No. 25 BYU opens its basketball season against Ohio State at the Delta Center on Monday, Nov. 2, and an American Fork native will be at the center of it all.
Jaxon Kohler, a former American Fork High standout who spent four seasons at Michigan State, transferred to BYU in August after a court injunction granted him a fifth year of college eligibility. He chose the Cougars over Kentucky, Louisville and Kansas, according to the Deseret News.
Kohler was named the Deseret News Utah 6A Player of the Year in 2021 while playing at American Fork High. He also played at Wasatch Academy. At Michigan State, he appeared in 127 games and helped the Spartans win eight NCAA Tournament contests, including an Elite 8 run in 2025. He earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors last season, averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.
His eligibility hinges on the Glancey v. NCAA case. Kohler is among the high school class of 2022 athletes who received an additional season through a preliminary injunction, the Deseret News reported in October. A California judge granted him a separate injunction to enter the transfer portal. If the injunction holds, he remains eligible through the case's final trial date. If not, he could be sidelined.
Kohler already showed what he can bring. In a preseason exhibition against Nebraska, he posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, draining a pair of 3-pointers and grabbing four offensive rebounds, the Deseret News reported Oct. 19. He finished with a plus/minus of +16.
He also played on the Utah Jazz Summer League team, ABC4 reported.
Head coach Kevin Young told the Deseret News in October that Kohler is "a perfect pairing with Rob Wright" because "the lane is just so much more open." Young added that BYU had spent the offseason searching for a specific type of center.
This year's Cougars look different from last season's squad, which earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament before a first-round exit. That team leaned on AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright III and Richie Saunders. Wright, who averaged 18.1 points and 4.6 assists per game last season, is back after briefly entering the transfer portal, ABC4 reported.
Young said Oct. 30 that the roster's balance will be a strength. The Cougars attempted at least 30 3-pointers in each of their two exhibition games, according to the Deseret News.
Collin Chandler, a Kentucky transfer who played at Farmington High, and Jake Wahlin, a Clemson transfer, join the roster alongside freshman Bruce Branch III. The Deseret News described Branch as one of the country's most talented incoming freshmen.
BYU tips off against Ohio State at the Delta Center on Nov. 2.
