The second commitment of the transfer portal window for BYU, former Syracuse Orange sniper Tyler Betsey, committed to Kevin Young's program on Monday.
Last year's team had a grand total of zero floor-spacing bigs alongside the star backcourt of AJ Dybantsa, Rob Wright, and Richie Saunders. The Cougars' depth at the five consisted of Keba Keita, Khadim Mboup, and Abdullah Ahmed, three players who hit a collective total of two three-pointers -- both courtesy of Mboup, a 16.7% shooter from distance as a freshman.
NEWS: Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey has committed to BYU, a source tells @247Sports.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 13, 2026
6-8 floor-stretcher that shot 40.7% from three on four-attempts per game this season. https://t.co/FIZYITkAkf pic.twitter.com/RA2fjwzpW9
Betsey, a 6'8" forward who spent his first two college seasons at Cincinnati and Syracuse, is a three-point specialist at the 3 or 4. He hit 40.7% of his threes with the Orange a season ago, and is a shooting specialist first and foremost. His three-point percentage was a few decimal points higher than his efficiency from two-point land, as he knocked through 1.6 three-pointers per game on 4.0 attempts compared to 0.6 twos on 1.5 attempts per game.
On an average of 18.1 minutes and zero starts as a sophomore, Betsey averaged 6.7 points a night.
But for BYU basketball, a floor-spacer that can play power forward is exactly what they need to supplement players like 5-star Bruce Branch, Collin Chandler, or (heaven willing) even Rob Wright, should he choose to return.
Betsey won't be the focal point of the Cougars' offense, and his defense isn't exactly all-world, but as a pressure-release and constant threat to punish a defense for cheating off the corners, he'll be fed open threes regularly as opposing defenses hyperfixate on the Cougars' stars.
He isn't only a catch-and-shoot type, however, and defenses will get burned for thinking otherwise. Very comfortable at putting the ball on the floor to relocate or disorient the opposition, Betsey finds open looks and keeps the offense rolling, even when other shooting specialists might find themselves trapped in the corner.
Get familiar with BYU’s newest addition Tyler Betsey! 👀🔥
— Church Ball: A BYU Hoops Pod (@churchballpod) April 13, 2026
6-8 Forward that shot 40.7% at Syracuse last season. pic.twitter.com/EFJDPagyn1
Though his free throw efficiency leaves a bit to be desired (63.6% as a sophomore and 53.8% as a freshman), Betsey is a low-waste player. He doesn't turn the ball over, he isn't a ball-stopper, and he's more than comfortable filling a role for Kevin Young's NBA-style offense.
Tyler Betsey was the 53rd-rated recruit and a four-star athlete in the 2024 recruiting class.
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