There's something you should know about BYU basketball's freshman superstar Bruce Branch III. He's not human. Well, not in the traditional sense, anyway.
Do you know about the Vitruvian Man, Leonardo DiVinci's renowned model of the human anatomy? Maybe you don't attribute the image to the famous Renaissance man, but you've certainly spotted it before. Forward-facing, with arms and legs outstretched in a spread-eagle stance, with a circle encapsulating the man and his collective eight limbs.
Well, with the recent reveal that Branch's wingspan had grown two inches in the past few months, he now stands 6'6" barefoot (6'7" in shoes) with a 7'3" wingspan. Like I said, those types of proportions are absolutely alien.
Defense won't be a problem for @bkbranch3 with his 7'3" wingspan 😤 pic.twitter.com/pXrs9aFOty
— BYUtv Sports Nation (@BYUSportsNation) May 4, 2026
That's a +9" difference between his height and wingspan, making him some sort of defensive superhuman capable of swiping at any dribble, contesting any jump shot, and simply ruining the day of anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves matchup up against Branch.
To put this in perspective, Victor Wembanyama has a +7" differential. Obviously that's a bigger deal, comparatively, considering he stands at 7'5", but worth mentioning.
Frank Ntilikina was drafted 5th overall for his 'span difference at 6'5" with a 7'1" stretch. Rajon Rondo stood 6'1" with a 6'9" wingspan. Branch's proportions are somehow even more drastic.
And in case you're curious, Manute Bol had an 8'8" wingspan to pair with his 7'7" frame. That's not even fair.
"That's not even fair" could be the most common soundbite from opposing coaches and players when describing Branch's impact on the basketball court. As a defensive pest, he's capable of getting involved and thwarting just about any offensive action within his general vicinity. It'll be incredible watching how he works within BYU's system as a freshman, especially alongside an elite backcourt of Robert Wright III and Collin Chandler.
He told BYU Sports Nation that he loves defense. For a BYU program that has struggled to dam their opponents' offensive flow over the last two years, his measurables, combined with a love for getting stops at that end, could finally bring balance to a team whose unbalanced nature caught them countless times during the 2025 season.
As a spit in the face to the laws of nature and reasonability, Bruce Branch III stretches out and promises to add a new wrinkle to Kevin Young's program.
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