An Updated Look at BYU's Basketball Roster Next Season

Three scholarship players have entered the transfer portal in the last few days

It's been a busy couple of days for the BYU basketball program as the Cougars have seen Caleb Lohner, Gideon George, and Gavin Baxter enter the transfer portal. Coming off a 2022 season in which BYU narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament, head coach Mark Pope and his staff are eager to improve the Cougars' roster in preparation for next season. Most importantly, BYU is preparing for the future when it enters the Big 12 in 2023. Today, we take an updated look at the 2022-2023 BYU men's basketball roster.

BYU lost three seniors to graduation last year and since the end of last season, six players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Departing Players

These are the players that were on the roster last season, but will not be on the roster for the 2022-2023 season.

• Alex Barcello (Graduation)
• Te'Jon Lucas (Graduation)
• Richard Harward (Graduation)
• Gavin Baxter (Transfer Portal)
• Hunter Erickson (Transfer Portal)
• Jeremy DowDell (Transfer Portal)
• Nate Hansen (Transfer Portal)
• Gideon George (Transfer Portal/NBA Draft)
• Caleb Lohner (Transfer Portal)

A few weeks ago, Gideon George announced that he was declaring for the NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. This week he announced that he will return to college for one more season at another school and entered the transfer portal.

In addition, BYU's Caleb Lohner and Gavin Baxter announced their plans to enter the transfer portal as well.

Given the transfers out of the program, this gives BYU an extra five scholarships to work with next season.

Returning Players (Name, Position, Eligibility)

• Trey Stewart - Guard - SO
• Atiki Ally Atiki - Forward - SO
• Spencer Johnson - Guard - SR
• Trevin Knell - Guard - SR
• Seneca Knight - Combo - SR
• Paora Winitana - Guard - SO
• Fousseyni Traore - Forward - SO
• Casey Brown - Guard - SO

BYU has a core of young forwards that it can build around as it prepares for the Big 12 in Fousseyni Traore and Atiki Ally Atiki. BYU only has one young scholarship guard returning next season in Trey Stewart. Stewart appeared in 11 games last season for the Cougars.

For those that watched BYU last season, one glaring weakness stands out from this group: scoring. If BYU wants to have a chance to make the tournament next year and succeed in the Big 12 in 2023, it desperately needs to add players that can score. That will be the focus of the coaching staff as it recruits the transfer portal this offseason.

2022 Recruiting Class (Name, Position)

• NA

BYU signed Farmington guard Collin Chandler earlier this year. That was a major recruiting win for the program, but it won't help the Cougars next season. Chandler will serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to enrolling at BYU.

2022 Transfers (Name, Position, Eligibility)

• NA

As long as Mark Pope is the head coach at BYU, the transfer portal will be an important part of the program. BYU's coaching staff has contacted dozens of players in the transfer portal over the last several months. Nobody has committed to the Cougars yet, but that will change in the coming months.

2022 Returned Missionaries (Name, Position, Eligibility)

• Dallin Hall - Guard - FR
• Richie Saunders - Guard - FR
• Tanner Toolson - Guard - FR

Coach Pope's first recruiting class is finally returning home from the mission field. Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, and Tanner Toolson committed to BYU over Power Six schools before serving their missions.

Time will tell how prepared these three players will be to take on meaningful roles as freshman. In football, freshman returned missionaries are typically limited due to injury risk. In basketball, the returned missionaries have a few more months to prepare their bodies for the season.

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