BYU’s Fall Semester is 2.5 weeks away from starting, so hopefully this will be the last of these offseason notebooks I write focusing on this coming season’s roster. BYU has two open roster spots, and all eyes are on the potential addition of Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler to potentially fill out the roster.
Jaxon Kohler
I’ve already wrote extensively about Jaxon. The 6-foot-10 Michigan State big man would be a huge addition to BYU’s roster and put BYU in contender status for a Big 12 title. Jaxon would be one of the top big men in the Big 12 and single-handedly raise BYU’s ceiling to a team that could go deep in the NCAA Tournament. Jaxon can score on the block, is one the best big man shooters in college basketball, and is a high-level rebounder. No other big BYU pursued this offseason would raise BYU’s ceiling more than Jaxon Kohler. He would lead BYU in rebounding and probably be the favorite to be second in scoring behind Rob Wright. I’d have Jaxon as the best offensive big man in the Big 12 and one of the three best bigs in the league along with Arizona’s Mo Krivas and Houston’s Jo Tugler.
As it stands right now due to various state-level court injunctions, Jaxon Kohler can play a fifth year but can only do so at Michigan State. He and several other players are part of a California injunction that, if granted, would allow him to enter the transfer portal. All other state-level injunctions such as Ohio and Tennessee have granted in favor of the players and allowed them to play a fifth year and enter the transfer portal. Odds are high that the court will rule in the players favor and Jaxon will be able to enter the portal. The NCAA has maintained its stance that it opposes the courts rulings, and we should get a federal ruling early next week from the tenth circuit in the Colorado case that was recently ruled on. If the courts rule against the NCAA again in that case, that could force the NCAA to finally back off.
Based on several conversations I’ve had, I have BYU as the favorite to land Jaxon if he is indeed eligible to play. Schools such as Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville and several others have made a strong push, but BYU has stood above the rest. Kevin Young has made a very positive impression on Jaxon and there is a strong pull for Jaxon to stay close to home for his final season of college. Additionally, BYU has been able to raise its NIL offer in the past couple weeks to be more competitive for Jaxon, which was the last big hurdle. BYU has all the basketball and home stuff in its favor, now they have made the money less of a blocker. While BYU is not the highest bidder, BYU is in the ballpark to not have such a wide gap versus other schools. As it stands today I see Louisville as the strongest opposition to BYU due to a strong NIL offer they recently proposed, but BYU has done all the right things here. Once Jaxon gets eligibility, I anticipate he would commit to a school shortly after. That could come as soon as this week.
Here are some highlights of Jaxon if you want to see the versatility and skill in his game.
Is Keba Keita a possibility?
Keba Keita is part of the same California injunction that Kohler is part of. Jaxon Kohler is BYU’s preference between the two players. Unless Keba is willing to play at BYU for essentially free, there is virtually a zero chance that BYU would land both Kohler and Keba. BYU had to raise extra money just to get in contention for Jaxon, and there wouldn’t be any money left to add Keba too. So don’t get your hopes up that BYU adds both Jaxon and Keba, because it’s not happening.
How would BYU round out its roster?
If BYU landed Jaxon, BYU would have one roster spot vacant. If that spot is filled, that final roster spot wouldn’t be an impact player. There simply isn’t enough money or opportunity to land an impact player this late in the offseason. Based on conversations I’ve had with various people, I wouldn’t be surprised if BYU left the roster spot open and potentially fill it with a mid-year addition, similar to what they did with Abdullah Ahmed last year. That would give BYU flexibility to add someone for Winter semester in case of injury or evaluate the roster when everyone gets on campus and decide if there is a need they need to target with the vacant scholarship.