BYU basketball has been in the habit of collecting five-star recruits in recent years, but that's hardly news to anyone at this point. So it shouldn't come as too great a surprise to learn that Kevin Young's program made the cut for 5-star prospect DeMarcus Henry's final five candidates.
According to Sam Kayser, BYU joins Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, and North Carolina as a finalist for Henry's commitment.
Programs in today at @AZCompass_Prep watching 5⭐ DeMarcus Henry, source told @LeagueRDY:
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) September 9, 2026
BYU
Arkansas
Kentucky
Ohio State
North Carolina
The 6-foot-8 wing recently visited Louisville last week and is expected to take a visit to UConn this weekend. #2 in the @SCNext 100. pic.twitter.com/Zp80wTXZZ2
Henry has been at the top of BYU's list for some time now, and vice versa. Per reports, BYU basketball is not only a contender but the current frontrunner to secure this talented wing's signature for the 2027-28 season.
A 6'7" small forward, not entirely unlike his 5-star counterparts at BYU in Bruce Branch III and AJ Dybantsa (who is 6'9", but played the 3/4 position in Provo), Henry is a top-five prospect in the class of '27 with elite athleticism in his blood.
Unfortunately, that family history could tilt Henry in the direction of Ohio State, another finalist and the current home of his older brother, Chris Henry Jr., who is a wide receiver on the Buckeyes' football team. His father, Chris Sr., was an NFL wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals, another tie to the Buckeye State.
But his connection to BYU is much stronger on the surface than the five-star prospects who joined BYU basketball in the past few seasons. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is a connection strong enough to have drawn consideration from big-time recruits like Jabari Parker and Frank Jackson in the past, but the BYU basketball of today looks nothing like it did back in the Mountain West/West Coast Conference days.
Kevin Young's arrival has transformed BYU basketball into exactly what he imagined three years ago: a premier destination for the top talent in college hoops to develop and prepare for a career in the NBA. Egor Demin, AJ Dybantsa, and Richie Saunders have all gone pro, and Bruce Branch III is poised to become the fourth Kevin Young prospect to make the leap after his freshman year at BYU.
The hunt for Henry is far from over, but BYU basketball remains in contention -- and in a position of power among other historically excellent programs.
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