It's challenging for college basketball teams like BYU to find a starting-quality center when the shelves of the recruiting shopping center are as barren as they appear today. It's doubly challenging for outside analysts who blindly cling to the shopping cart, hoping to identify its contents by the clanging sound they make in the basket.
BYU basketball needs a starting center -- that's old news. We've known this from the beginning of the transfer portal window when Xavion Staton took off for Oregon State, and we know this today. But with every passing day, the panic meter climbs a few more notches, forcing fans and experts alike to consider the possibility of BYU wasting the upcoming year on small ball. Not by design, but by necessity.
Fortunately, thanks to the intel gathered from Vanquish the Foe's Robby McCombs, Young's top targets are beginning to take shape, and the order of priority is finally clearing up.
And as it would turn out, the Cougars' biggest obstacle in rounding out the starting lineup is NCAA eligibility rulings, as their primary targets are international prospects approaching the twilight of their collegiate qualifications. It's muddy waters, and BYU's recruiting tendencies are certainly stacking paperwork on the desks of the decision-makers. But let's lay out the candidates in McCombs' perceived order of priority, and evaluate the chances of each player actually arriving in Provo.
BYU basketball's center recruiting list is taking shape
1. David Okwera, 6'10" Australian C
By all appearances, Okwera is the top priority for BYU basketball at the moment. A player who is equal parts power and finesse, as a sturdy big with guard skills and a shooter's touch. He can operate either end of the pick-and-roll and gives Kevin Young incredible versatility on the offensive end.
Okwera's drawback is his age -- he'll be 24 by the time the season begins, tightroping the razor's edge of the NCAA's newly-proposed 5-in-5 eligibility rule. But he turns 24 at the end of this month, leaving some ambiguity as the NCAA's fiscal year started at the beginning of July.
2a. Xu Xin, 7'5" Chinese C
Xu Xin is the Cougars' secondary option. A massive defense-forward center who just enjoyed a breakout season in the CBA, Xu could be the answer to BYU's deficiencies in rim-protection and rebounding that killed the Cougs in the Big 12 schedule.
Though earlier reports indicated that Xu was the Cougars' primary target, it seems those were less than accurate. He and BYU are in active communication, but his international status makes eligibility a bit complicated.
2b. Caleb Ourigou, 6'10"4-star C
Ourigou was reportedly impressed during his visit to BYU, reportedly leaning toward Kevin Young's program following his trip to campus. McCombs clarified that he believes Arkansas has taken the lead in the race for Ourigou's commitment.
He's not the versatile, highly-skilled big Kevin Young prefers, but Ourigou could play from day one in the physical Big 12 Conference, assuming he officially reclassifies to the 2026 class. He could become the target if the NCAA rules against Okwera's eligibility.
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