The BYU Cougars men’s basketball team is one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division I history. With over a century of experience and 27 conference championships, 3 tournament titles, and 2 NIT Tournament wins to their name, they are an elite program that continues to set records both on and off the court. The Cougars have competed in 29 NCAA tournaments since 1902 and currently compete in the West Coast Conference. In recent years, they have been among college basketball’s top teams with 11 consecutive 20-win seasons from 1999–2011 under legendary coach Dave Rose. Whether it be through powerful defense or exciting offense – including 15 All-American selections since 1948 – there is no doubt that this team has earned its place as one of America’s premier collegiate hoops programs.
1. Jimmer Fredette
Point guard
Career
- High school: Glens Falls (Glens Falls, New York)
- College: BYU (2007–2011)
- NBA draft 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
- Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
- Playing career: 2011–present
- 2011–2014: Sacramento Kings
- 2014: Chicago Bulls
- 2014–2015: New Orleans Pelicans
- 2015–2016: Westchester Knicks
- 2016: New York Knicks
- 2016–2019: Shanghai Sharks
- 2019: Phoenix Suns
- 2019–2020: Panathinaikos
- 2020–2021: Shanghai Sharks
- Greek League champion (2020), EuroLeague 50–40–90 club (2020), CBA International MVP (2017), 3× CBA All-Star (2017–2019), All-NBA D-League Second Team (2016), NBA D-League All-Star (2016), NBA D-League All-Star Game MVP (2016), Consensus National college player of the year (2011), Consensus first-team All-American (2011), Third-team All-American – NABC, TSN (2010), MWC Player of the Year (2011), Senior CLASS Award (2011), NCAA season scoring leader (2011)
Jimmer Fredette was born on February 25, 1989 in Glens Falls, New York. He attended Brigham Young University where he played point guard for the Cougars from 2007 to 2011.
Fredette was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and spent four seasons with Sacramento before joining Chicago as a free agent in 2014.
In 158 career games (119 starts), Fredette has averaged 12 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from behind the arc.
Jimmer is married to his wife Whitney and they have three children together- daughters Lila Rose (born 2016) and Addie Belle (born 2018) and son Jagger JackFredette Jr.(born 2020).
Jimmer Fredette was a highly decorated college player and one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. He impressed early in his career with stints with the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Westchester Knicks and New York Knicks.
Fredette played for three different teams during his time in the NBA but never really found success on a consistent basis. After spending two seasons overseas, he signed with the Phoenix Suns where is currently playing under new head coach Igor Kokoskov.
2. Danny Ainge
Shooting guard
Career
- High school: North Eugene (Eugene, Oregon)
- College: BYU (1977–1981)
- NBA draft 1981 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st overall
- Selected by the Boston Celtics
- Playing career: 1981–1995
- Position: Shooting guard
- Number: 44, 7, 9, 22
- Coaching career: 1996–1999
- As player:, 2× NBA champion (1984, 1986), NBA All-Star (1988), John R. Wooden Award (1981), NABC Player of the Year (1981), Consensus first-team All-American (1981), Third-team All-American – NABC (1980), Fourth-team All-American – NABC (1979), WAC Player of the Year (1981), 4× First-team All-WAC (1978–1981), No. 22 retired by BYU Cougars, Second-team Parade All-American (1977), , As executive:, , NBA champion (2008), NBA Executive of the Year (2008)
- Points: 11,964 (11.5 ppg)
- Assists: 4,199 (4.0 apg)
- Steals: 1,133 (1.1 spg), Baseball career
- Second baseman / Third baseman
- Batted: Right, Threw: Right
Danny Ainge was born in 1959 and is the CEO of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz. He played shooting guard in the NBA from 1981 to 1995, winning three championships with Boston Celtics.
After leaving coaching, he served as general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 1996 to 2000 before returning to coaching with the Boston Celtics from 2001 until his retirement in 2017.
Danny Ainge is a successful NBA coach and player who has been responsible for two championships with the Boston Celtics.
Danny Ainge was born in Utah on November 12, 1962, and played collegiately at Brigham Young University before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1981.
As a player for the Celtics, he helped lead them to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1984 and 1986. He also won numerous accolades including an NBA All-Star selection, John R.
Wooden Award as college basketball’s best player, NABC Player of the Year award from both organizations (1981), WAC Player of the Year award (1981) and four First Team All-WAC selections during his playing career at BYU Cougars (1978–81).
After ending his playing days with Phoenix Suns in 1995, Danny took up coaching where he led them to three consecutive playoff appearances before eventually retiring following 1999 season with 283 wins – third most all time - 290 losses (.488 winning percentage).
3. Devin Durrant
Career
- High school: Provo (Provo, Utah)
- College: BYU (1978–1980, 1982–1984)
- NBA draft 1984 / Round: 2 / Pick: 25th overall
- Selected by the Indiana Pacers
- Playing career: 1984–1989
- Position: Small forward
- Number: 7, 17
- 1984–1985: Indiana Pacers
- 1985: Phoenix Suns
- 1988–1989: Olympique Antibes
- Consensus second-team All-American (1984), WAC Player of the Year (1983), 2× First-team All-WAC (1983, 1984)
Devin Durrant was born in Brigham City, Utah on October 20th, 1960. He attended high school at Provo and then played college basketball for BYU before being drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1984.
Devin Durrant spent four seasons with the Pacers before signing with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1989. Devin Durrant finished his playing career with five more seasons with the Bucks before retiring in 1993.
After retirement, Devin Durrant went on to work as a scout for various NBA teams until 2001 when he retired from that position as well too. Devin Durrant is a 7-time NBA All-Star and 2x WAC Player of the Year.
He played for the Indiana Pacers from 1984 to 1985 and then for the Phoenix Suns from 1988 to 1989. Devin was drafted by the Pacers in the second round of the 1984 draft, and he went on to play a total of 8 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2000.
Devin won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at Barcelona 1992, as well as two league championships with Indiana (1985, 1987).
After his retirement from playing basketball, Devin became head coach of Greek team Limassol BK before moving back home to become assistant coach at Arizona State University under Rick Majerus in 2010/11 season where he led them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.
In May 2018 it was announced that Devin had been named Head Coach of UK’s Manchester Giants replacing Mark McNamara who stepped down after 5 years leading Manchester Giants into Europe’s top competition - Euroleague.
4. Tyler Haws
Shooting guard
Career
- High school: Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
- College: BYU (2009–2010, 2012–2015)
- NBA draft: 2015 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2015–present
- 2015–2016: Obradoiro CAB
- 2016–2017: Anwil Włocławek
- 2018: St. John's Edge
- 2018–2020: Huesca
- 2020: Bilbao Basket
- WCC Player of the Year (2014), 3× First-team All-WCC (2013–2015), Third-team All-WCC (2010), 2× Utah Mr. Basketball (2008, 2009)
Tyler Haws was undrafted out of BYU in the 2015 NBA draft but has since found success playing overseas. Haws is a shooting guard who played for Lone Peak High School before going to Brigham Young University.
He averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists during his two seasons with the Cougars, helping them make it to the NCAA Tournament both years. After being undrafted, he signed with Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel where he averaged 21 points per game over 37 contests this season.
The 31-year-old is hoping to find another opportunity in the NBA next year after spending time overseas this past season; however, there's no guarantee that will happen given how deep the league currently is. Tyler Haws is a 6'7" forward who played college basketball at Brigham Young University.
Tyler was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft, but he did not play for them and instead signed with Obradoiro CAB of Spain's Liga ACB.
In 2017, Tyler joined Anwil Włocławek of Poland's PLK SuperLiga where he has averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds per game this season.
He is currently playing for St John's Edge of Australia's NBL league. Tyler was named to the All-NBL Second Team on January 14th, 2019 after averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game over 19 games this season.
5. Shawn Bradley
Career
- High school: Emery (Castle Dale, Utah)
- College: BYU (1990–1991)
- NBA draft 1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
- Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
- Playing career: 1993–2005
- Position: Center
- Number: 76, 45, 44
- 1993–1995: Philadelphia 76ers
- 1995–1997: New Jersey Nets
- 1997–2005: Dallas Mavericks
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1994), NBA blocks leader (1997), NCAA blocks leader (1991), Second-team All-WAC (1991), WAC Freshman of the Year (1991), Second-team Parade All-American (1990), Third-team Parade All-American (1989), McDonald's All-American Co-MVP (1990), Utah Mr. Basketball (1989)
- Points: 6,752 (8.1 ppg)
- Rebounds: 5,268 (6.3 rpg)
- Blocks: 2,119 (2.5 bpg)
Shawn Bradley was a highly successful center in the NBA, winning two championships with the Philadelphia 76ers. Bradley played college basketball at BYU before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993.
After spending three seasons with Philly, he moved to the New Jersey Nets for one season and then finished his career with stints in Memphis and Seattle. In total, Bradley won five playoff series titles (with Philly and Memphis) and earned All-Star honors on four occasions (1996–1998, 2000).
He retired from professional basketball following the 2005 season at age 34 due to recurring knee injuries. Shawn Bradley was a standout player at Utah and then went on to have an excellent NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks. Bradley was known for his defense, rebounding and blocks abilities.
He won several awards during his time in the NBA, including All-Rookie Second Team accolades in 1994 and 1997, as well as being named blocks leader twice. After retiring from playing basketball, he has since worked as a television commentator for games involving the Dallas Mavericks.
6. Brandon Davies
Power forward
Career
- High school: Provo (Provo, Utah)
- College: BYU (2009–2013)
- NBA draft: 2013 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2013–present
- 2013–2014: Philadelphia 76ers
- 2014–2015: Brooklyn Nets
- 2015: Élan Chalon Sur Saône
- 2015–2016: Openjobmetis Varese
- 2016–2017: AS Monaco
- 2017–2019: Žalgiris Kaunas
- 2019–2022: FC Barcelona
- 2022–present: Olimpia Milano
- Spanish League champion (2021), 2× Spanish Cup winner (2021, 2022), All-EuroLeague First Team (2019), All-EuroLeague Second Team (2021), 2× Lithuanian LKL champion (2018, 2019), Lithuanian LKL Finals MVP (2018), Lithuanian King Mindaugas Cup winner (2018), French League Cup winner (2017), 2× First-team All-WCC (2012, 2013)
Brandon Davies was undrafted out of Brigham Young in 2013. He spent the next three years playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2017, he moved to Europe and signed with Olimpia Milano of Italy's Lega Basket Serie A.
Brandon is a versatile player who can play both frontcourt positions adequately. His scoring ability has helped him rack up averages of 13 points per game in his career thus far.
He participated in the EuroLeague competition this past season with Olimpia and averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per contest while shooting 50% from the field overall throughout 36 games played (18 starts).
The Utah native is currently under contract with Milan until 2020, barring any unforeseen circumstances or another team making an offer that cannot be refused by Davies himself.
Brandon Davies is a versatile player who has played in both the NBA and Europe. Brandon Davies was one of the most highly touted prospects to enter the draft in recent years, and he has lived up to that billing so far.
He spent his first four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to Élan Chalon Sur Saône in 2015-16. Davies then signed with Openjobmetis Varese for the 2016-17 season, where he won EuroLeague Player of The Year honors after averaging 17 points and seven rebounds per game.
In 2017, Davies joined AS Monaco where he continued his strong play by averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game en route to helping them win Ligue 1 title.
After two seasons in France, Davies made an agreement with Barcelona for the 2018-19 season which proved fruitful as they narrowly missed out on winning the La Liga crown but did manage a spot in the Champions League competition due to their superior head-to-head record against Real Madrid (Davies also had 14 double-doubles over those two campaigns).
Following another stellar year at Barcelona - this time leading them all the way to becoming Spanish champions - Daviess agreed once again with Olimpia Milano for the 2019–2022 campaign.
7. Mark Pope
Career
- High school: Newport (Bellevue, Washington)
- College: , Washington (1991–1993), Kentucky (1994–1996)
- NBA draft 1996 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52nd overall
- Selected by the Indiana Pacers
- Playing career: 1997–2005
- Position: Power forward / Small forward
- Number: 43, 41
- Coaching career: 2009–present
- NCAA champion (1996), Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1992)
- Points: 285 (1.9 ppg)
- Assists: 63 (0.4 apg)
- Rebound: 161 (1.7 rpg)
Pope is the current head coach of BYU Cougars. Pope played college basketball at Washington and Kentucky Where he was a two-time All-American.
After playing in the NBA for six seasons, Pope spent one season as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets before joining Brigham Young University in 2009 as an assistant coach under Rick Majerus.
In his ten years at BYU, Pope has led the Cougars to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2012–2014), two WCC championships (2015 & 2017), and one NIT appearance (2018).
Pope will become the seventh head coach in Big 12 Conference history when he takes over for Bob Huggins at Kansas State next season. Pope played power forward and small forward for the majority of his career.
He was a key player on several teams, most notably with the Nuggets, Knicks and Pacers. Pope has also been an assistant coach at various colleges, most recently BYU where he is currently in charge of basketball operations.
His coaching career began in 2009 when he took over as an assistant at Wake Forest before moving to BYU two years later.
8. Kyle Collinsworth
Career
- High school: Provo (Provo, Utah)
- College: BYU (2010–2011, 2013–2016)
- NBA draft: 2016 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2016–present
- 2016–2018: Texas Legends
- 2017–2018: Dallas Mavericks
- 2018–2019: Raptors 905
- 2019–2020: Salt Lake City Stars
- 2020–2022: SeaHorses Mikawa
- 2022–present: San-en NeoPhoenix
- WCC Player of the Year (2016), 3× First-team All-WCC (2014–2016), 2× AP honorable mention All-American (2015, 2016), Utah Mr. Basketball (2010)
Kyle Collinsworth is a 31-year-old point guard who plays in the B.League in China. He was born and raised in Provo, Utah and attended high school at Provo (Provo, Utah).
After two seasons at Brigham Young University where he averaged 8 points and 3 assists per game, Collinsworth went undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft but signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association instead.
In 2017–18, Collinsworth led Guangdong to their first ever championship as league MVP whilst averaging 23 points and 5 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from beyond the arc – earning him an invite to participate in this year's NBA All-Star Weekend festivities alongside fellow All-Stars like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.
His success has translated into multiple signature shoe deals with Nike including his own line "The Kylemoore Collection", which will be released worldwide later this year He also competes internationally for Team USA as a member of their World Cup Qualifying squad for next year's tournament.
9. Rafael Araújo
Career
- High school: Padre Anacleto (São Paulo, Brazil)
- College: , Arizona Western (2000–2002), BYU (2002–2004)
- NBA draft 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
- Selected by the Toronto Raptors
- Playing career: 2004–2014
- Position: Center
- 2004–2006: Toronto Raptors
- 2006–2007: Utah Jazz
- 2007–2008: Spartak Saint Petersburg
- 2009: Flamengo
- 2009–2010: Paulistano
- 2010–2011: Flamengo
- 2011–2012: Franca
- 2012–2014: Mogi das Cruzes
- 2014: Pinheiros
- Brazilian League champion (2009), All-Brazilian League Team (2009)
- Points: 389 (2.8 ppg)
- Rebounds: 395 (2.8 rpg)
- Assists: 41 (0.3 apg)
Rafael Araújo was born on August 12th, 1980 in Curitiba, Brazil. He played college basketball at Arizona Western and Brigham Young University before being drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Rafael spent four seasons with the Raptors before signing with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013. In 2014 he signed a two-year deal with French club Monaco but was released after one season there.
Rafael currently plays for Brazilian team Flamengo Santander where he is their captain and leading scorer for both of their FIBA Champions League campaigns to date (2016–17 & 2017–18).
Rafael Araújo was drafted with the 27th pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. In his rookie season, he played for the Spartak Saint Petersburg of Russia and averaged 9.6 points and 4 rebounds per game.
He then moved to Brazil, joining Flamengo where he had a successful 2nd season averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds per game before being traded to Paulistano in 2010-11.
Rafael's 2011-12 season was cut short due to an ACL tear but after returning from injury he helped Franca reach the playoffs where they were eliminated by Pinheiros in 5 games.
10. Michael Smith
Career
- High school: Los Altos, (Hacienda Heights, California)
- College: BYU (1983–1984, 1986–1989)
- NBA draft 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall
- Selected by the Boston Celtics
- Playing career: 1989–1996
- Position: Small forward
- Number: 11, 4
- 1989–1991: Boston Celtics
- 1991–1992: Brescia
- 1992–1993: Capital Region Pontiacs
- 1993: Oklahoma City Cavalry
- 1993–1994: Valencia
- 1994–1995: Estudiantes
- 1995: Los Angeles Clippers
- 1996: Gijón
- Consensus second-team All-American (1988), WAC Player of the Year (1988), 3× First-team All-WAC (1987–1989), Second-team Parade All-American (1983)
- Medals, , Men's basketball, Representing United States, FIBA U19 World Championship, : 1983 Palma de Mallorca: National team
- Men's basketball
- Representing United States
- FIBA U19 World Championship
- : 1983 Palma de Mallorca: National team
Michael Smith was a small forward who played in the NBA for ten years. He attended Brigham Young University and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1989.
In his first two seasons with Boston, he averaged 10 points per game and 4 rebounds per game. He then moved to the Clippers where he spent six more seasons before retiring in 1996.
Michael Smith is currently an analyst on ESPN's coverage of the NBA Michael Smith was a consensus second-team All-American and WAC Player of the Year in 1988. He played for four teams over nine seasons, including two stints with Brescia and one with Capital Region Pontiacs.
Michael Smith won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 as part of the United States men's basketball team.
11. Fred Roberts
Career
- High school: Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)
- College: BYU (1978–1982)
- NBA draft 1982 / Round: 2 / Pick: 27th overall
- Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
- Playing career: 1982–1997
- Position: Power forward / Center
- Number: 11, 33, 31, 34, 24, 44
- 1982–1983: Fortitudo Bologna
- 1983–1984: San Antonio Spurs
- 1984–1986: Utah Jazz
- 1986–1988: Boston Celtics
- 1988–1993: Milwaukee Bucks
- 1993–1994: FC Barcelona
- 1994–1995: Chicago Rockers
- 1995: Cleveland Cavaliers
- 1995–1996: Los Angeles Lakers
- 1996–1997: Dallas Mavericks
- Spanish Cup (1994), 2× First-team All-WAC (1981, 1982), Third-team Parade All-American (1978)
- Medals, , Men’s basketball, Representing United States, FIBA U19 World Championship, : 1979 Salvador: National team
- Men’s basketball
- Representing United States
- FIBA U19 World Championship
- : 1979 Salvador: National team
Fred Roberts was a talented power forward and center in the NBA. He played for six different teams during his career, including the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Fortitudo Bologna.
Fred Roberts is best known for his time with the Utah Jazz where he won an NBA championship in 1986. In 1997, Fred Roberts retired from professional basketball after playing just one season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Today Fred Roberts runs a business empire that includes restaurants and sports franchises across America. Fred Roberts was a standout player at UCLA, and he was drafted in the 1st round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1988. Fred played for the Bucks from 1988-1993, before moving to FC Barcelona of Spain for two seasons.
After playing with FC Barcelona, Roberts joined the Chicago Rockers of the NBA for one season before joining Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995. In 1996, Fred signed with Los Angeles Lakers where he would play until 1997 when his career came to an end due to injury.
12. Dick Nemelka
Career
- High school: West (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- College: BYU (1963–1966)
- NBA draft 1966 / Round: 5 / Pick: 44th overall
- Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
- Position: Shooting guard
- Number: 11
- 1970–1971: Utah Stars
- ABA champion (1971), First-team All-American – USBWA (1966), Third-team All-American – NABC (1966), First-team All-WAC (1966), Second-team All-WAC (1965)
Dick Nemelka was a prominent player in the NBA for over 20 years. He started his career with the Golden State Warriors and later played for the Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Dick Nemelka was known as one of the most versatile players in the league due to his ability to play both forward positions. Dick Nemelka is widely considered to be one of the best defenders in NBA history and he was named an All-Star four times.
Dick Nemelka died on September 19th 2020 after a long battle with cancer at the age of 76 years old. Nemelka was a shooting guard who played in the ABA and NBA.
He led Utah to their only championship in 1971, and was named the MVP of that season. Nemelka also won a pair of USBWA awards, including first-team All-American honors in 1966.
In addition to his basketball accomplishments, Dick Nemelka is also known for being an accomplished artist and musician. Dick passed away at the age of 67 after battling cancer for many years.
13. Krešimir Ćosić
Career
- College: BYU (1970–1973)
- NBA draft 1973 / Round: 5 / Pick: 84th overall
- Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
- Playing career: 1964–1983
- Position: Center
- Coaching career: 1976–1991
- As player:, 2× EuroBasket MVP (1971, 1975), 6× FIBA European Selection (1968, 1970–1974), FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1982), 2× Italian League champion (1979, 1980), 6× Yugoslav League champion (1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1982), 3× Yugoslav Cup winner (1981–1983), Croatian Sportsman of the Year (1980), 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008), Croatian Lifetime Achievement in Sport (2002), FIBA Order of Merit (1994), FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991), Third-team All-American – UPI (1972), 2× Fourth-team All-American – NABC (1972, 1973), 3× First-team All-WAC (1971–1973), No. 11 retired by BYU Cougars
- Basketball Hall of Fame as player
- FIBA Hall of Fame as player
- College Basketball Hall of Fame, Inducted in 2006
- Medals, , Men's basketball, Representing Yugoslavia, Summer Olympic Games, : 1980 Moscow: Team, : 1968 Mexico City: Team, : 1976 Montreal: Team, FIBA World Cup, : 1970 Yugoslavia: Team, : 1978 Philippines: Team, : 1967 Uruguay: Team, : 1974 Puerto Rico: Team, FIBA Eurobasket, : 1973 Spain: Team, : 1975 Yugoslavia: Team, : 1977 Belgium: Team, : 1969 Italy: Team, : 1971 West Germany: Team, : 1981 Czechoslovakia: Team, : 1979 Italy: Team, Mediterranean Games, : 1967 Tunis: Team, : 1971 Izmir: Team, European U-18 Championship, : 1966 Italy: Under-18
- Men's basketball
- Representing Yugoslavia
- Summer Olympic Games
- : 1980 Moscow: Team
- : 1968 Mexico City: Team
- : 1976 Montreal: Team
- FIBA World Cup
- : 1970 Yugoslavia: Team
- : 1978 Philippines: Team
- : 1967 Uruguay: Team
- : 1974 Puerto Rico: Team
- FIBA Eurobasket
- : 1973 Spain: Team
- : 1975 Yugoslavia: Team
- : 1977 Belgium: Team
- : 1969 Italy: Team
- : 1971 West Germany: Team
- : 1981 Czechoslovakia: Team
- : 1979 Italy: Team
- Mediterranean Games
- : 1967 Tunis: Team
- : 1971 Izmir: Team
- European U-18 Championship
- : 1966 Italy: Under-18
NBA for many years, winning three championships with the Lakers. He also played for several other teams during his career, including spells with the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
He died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 46. Krešimir Ćosić was one of the most successful Croatian players ever. He won many titles with his club team, AŠK Olimpija, and also represented his country at international level.
After retiring as a player, Krešimir Ćosić served as head coach of several teams in Croatia and abroad - AEK Athens, Jugoplastika, and Virtus Bologna. In 2013 he was named manager of the Croatian national team for EuroBasket 2015 but they were knocked out in the first round by Spain.
14. Travis Hansen
Career
- High school: Mountain View (Orem, Utah)
- College: , Utah Valley (1996–1997), BYU (2000–2003)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37th overall
- Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
- Playing career: 2003–2011
- Position: Shooting guard / Small forward
- Number: 24, 2, 6
- 2003–2004: Atlanta Hawks
- 2004–2006: TAU Cerámica
- 2006–2009: Dynamo Moscow
- 2009–2010: Real Madrid
- 2010–2011: Khimki
- 2003 NBA Draft selection by Atlanta Hawks (2003), 2x Euroleague Final Four (2004-2005), All-EuroCup Second Team (2009), Spanish Supercup winner (2005), Spanish Cup winner (2006), VTB United League champion (2012), First-team All-MWC (2003), Second-team All-MWC (2002), MWC Defensive Player of the Year (2003), BYU home record 44-1 (2000-2003)
Travis Hansen was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2003 NBA Draft. Travis spent his entire professional career with the Hawks, playing small forward and shooting guard.
He averaged 9 points per game over his 7 seasons in the league, including a career-high 18 points during the 2007–08 season. In 2011, Hansen retired from professional basketball after suffering a knee injury that required surgery.
Since retiring from basketball, he has worked as an assistant coach for BYU's men's team and served as president of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) from 2013 to 2017 . Travis Hansen was one of the top players in Europe during the late 2000s.
He spent time with both TAU Cerámica and Dynamo Moscow before joining Real Madrid for two seasons. Hansen helped lead Khimki to victory in the VTB United League championship this year.
His defensive prowess earned him multiple accolades, including an MWC Defensive Player of the Year award from 2003 and a BYU home record 44-1 mark from 2000-2003 while playing at Brigham Young University (BYU).
15. Bernie Fryer
Career
- High school: Port Angeles, (Port Angeles, Washington)
- College: , Peninsula College (1969–1970), BYU (1970–1972)
- NBA draft 1972 / Round: 7 / Pick: 109th overall
- Selected by the Phoenix Suns
- Playing career: 1973–1975
- Position: Shooting guard
- Number: 13, 12, 25
- Officiating career: 1978–2007
- 1973–1974: Portland Trail Blazers
- 1974: Spirits of St. Louis
- 1975: New Orleans Jazz
- First-team All-WAC (1972)
- Points: 756 (6.3 ppg)
- Rebounds: 227 (3.0 rpg)
- Assists: 356 (1.0 apg)
Bernie Fryer was a 7th round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 1972 NBA Draft. He played for them from 1973-1975, averaging 4.6 points and 2.4 assists per game over his career.
Bernie Fryer attended high school at Port Angeles (Port Angeles, Washington) before going on to play college ball at Peninsula College and BYU respectively.
After playing in the NBA for three seasons, Bernie retired as a player in 1975 to start a family with his wife Pat and two children Becky and Brette.
Today, Bernie is still active as an administrator with the Seattle SuperSonics Foundation and ambassador for Special Olympics Washington state Fryer was a 13-time All-WAC selection and 12-time member of the team's first team.
Fryer spent his entire 10 year NBA career with two teams, playing for the New Orleans Jazz (1975–1978) and Portland Trail Blazers (1978–1981).
Fryer averaged 6.3 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 756 games played during his ten-year NBA career.
After retiring from professional basketball, Bernie Fryer became an officiating supervisor for both men's college basketball and women's college basketball conferences across North America. As of 2019, Bernie Fryer is still working as an officiating supervisor after spending over 30 years in the profession.
16. Jim Eakins
Career
- High school: Encina (Sacramento, California)
- College: BYU (1965–1968)
- NBA draft 1968 / Round: 5 / Pick
- Selected by the San Francisco Warriors
- Playing career: 1968–1978
- Position: Center
- Number: 42, 25, 33, 22, 24, 51
- 1968–1974: Oakland Oaks / Washington Caps / Virginia Squires
- 1974–1975: Utah Stars
- 1975–1976: Virginia Squires
- 1976: New York Nets
- 1976–1977: Kansas City Kings
- 1977: San Antonio Spurs
- 1978: Milwaukee Bucks
- 2× ABA champion (1969, 1976), ABA All-Star (1974), First-team All-WAC (1968)
- Points: 8,255 (10.8 ppg)
- Rebounds: 5,578 (7.3 rpg)
- Blocks: 450 (1.0 bpg)
Jim Eakins was a dominant center in the NBA for over a decade. He is best known for his work with the San Francisco Warriors, where he won three championships.
After retiring from professional basketball, Eakins went on to have a successful career as an assistant coach in the league. Jim Eakins was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 16th, 1945.
He attended the University of Minnesota where he played basketball for the Gophers from 1963 to 1966. In 1967, he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and then signed with the Utah Stars of the ABA in 1968.
Eakins won two championships as a player with Utah (1969, 1976) before joining the New York Nets as head coach in 1977.
He remained with New York through 1980 before being fired after a 26-56 record during his third season at the helm; however, he returned to coaching one year later with San Antonio Spurs and led them to their first NBA title in 1981-82 season under Gregg Popovich.
17. Craig Raymond
Career
- High school: Hudson's Bay, (Vancouver, Washington)
- College: BYU (1964–1967)
- NBA draft 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall
- Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
- Playing career: 1967–1973
- Position: Center
- Number: 20, 21, 54, 12, 32, 51, 52
- 1967–1968: Olimpia Simmenthal Milano
- 1968–1969: Wilkes-Barre Barons
- 1969: Philadelphia 76ers
- 1969: Pittsburgh Pipers
- 1969–1970: Los Angeles Stars
- 1970–1971: Memphis Pros
- 1971–1972: The Floridians
- 1972: San Diego Conquistadors
- 1972–1973: Indiana Pacers
- Fifth-team Parade All-American (1963)
- Points: 1,658 (6.9 ppg)
- Rebounds: 1,510 (6.3 rpg)
- Assists: 327 (1.4 apg)
Craig Raymond was a center in the NBA for thirteen seasons, playing for Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Boston. He led the NBA in field goals made four times (1974–1976), rebounds once (1975), assists twice (1976–1977), and blocks three times (1973–1976).
His twelve-year career included two All-Star appearances and an MVP award as he helped lead his teams to playoff berths eleven times.
After retiring from basketball in 1983, Craig went on to have a successful coaching career with stops at BYU and Utah State University before joining the staff of the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant coach in 2007.
On October 15th 2018, Craig Raymond passed away at 73 years old after complications following surgery due to bladder cancer two weeks earlier In recognition of his accomplishments both on and off the court, Craig Raymond was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
18. John Fairchild
Career
- High school: San Dieguito (Encinitas, California)
- College: , Palomar College (1962–1963), BYU (1963–1965)
- NBA draft 1965 / Round: 2 / Pick: 16th overall
- Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
- Playing career: 1965–1970
- Position: Power forward
- Number: 33, 24, 12, 30, 25
- 1965–1966: Los Angeles Lakers
- 1967–1968: Anaheim Amigos
- 1968: Denver Rockets
- 1968–1969: Indiana Pacers
- 1969–1970: Kentucky Colonels
- Third-team All-American – NABC (1965), 2× First-team All-WAC (1964, 1965)
- Points: 1,085 (6.6 ppg)
- Rebounds: 523 (3.2 rpg)
- Assists: 115 (0.7 apg)
John Fairchild was a versatile power forward who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA from 1965 to 1970. He was drafted by the Lakers in 1965 and spent six seasons with them, winning two championships (1968 and 1969).
After retiring as a player, John Fairchild became an executive with the Lakers franchise before leaving in 2000. In 2014, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its class of 2015. John Fairchild was a professional basketball player who played in both the NBA and ABA.
He started his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, before playing for the Anaheim Amigos, Denver Rockets, and Indiana Pacers. In total he averaged 6.6 points and 3 rebounds per game in his career while winning two First-team All-WAC awards along the way.
After finishing his playing days he went on to have a successful coaching tenure at Kentucky Colonels where he led them to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances between 1989-1991.
19. Paul Ruffner
Career
- High school: Warren (Downey, California)
- College: , Cerritos (1966–1968), BYU (1968–1970)
- NBA draft 1970 / Round: 2 / Pick: 28th overall
- Selected by the Chicago Bulls
- Playing career: 1970–1975
- Position: Power forward / Center
- Number: 44, 15, 22
- 1970–1971: Chicago Bulls
- 1971–1972: Pittsburgh Condors
- 1973–1975: Buffalo Braves
- 1975: Spirits of St. Louis
Paul Ruffner was born on October 15, 1948 in Downey, California. He attended high school at Warren and played college basketball for Cerritos before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1968 NBA draft.
After two seasons with Boston, he signed with the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he won an ABA Championship in his first season as a player-coach.
He returned to play for Utah from 1972 to 1974 then retired from professional basketball after playing one final season with the San Diego Conquistadors of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Paul Ruffner later became a coach and spent over 20 years working his way up through various levels of coaching including 10 seasons as head coach at Brigham Young University (BYU).
On June 17, 2022, Paul Ruffner died due to complications from heart surgery at age 73 following a long battle against heart disease which had been diagnosed shortly after retirement from coaching duties at BYU.
20. Greg Kite
Career
- High school: Madison (Houston, Texas)
- College: BYU (1979–1983)
- NBA draft 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall
- Selected by the Boston Celtics
- Playing career: 1983–1996
- Position: Center
- Number: 50, 32, 34, 40, 54
- 1983–1988: Boston Celtics
- 1988–1989: Los Angeles Clippers
- 1989: Charlotte Hornets
- 1989–1990: Sacramento Kings
- 1990–1994: Orlando Magic
- 1995: New York Knicks
- 1995: Indiana Pacers
- 1995: Rapid City Thrillers
- 1995–1996: Fort Wayne Fury
- 2× NBA champion (1984, 1986), McDonald's All-American (1979), Second-team Parade All-American (1979)
- Points: 1,717 (2.5 ppg)
- Rebounds: 2,607 (3.8 rpg)
- Assists: 345 (0.5 apg)
Greg Kite was a dominant center in the NBA for many years. He is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics, where he won five championships. After leaving the Celtics, Greg Kite had several successful seasons with other teams before retiring in 1996.
Today, Greg Kite works as an ESPN analyst and ambassador for youth basketball programs around the country. Kite was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1989 and played for them until 1990. Kite then went on to play for the Sacramento Kings from 1990-1994, before joining Orlando Magic and New York Knicks in 1995.
In 1996, he joined the Fort Wayne Fury of the NBA Development League (now called the G League).
After spending two seasons with Fort Wayne, Kite retired as a player in 1998 but continued to work as an assistant coach with various teams until 2003 when he became head coach of Arizona State University's men's basketball team where he remains today.
Greg Kite is currently ranked third all-time at ASU with 1,921 career points and fourth all-time in rebounds (3,711), assists (498) and games coached (288). He has also been inducted into both The Basketball Hall of Fame and The Indiana Pacers' Ring of Honor.
21. Andy Toolson
Career
- High school: Twin Falls (Twin Falls, Idaho)
- College: BYU (1984–1985, 1987–1990)
- NBA draft: 1990 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 1990–2001
- Position: Shooting guard / Small forward
- Number: 5
- Coaching career: 2001–2005
- Spanish Cup winner (1997), 2× Spanish League All-Star (1993, 1994), Greek All-Star Game 3-Point Shootout Champion (1998), First-team Academic All-American (1990)
Andy Toolson was a shooting guard and small forward who played in the NBA for 13 seasons. Andy was originally drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1990 but did not play with them before being traded to Telemarket Brescia later that season.
He then spent two years with Tri-City Chinook before joining the Utah Jazz as a full time player in 1992. In his thirteen seasons, he averaged 10 points per game and 4 rebounds per game while playing for three different teams (Utah Jazz, Telemarket Brescia, and Tri-City Chinook).
After finishing his career with the Indiana Pacers, he began coaching at BYU where he is currently head coach of their men's basketball team.
Toolson played professional basketball for over a decade, most notably with the Festina cycling team and later AEK Athens. Toolson served as an assistant coach at BYU from 2001 to 2005 before moving on to coaching stints in Spain and Greece.
He is perhaps best known for his time playing alongside Rick Majerus with the Utah Jazz, where they earned two playoff appearances together between 1996 and 1998. In 2006, Toolson was diagnosed with prostate cancer but recovered fully after surgery and chemotherapy treatments.
22. Mel Hutchins
Career
- High school: Monrovia (Monrovia, California)
- College: BYU (1947–1951)
- NBA draft 1951 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
- Selected by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks
- Playing career: 1951–1958
- Position: Power forward / Center
- Number: 14, 2, 9, 4, 10
- 1951–1953: Milwaukee Hawks
- 1953–1957: Fort Wayne Pistons
- 1957–1958: New York Knicks
- 4× NBA All-Star (1953, 1954, 1956, 1957), NBA rebounding leader (1952), NBA Rookie of the Year (Newspaper Writers) (1952), NIT champion (1951), Consensus second-team All-American (1951), No. 14 retired by BYU Cougars
- Points: 4,851 (11.1 ppg)
- Rebounds: 4,186 (9.6 rpg)
- Assists: 1,298 (3.0 apg)
Hutchins was born in Sacramento, California on November 22nd, 1928. He attended high school at Monrovia before enrolling at Brigham Young University where he played for the BYU Cougars basketball team from 1947 to 1951.
Hutchins was drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks with the second overall pick in the 1951 NBA draft and went on to play for them until 1958.
He is best known for his time spent with the Chicago Bulls during the early 1970s when he won three consecutive MVP Awards and helped lead them to their first NBA championship title in 1974-1975.
Mel Hutchins passed away on December 19th, 2018 at age 90 after a long life of accomplishments both on and off of the court.
In 1951, Mel Hutchins was named a Consensus Second-Team All-American after averaging 14.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for BYU Cougars in his sophomore season.
After being drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in the third round of the 1951 NBA Draft, Hutchins spent three seasons with the team before joining Fort Wayne Pistons in 1957.
In 1958, he joined New York Knicks where he would be an all-star for two more seasons before retiring at age 34 due to knee injuries sustained during a game against Philadelphia 76ers on December 22nd, 1960.
He finished his career with 1,298 assists and 4186 rebounds over 1181 games played - good enough for fifth place on both lists behind only Kareem Abdul Jabbar (3895), Wilt Chamberlain (5200), Karl Malone (5895) and Kobe Bryant (7896).
After retirement from professional basketball, Hutchins served as an assistant coach under Rick Majerus at Brigham Young University from 1971 until 1978 before returning to Utah State as head coach from 1979 until 1982 where he compiled a record of 88–69 (.584).
Hutchins passed away on October 7th ,2012 after suffering a heart attack while out running errands just days prior to his 83rd birthday.
23. Brady Walker
Career
- College: BYU (1941–1943, 1945–1947)
- NBA draft 1948 / Round: – / Pick: –
- Selected by the Providence Steamrollers
- Playing career: 1948–1952
- Position: Forward / Center
- Number: 16, 13, 7
- 1948–1949: Providence Steamrollers
- 1949–1950: Boston Celtics
- 1950–1952: Baltimore Bullets
- Points: 1,603 (7.0 ppg)
- Rebounds: 549 (5.4 rpg)
- Assists: 328 (1.4 apg)
Brady Walker was born in 1921 and played basketball for BYU from 1941-1943 and 1945-1947. Walker was drafted by the Providence Steamrollers in 1948 but never played in the NBA.
After playing professional basketball, Walker worked as a coach at several schools before retiring in 1983. Brady Walker passed away on November 30, 2007 at the age of 86 after a long illness Brady Walker was one of the most prolific scorers in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association.
He played for Providence Steamrollers, Boston Celtics, Baltimore Bullets, and finished his career with a total of 1,603 points scored. Brady Walker was known for being an excellent shooter from behind the arc, as he averaged 7.0 points per game from three-point range during his NBA career.
Walker also excelled at rebounding and passing the ball; he grabbed 549 rebounds and passed out 328 assists during his four-year playing period in the NBA.
Despite having successful professional careers in both leagues, Brady Walker is best remembered by basketball fans for his time spent with Boston Celtics - where he won two championships (1949–50 & 1950–51).
24. Jeff Congdon
Career
- High school: Bolsa Grande, (Garden Grove, California)
- College: BYU (1963–1966)
- NBA draft 1966 / Round: 4 / Pick: 32nd overall
- Selected by the Detroit Pistons
- Playing career: 1967–1972
- Position: Point guard
- Number: 10, 14, 23, 4
- 1967–1968: Anaheim Amigos
- 1967–1970: Denver Rockets
- 1970–1971: Utah Stars
- 1970–1971: New York Nets
- 1971–1972: Dallas Chaparrals
Jeff Congdon is most famous for his work as an actor and producer. He has appeared in a number of films and TV shows throughout his career, including "The Golden Girls", "Murphy Brown", and "Moonlighting".
Jeff Congdon was born on October 17, 1943 in Garden Grove, California. After high school, Jeff attended BYU where he studied acting. Following his studies at BYU, Jeff began his professional acting career appearing in various movies and television shows throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1988, Jeff started producing TV programs which earned him recognition within the industry; this led to larger productions being made about him later on in life.
Jeff Congdon passed away from cancer on December 12th 2017 at the age of 79 after a long battle with the disease Jeff Congdon was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 32nd overall pick in the 1966 NBA draft.
He played for them from 1967-1972. Jeff Congdon averaged 10 points, 14 assists and 23 rebounds during his career.
After retiring as a player, Jeff served as an assistant coach under Rick Majerus at St John's University before taking over as head coach in 1988 and leading the Red Storm to four NCAA tournament appearances including a Final Four appearance in 1990.
Jeff Congdon is currently an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies where he coached rookie Deyonta Davis this past season.
25. BYU Cougars men's basketball statistical leaders
BYU Cougars men's basketball statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the BYU Cougars program in various categories, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The following is a list of some notable BYU Cougar men's basketball statistical Leaders: Brandon Davies (points), Jimmer Fredette (point guard), Jamaal Williams (rebounds), Tayshaun Prince (steals), Kyle Collinsworth (blocks).
The Cougars rank first in the WCC in both offense (77.5 ppg) and defense (54.1 pg). Joe Young is second in conference scoring with 19.0 points per game.
While Brandon Davies ranks third with 16.7ppg BYU has had six players score over 20 points this season including Joe Young, Kyle Korver, Deron Williams and Jamaal Tinsley who all reached that plateau twice apiece.
The Cougars are also one of only two teams nationally to have three players averaging at least 10 rebounds a game – DeMarre Carroll leads the nation with 14 boards per contest followed by Craig Smith (11 RPG) and Tyler Haws (10 RPG).
In addition to their stellar rebounding prowess, BYU is fifth nationally in assists per game at 23 apg.
26. Alex Barcello
Career
- High school: Corona del Sol, (Tempe, Arizona)
- College: , Arizona (2017–2019), BYU (2019–2022)
- NBA draft: 2022 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2022–present
- 2022: Kolossos Rodou
- 2022–present: Oostende
- 2× First-team All-WCC (2021, 2022)
Alex Barcello played for Corona del Sol High School in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a two-time All-America selection and led his team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior in 2018 and 2019.
He joined BYU after being one of the top point guards in the nation at the Nike EYBL summer league this year with Team Takeover Northwest. With BYU's run to the Elite Eight last season, he has high expectations for 2020–21 even though he is only entering his second year of college basketball play.
Alex Barcello is a sophomore at Arizona and started playing college basketball for the Wildcats in 2017. Alex has been incredibly successful for Arizona, winning two consecutive WCC championships with them as a junior and senior.
He was not selected in the NBA draft but he will continue to play professional basketball overseas next season.
Alex is an excellent player who always puts his team first and is highly respected by his peers.
27. T. J. Haws
Career
- High school: Lone Peak, (Highland, Utah)
- College: BYU (2016–2020)
- NBA draft: 2020 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2020–present
- 2020–2021: Trefl Sopot
- 2021–2022: Lakeland Magic
- 2× First-team All-WCC (2017, 2020), Second-team All-WCC (2019), WCC All-Freshman Team (2017), Utah Mr. Basketball (2014)
T. J. Haws was a standout high school player in Utah, and he led Lone Peak to the state championship as a senior in 2013-14. He played two years of college basketball at BYU before being drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2016.
In his rookie season with the Kings, he averaged 7 points and 2 rebounds per game while shooting 34% from three-point range. The following year, he improved those numbers to 15 points and 4 rebounds per game while also hitting 44% from beyond the arc (third best mark on the team).
As a free agent this summer, Haws opted to sign with the Atlanta Hawks where he is looking forward to continuing his development as one of their key players off the bench.
T.J. Haws was a standout player at Brigham Young University and was drafted in the 2020 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic but has not played in any games as of yet.
T. J. Haws is most famous for his time with the Trefl Sopot club in Poland, where he averaged 18 points per game and 7 rebounds per game during the 2019-2020 season, helping Trefl Sopot make it to the Polish League Finals where they lost to Korfball Kielce despite his great play.
T.J.'s skills have caught the attention of many NBA teams, but so far he has only played in a handful of preseason games without securing an official contract from any team thus far into his career.
28. Kolby Lee
Kolby Lee was named the 2019–20 WCC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. He averaged 20.5 points and 7 rebounds per game this season for BYU, helping them to a 13-3 record in conference play and their first-ever postseason berth.
Lee capped off his stellar year by leading Brigham Young to an upset victory over #1 seed Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament semifinal round, earning MVP honors along the way.
The 6'7" senior forward is considered one of college basketball's top prospects heading into next season, as he has consistently shown flashes of brilliance on both ends of the floor during his career at BYU thus far.
Look for Kolby Lee to continue elevating his game even further as he heads into what will likely be a highly anticipated sophomore campaign with some big expectations looming ahead.
29. Charles Abouo
Small forward
Career
- High school: Logan (Logan, Utah), Brewster Academy, (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
- College: BYU (2008–2012)
- NBA draft: 2012 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2012–present
- 2012–2013: CB Peñas Huesca
- 2013–2014: Quesos Cerrato Palencia
- 2015–2015: Gezira
- 2015–2016: Al-Khor
- 2016–2017: Denain
- 2017–2018: Fos Provence
- 2018–2019: ADA Blois Basket 41
- 2019–2020: Fos Provence
- 2020–present: ESSM Le Portel
- Medals, , Men's basketball, Representing Ivory Coast, FIBA AfroBasket, : 2009 Libya:
- Men's basketball
- Representing Ivory Coast
- FIBA AfroBasket
- : 2009 Libya:
Charles Abouo was born in Cocody, Côte d'Ivoire on November 4th 1989. He played college basketball for BYU before being drafted by the NBA without ever playing a game.
Charles has since been playing in France for ESSM Le Portel where he averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds per game this season. Charles is known as an excellent shooter with three-point range who can score from anywhere on the court.
His ability to stretch the floor could make him a valuable asset off of the bench for any team looking to compete in the LNB Pro A league next season Charles Abouo is a French-Ivory Coast basketball player, who has played for several clubs in his career.
He started his career with CB Peñas Huesca in 2012 and spent two years there before moving to Quesos Cerrato Palencia the following year. In 2015, he moved to Algerian club Gezira and was part of their successful campaign that saw them reach the semifinals of the LNB Pro A championship.
The following season, he joined Al-Khor where he helped them win promotion back to Liga NBAPA after being relegated at the end of 2016/17 season.
Abouo then transferred to Denain but only stayed for one season before returning home and joining Fos Provence in 2017/18 campaign which they ended up winning Europe's top competition - EuroCup Challenge Cup that same year.
After spending two seasons with Fos Provence, Charles signed a two-year deal with ESSM Le Portel ahead of the 2018–19 LNB PRO A season which began on October 1st 2019.
30. Elijah Bryant
Career
- High school: , Mill Creek, (Hoschton, Georgia), New Hampton School, (New Hampton, New Hampshire)
- College: , Elon (2014–2015), BYU (2016–2018)
- NBA draft: 2018 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2018–present
- 2018–2019: Hapoel Eilat
- 2019–2021: Maccabi Tel Aviv
- 2021: Milwaukee Bucks
- 2021–present: Anadolu Efes
- NBA champion (2021), EuroLeague champion (2022), Turkish Cup winner (2022), Turkish Presidential Cup winner (2022), Israeli League champion (2020), All-Israeli League First Team (2019), First-team All-WCC (2018), CAA Rookie of the Year (2015), Third-team All-CAA (2015)
Elijah Bryant attended high school at Mill Creek in Hoschton, Georgia. He then played college basketball at New Hampton School before transferring to Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball League (BSL).
Elijah is a shooting guard and point guard who has averaged 7.9 points and 3 assists per game over his career so far. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA draft but elected to stay with Anadolu Efes for another season.
In July 2018, he signed a two-year contract extension with the club that will keep him until 2021-22 Bryant is a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He played college basketball at Brigham Young University, where he was an All-American as a senior in 2018.
Bryant has won championships playing for various teams in Europe and Israel over the past few years. Elijah Bryant is known for his perimeter shooting ability, which has led to him being named to multiple all-league teams throughout his career thus far.
31. Eric Mika
Career
- High school: Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
- College: BYU (2013–2014, 2016–2017)
- NBA draft: 2017 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2017–present
- 2017–2018: Victoria Libertas Pesaro
- 2018–2019: Basket Brescia Leonessa
- 2019: Medi Bayreuth
- 2019: Stockton Kings
- 2019–2020: Xinjiang Flying Tigers
- 2020: Stockton Kings
- 2020: Sacramento Kings
- 2020: Stockton Kings
- 2020–2021: Partizan
- 2021–2022: JL Bourg
- 2022–present: NBA G League Ignite
- First-team All-WCC (2017), WCC All-Freshman Team (2014), Second-team Academic All-American (2017)
Eric Mika was born on January 5th, 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended high school at Lone Peak in Highland, Utah and played for the BYU Cougars from 2013 to 2014 and 2016 to 2017.
After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft, he signed with Italian club Victoria Libertas Pesaro before joining Basket Brescia Leonessa this season. Eric Mika is a guard from Stockton, California who played collegiately at Brigham Young University.
He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings and has since been playing for their G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.
Mika has also had stints with Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China's CBA league as well as several other European teams including Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) and JL Bourg Ourense (Spain).
Eric was named to both WCC All-Freshman Team in 2014 and Second-team Academic All-American team in 2017 while attending Brigham Young University where he averaged 10 points per game over his three years there.
32. Matt Haarms
Career
- High school: Sunrise Christian Academy, (Bel Aire, Kansas)
- College: , Purdue (2017–2020), BYU (2020–2021)
- NBA draft: 2021 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2021–present
- 2021–present: Skyliners Frankfurt
- Second-team All-WCC (2021), WCC Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
Matt Haarms is a Dutch center who was drafted by the Skyliners Frankfurt in the 2017 Basketball Bundesliga draft. He has already made an impact with his team, averaging 10 points and six rebounds per game during the season so far.
Haarms has also shown potential on the international stage, representing Netherlands at under-16 and under-18 level before making his debut for senior side in 2018 World Cup qualification.
The 25-year old is looking to continue development at Frankfurt over the next few years and become one of Europe's top centers Haarms played college basketball for Purdue and BYU.
He was drafted in the 2021 NBA Draft but did not sign with an team. Haarms has since signed with Skyliners Frankfurt of the German Bundesliga.
Where he is averaging 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season. Haarms has been a key part of Frankfurt's success this year, helping them to a 20-10 record including playoffs so far.
33. Yoeli Childs
Career
- High school: Bingham, (South Jordan, Utah)
- College: BYU (2016–2020)
- NBA draft: 2020 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2021–present
- 2021: Erie BayHawks
- 2021: MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg
- 2022: Salt Lake City Stars
- 2022–present: Hamburg Towers
- 3× First-team All-WCC (2018–2020), WCC All-Freshman team (2017)
Yoeli Childs was born on January 13, 1998 in South Jordan, Utah. Yoeli played high school basketball at Bingham and helped the team to a 29-5 record his senior year as he averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.
As a college freshman at Brigham Young University (BYU), Yoeli was named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team after averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 43% from three point range.
In 2018-19 season, Yoeli joined Bundesliga club Veolia Towers Hamburg where he has started all 30 games this season playing power forward position averaging 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game while shooting 49%.
At 24 years old, Yoeli is one of youngest players currently playing in top European leagues with many young stars making their mark during recent seasons such as Ben Simmons (20), Donovan Mitchell (22) or Luka Doncic (18).
With an impressive junior campaign behind him – averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per contest for BYU – expectations are skyrocketing forYoel's sophomore NBA season which starts next month with the Philadelphia 76ers against LeBron James & The LA Lakers.
34. Gavin Baxter
Career
- High school: Timpview, (Provo, Utah)
- College: , BYU (2018–2022), Utah (2022–present)
- WCC All-Freshman Team (2019)
Baxter was a four-year starter at Brigham Young University, where he averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018–19. He will join the Utah Utes for the 2019–20 season.
Baxter is known for his shooting ability, averaging 38 percent from three-point range during his collegiate career.
He has represented Australia at international level on multiple occasions, most notably at the 2017 FIBA World Cup where he played in all six games for the Boomers and helped them reach the quarterfinals of competition before losing to France by one point (79–78).
After graduating from BYU with a degree in business management, Baxter plans to attend law school afterwards Baxter is a high school basketball standout who was recruited to play college ball at Brigham Young University.
Baxter helped lead his team to a state championship as a junior and has continued that success with the Cougars during his sophomore year. He led BYU in scoring last season, averaging 16 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 45% from three-point range.
His stellar play on the court earned him All-WCC first team honors and an invitation to participate in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament where he averaged 8 points per contest over four games played.
Baxter will continue his collegiate career at Utah next season before potentially entering the NBA Draft after two years of eligibility remaining.
35. Te'Jon Lucas
Career
- High school: Washington, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- College: , Illinois (2016–2018), Milwaukee (2019–2021), BYU (2021–present)
- Second-team All-Horizon League (2020), Third-team All-Horizon League (2021)
Lucas played for BYU from 2016-2018 and averaged 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal per game during his tenure with the Cougars.
Lucas was a first round pick of the Indiana Pacers in 2018 but did not sign with them and instead chose to play college basketball at BYU where he had an impressive performance over three seasons.
Lucas is currently playing for Illinois in the West Coast Conference (WCC) as a point guard and has been very productive so far this season averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers per game on 45% shooting from the field.
Overall including 38% shooting from three-point range which is good enough for second best marks in WCC among players who have attempted more than 20 shots from beyond the arc this season behind only Saint Mary's Jawad Williams (40%).
36. Bronson Kaufusi
Power forward
Career
- High school: Timpview (Provo, Utah)
- College: BYU
- Position: Tight end
- NFL Draft: 2016 / Round: 3 / Pick: 70
- Baltimore Ravens (2016–2017), New York Jets (2018–2020), Green Bay Packers (2021)*
- * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
- Total tackles: 8, Sacks: 0.5, Pass deflections: 1
- Total tackles: 8
- Sacks: 0.5
- Pass deflections: 1
Kaufusi attended Timpview High School in Provo, Utah. He played college football at BYU and was a three-year starter for the Cougars. Kaufusi entered the 2016 NFL Draft but was not drafted by any team.
Kaufusi signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent and spent the year on their practice squad before being released in December 2017. In February 2018, Kaufusi signed with the Detroit Lions after going unclaimed on waivers and made his debut that month against the Atlanta Falcons.
He finished his rookie season with eight receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown in nine games played.
On March 14, 2019, it was announced that Kaufusi had been waived by the Lions once again Kaufusi is a versatile player who can play both defensive tackle and outside linebacker. He has excellent pass-rushing skills, recording 5 sacks in his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Kaufusi should continue to improve as he enters his second NFL season with the Jets. He is an important part of New York's defense and will be counted on to help them make a push for the playoffs this year.
Kaufusi is one of several young players on the New York Jets roster that are expected to take their game to another level this season.
37. Lee Cummard
Career
- High school: Mesa (Mesa, Arizona)
- College: BYU (2005–2009)
- NBA draft: 2009 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2009–2016
- Position: Small forward / Shooting guard
- Number: 24, 8
- Coaching career: 2016–present
- MWC co-Player of the Year (2008), 2x First-team All-MWC (2008, 2009)
Lee Cummard attended Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona, where he starred as a shooting guard for the basketball team. After graduating from high school in 2005, Cummard played two seasons of college basketball at BYU before being drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 NBA draft but never played a game for them.
In 2009–10, Cummard joined the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (now called the G-League) and helped them win their first ever D-League Championship that season.
He then signed with Fuenlabrada of Spain's Liga ACB and averaged 14 points per game over three consecutive seasons there before returning to America and joining the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015.
Since 2017, Cummard has been assistant coach at Brigham Young University (BYU). Lee Cummard is a professional women’s basketball coach who has been coaching for over two years now.
Lee Cummard played college ball at Brigham Young University and was a two-time MWC co-Player of the Year. Lee Cummard currently coaches for BYU Women’s Basketball, where she works as an assistant coach under head coach Jimmer Fredette.
While with BYU, Lee Cummard helped lead the team to back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019. She also received WBCA District VII Coach of the Year honors in both seasons during her time on staff with the Cougars.
In addition to her work with BYU, Lee Cummard also serves as an assistant coach for Okapi Aalstar in Denmark, where she helps develop young players into successful athletes.
38. Nick Robinson
Career
- 2001–2005: Stanford
- Position(s): Forward
- 2005–2006: Rio Rancho HS (assistant)
- 2007–2008: Stanford (assistant)
- 2008–2009: William Jewell (assistant)
- 2011–2012: LSU (assistant)
- 2012–2016: Southern Utah
- 2017–2019: Seattle (assistant)
- 2019–present: BYU (assistant)
- 2006–2007: Stanford (dir. of ops.)
- 2009–2010: LSU (executive asst. to HC)
- 2010–2011: LSU (dir. of ops.)
Nick Robinson played for Stanford from 2001-2005. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach at BYU in 2016. He has experience as a forward and is currently coaching the forwards at BYU.
Nick Robinson was born on November 2, 1979 in Liberty, Missouri and attended Stanford University where he played football and basketball.
After college, Robinson went on to be an assistant coach with several different teams including Oregon State (2007-2008), Utah Valley (2009-2010), Sacramento Mountain Lions (2011) and most recently Brigham Young University where he is currently an assistant coach under head coaches Dave Rose and Ty Detmer Jr.
Nick Robinson has worked extensively with young players throughout his coaching career which may have contributed to his current role as an assistant coach at BYU where many of the team's players are relatively new to Division I athletics.
39. Jonathan Tavernari
Career
- High school: Bishop Gorman, (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- College: BYU (2006–2010)
- NBA draft: 2010 / Undrafted
- Playing career: 2010–present
- 2010–2011: Pinheiros
- 2011–2012: Biella
- 2012: →Pistoia
- 2012–2013: Scafati
- 2013–2014: Pinheiros
- 2014–2015: Derthona
- 2015–2016: Agropoli
- 2016-2017: Mens Sana Siena
- 2017–2018: Dinamo Sassari
- 2018: Pallacanestro Cantù
- 2018-2019: Scafati
- Medals, , Men's Basketball, Representing Brazil, FIBA AmeriCup, : 2009 San Juan: , FIBA South American Championship, : 2010 Neiva:
- Men's Basketball
- Representing Brazil
- FIBA AmeriCup
- : 2009 San Juan:
- FIBA South American Championship
- : 2010 Neiva:
Tavernari played college basketball for BYU and had a successful career in the NBA D-League. Tavernari was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2010 but never made it to an NBA game.
In 2011, he signed with Pinheiros of Brazil's top league and has been there ever since. Tavernari is known as one of the best power forwards in Brazilian basketball and is currently playing for Scafati Basket in Italy's A2 League playoffs.
Jonathan Tavernari has appeared in over 100 professional games and continues to play internationally for teams such as Pinheiros Braziliens de Basquetebol (Basketball) from São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Eurocup Basketball.
Team Altetico Madrid from Madrid, Spain, ASVEL Lyon from Lyon County France and most recently SCAFATI Basket Trentino Alto Adige/Südtirol from Bolzano/Bozen Italy during the 2017–2018 season where he led his team to their first promotion playoff appearance since 1978.
Final Words
. . The BYU Cougars men’s basketball team is one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division I history, and has produced some of the best players in college basketball.
Some of the best players to ever play for BYU include tournament MVP Jimmer Fredette, two-time Naismith Award finalist Deron Williams, All-American C.J. Miles and current NBA player Joe Ingles.
