Month: May 2026

The identity of the 2026-27 Utah men’s basketball team has come into greater focus over the past few weeks as Alex Jensen and his staff have retooled the roster through the transfer portal and international recruiting trails.

The Runnin’ Utes likely aren’t done making moves yet, though for now, they’re set to welcome 12 newcomers to their ranks while bringing back two returners from last season’s 10-22 squad. That leaves one roster spot open for potentially one last portal acquisition before Utah puts a bow on its offseason and moves ahead with preparations for next season.

Until then, let’s take a look at the Utes’ potential depth chart at each position.

Point Guard

1. TJ Burch (Starter)

• 2025-26 stats at Wright State: 12.4 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.6 spg and 2.4 rpg in 34 games; shot 45.7% from the field, 34.7% from 3 and 73.3% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: We’re predicting Burch gets the starting nod at point guard due to his Division I experience (55 games, 23 starts) and his defensive prowess — the latter of which Utah sorely lacked in its backcourt this past season.

2. Noam Yaacov

• 2025-26 stats with Filou Oostende (Belgium): 18 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4 rpg in 28 games; shooting 49.5% from the field, 40.2% from 3 and 78% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Yaacov could claim the starting point guard before conference play begins; his decision-making and scoring touch make him Utah’s most NBA-ready guard. Either way, his playmaking is a welcomed addition given Utah averaged just 13.7 assists per game (No. 192 in the country) last season.

3. Styles Clemmons

• 2025-26 stats with Overtime Elite: 5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 3.1 apg in 16 games; shot 32.4% from the field, 26.7% from the 3 and 78.9% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Clemmons is a superb athlete who’s ranked by 247Sports as a three-star prospect and the No. 27 point guard recruit in the 2026 class. He spent the past two seasons in the Overtime Elite league.

Shooting Guard

1. Taison Chatman (Starter)

• 2025-26 stats at Ohio State: 4.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.8 apg in 28 games; shot 46% from the field, 47.1% from 3 and 85% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Chatman is a former four-star recruit who’s dealt with injuries throughout his collegiate career. Given the right opportunities, he could thrive in an off-ball role as a score-first guard who spreads the floor and hunts for his shot.

2. Lucas Langarita

• 2025-26 stats: 2.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.6 apg in five games; shot 45.5% from the field and 42.9% from 3
• Analysis: The 21-year-old Langarita still has room to grow in the playmaking department, though with more repetitions and experience at the Division I level, he could turn into a solid contributor for the Utes.

3. David Katoa

• Recruiting: Three-star and No. 43 shooting guard in 2024 class from Utah’s Layton High School (served two-year mission trip after graduating)
• Analysis: Katoa arrives to Utah two years removed from his senior year at Layton High School, where he averaged 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals as a senior. His time to shine at the college level could come in due time, though it might not be as a freshman.

4. Simeon Suguturaga

• Recruiting: Unranked 2026 recruit from Utah’s Orem High School
• Analysis: The 6-foot-4 Suguturaga could turn into a nice player down the line, but given the experienced players ahead of him on the depth chart, there’s a good chance he doesn’t see the floor right away.

Small Forward

1. Jackson Holcombe (Starter)

• 2025-26 stats at Utah Valley: 16 ppg, 7 rpg, 3.6 apg in 34 games; shot 53% from the field, 16.2% from 3 and 68.2% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Holcombe’s length, dribble penetration and defensive intensity are big additions to Utah’s perimeter depth. He doesn’t exactly spread the floor, but he does provide some playmaking and has a few 3-point shooters surrounding him in the Utes’ backcourt.

2. Alec Anigbata

• 2025-26 stats with OrangeAcademy (Germany): 5.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.6 apg in 25 games; shot 45.7% from the field, 40% from 3 and 66.7% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Anigbata is a skilled scorer who can create his own opportunities by moving without the ball and creating space off the dribble in the midrange areas. His height at 6-foot-8 also gives the Utes more length.

3. Jaxon Johnson

• Recruiting: Four-star and No. 22 power forward in 2024 class from Utah’s Alta High School (served two-year mission trip after graduating)
• Analysis: Johnson was listed as a power forward in his recruiting profile, though his ability to knock down shots from behind the arc and play on the perimeter make him a candidate to play more of a wing position with the Utes. However, his playing time could be limited as a freshman with Holcombe and Anigbata ahead of him on the depth chart.

Power Forward

1. Babacar Faye (Starter)

• 2024-25 stats at Western Kentucky (missed 2025-26 due to injury): 15.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 spg in 10 games; shot 53.7% from the field, 38.5% from 3 and 80.4% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Faye’s presence was sorely missed this past season. Assuming he’s fully healthy, his length should help the Utes on both ends of the floor in 2026-27.

2. Zati Loubaki

• 2025-26 stats at Trinity Valley Community College: 11.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.4 apg in 33 games; shot 52% from the field, 42.5% from 3 and 77% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Loubaki’s athleticism at 6-foot-9 gives the Utes some lineup flexibility, if they chose to slot him at the “3” instead of the “4” behind Faye. That 42.5% 3-point clip is a bit deceiving though, considering he attempted 0.8 3s per game last season.

Center

1. Fynn Schott (Starter)

• 2025-26 stats with Hestia Menorca (Spain): 2.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.7 apg in 25 games; shot 59% from the field and 37.9% at the free-throw line
• Analysis: The Utes didn’t have much of a low post scorer last season and had to rely on their guards to do the heavy lifting on offense. Schott, a 6-foot-10 forward from Austria, should give Utah a scoring option on the low block.

2. Malek Gomma

• 2025-26 stats at Weber State: 8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 apg in 32 games; shot 53.6% from the field, 40% from 3 and 47% from the free-throw line
• Analysis: Gomma’s a bruiser in the paint, even if his height at 6-foot-8 doesn’t scream “true center” build.

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For the first four innings Thursday night against Utah, BYU couldn’t muster any offensive momentum.

The Cougars weren’t without opportunities, having put seven men on base, but they only managed to get one run out of the early traffic, repeatedly fading with runners in scoring position. Anything that could have become a spark was quickly extinguished.

In the bottom of the fifth, BYU trailed by two runs and had runners at the corners. The Cougars had already stranded two men on three separate occasions, so when Bryker Hurdsman had two strikes against him in a two-out at bat, there was fair reason to believe a fourth such disappointment was imminent.

But Hurdsman wouldn’t be the one to make that third out — it took the Utes another five batters after him to finally escape the frame, at which point BYU had scored five runs to pull ahead with a comfortable cushion.

The Cougars never looked back following their fifth inning breakthrough, as they held on to capture a 6-4 victory in Provo to open the 3-game rivalry series.

“I think we got unlucky early. We hit some balls hard and got caught, you know what I mean? I thought we had really good at-bats and got (Utah starting pitcher Colter McAnelly’s) pitch count up and maybe wore him down a little bit, so I liked our approach throughout, it was just a matter of time before we got a big hit,” BYU head coach Trent Pratt said postgame.

“We had guys on base every inning, and we just couldn’t come through the big hit, and then in that (fifth) inning, we were able to come through with a couple big hits and put a five on the board.”

Hurdsman kickstarted the two-out BYU rally with the first of three consecutive RBI singles, with Crew McChesney and Tualau Wolfgramm’s respective game-tying and go-ahead knocks each coming on the first pitch they saw.

Even after a Utah pitching change, Matt Hansen walked to load the bases, setting up a Ridge Erickson single to score two more runs and put BYU ahead by three.

The Cougars ended up batting around the order in the fifth — Luke Anderson led off the inning with a single, scored on Hurdsman’s hit and then made the third out.

BYU’s 5 through 9 hitters in the lineup, previously hitless on the night, were the ones to flip the ballgame, all doing so with two outs and exclusively through singles and walking.

“That’s where experience comes in. There’s really nothing they haven’t seen,” Pratt said of his lineup. “A lot of these kids have started for four years, so they don’t get rattled, they don’t get fazed.

“If we get down, they just keep playing, because they know we can strike fast. We have a chance to get back in any game.”

BYU starter Wayland Crane was less than electric on the mound — he allowed five hits, walked three Utah batters, plunked two others and only threw strikes on half of his pitches — but he battled through five innings to allow just one earned run, repeatedly playing Houdini to escape trouble and keep the cold Cougar bats in the ballgame.

With the bases loaded and one out in the third inning, Crane induced a badly-needed double play to keep the Utes off the scoreboard, which Pratt referred to as “the turning point of the game.”

“(Crane) was just gutsy,” Pratt said. “… He wasn’t sharp, but he found a way to just make pitches, and we played good defense behind him to get him out of some jams.”

Dan Brousseau relieved Crane for three innings of one-run ball with three punchouts, and Ashton Johnson tossed a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the season.

“Dan was awesome. He came in and just threw strikes,” Pratt said. “That’s the thing, when we got in trouble, it’s because we walk guys or hit guys. Then (Johnson) does what he always does, we know from the game, he’s gonna throw strikes.

“If someone’s gonna beat us, they have to get a bunch of hits.”

Utah’s seven hits — three for extra bases — proved insufficient, as the road team went 3 for 15 with runners on, including 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Daniel Arambula smacked a double, a solo home run and walked, Cal Miller got on base three times and Jet Gilliam logged two hits, but no other Utes reached safely more than once.

While six of his 14 recorded outs came via strikeout, McAnelly was charged for all six of BYU’s runs to take the loss, while Crane came away with his second career win.

BYU now moves to 23-21 on the year and 12-10 in Big 12 play, while the Utes fall to 21-19 and 9-13 against league foes.

The second game of the series will take place Friday at 6 p.m. in Provo.