before the season tipped off. His return gives the Utes a promising frontcourt piece, and potentially one of the most important players on the roster if he is fully healthy.
Faye is listed on Utah’s 2026-27 roster as a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward from Dakar, Senegal, with previous stops at Western Kentucky and College of Charleston.
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Before arriving at Utah, Faye was in the middle of the best stretch of his college career at Western Kentucky. He started all 10 games he played during the 2024-25 season, averaged 15.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, shot better than 53 percent from the field and was productive before an injury ended his season early.
That production may not completely translate in the Big 12, but that version of Faye is exactly the kind of player Utah needs.
Why Babacar Faye fits Utah’s direction
Under Jensen, the Utes appear to be building toward a more spaced, modern offensive identity. That requires guards who can create, wings who can shoot and connect, and bigs who can screen, roll, rebound and finish without clogging the floor.
Faye fits into that equation as a physical frontcourt piece who can play near the rim, provide rebounding stability and give Utah a more mature presence inside. One element that adds a level of intrigue to his game is that he also shot 5-of-13 in those 10 games in 2024-25.
Faye’s path has already included meaningful production. At College of Charleston, he played in 34 of 35 games during the 2022-23 season, averaged 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, shot 52% from the field and helped the Cougars win the CAA Tournament championship and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Even though Faye did not see action last season, Jensen is returning a player they consider a starter-level player, still, Faye is a bit of a mystery. The 6-foot-9, 230-pounder possesses a 7’1” wingspan and an 8’11” standing reach, which is the sort of length Utah needed in the paint. He’s proven productive around the rim and has flashed some potential deep ball shooting. The obvious question is his health, and assuming he’s healthy, he seems to be the top option.
Health And Fit Become The Key Questions
If Faye returns to form, Utah’s frontcourt outlook changes considerably. He gives the Utes a potential starting-caliber big, a reliable rebounder and a player who can be used in ball-screen actions with guards such as Noam Yaacov, while also allowing Utah to maintain the kind of spacing Jensen appears to want offensively.
Utah has added talent this offseason, but keeping Faye gives the Utes continuity in a spot where continuity matters. Big men often define the floor of a team defensively and on the glass. They clean up mistakes, finish possessions and determine whether a team can survive physically in a league like the Big 12.
For Utah, Faye gives the program a better chance to do that.
The Bottom Line
If healthy, Faye gives the Runnin’ Utes a valuable interior presence, a legitimate rebounding option and a frontcourt player who fits the direction Jensen is trying to take the program.
Utah has the majority of it’s roster complete, and added depth to the frontcourt, but officially bringing Faye back gives the Utes a boost.
