BYU basketball given new life in hunt for fifth-year transfer Jaxon Kohler

I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong when I wrote that Jaxon Kohler wouldn't be joining BYU basketball this summer. Though my original assessment was accurate -- the injunction that granted Kohler and other players from his class a fifth season of eligibility did not grant him the right to enter the transfer portal -- a follow-up injunction is in play that would allow entry into the portal.

It's just a preliminary injunction that opened the gate for Kohler and a number of other fifth-year players -- one that the NCAA will be pushing back against -- so it's possible that this decision could be reversed. But for the moment, nothing stands in Kohler's path toward another season of college hoops.

It must be an absolute nightmare to be on the NCAA's legal team right about now.

Jon Rothstein announced earlier today that Kohler plans to enter the portal after all, with four suitors rising to the top in the hunt for the fifth-year senior's services.

None are more likely (or in greater need) to sign Kohler than Kevin Young and BYU basketball, whose summer-long search for size resulted in just Jakub Urbaniak, a 6-foot-9 international prospect from Poland who is best-suited as the Cougars second option at the 5, but is currently slated as the starter down low.

Competition will be stiff to secure Kohler. After all, it's not every day that a senior starting center from one of the nation's most prolific programs becomes available. The Cougars will be wrestling on the recruiting mat with the likes of Kentucky (of course), Kansas, and the infinite pockets of Louisville.

BYU should be seen as the favorite here. Kohler, a native of nearby American Fork, Utah, played for the Utah Jazz's Summer League team this season and has been in close contact with BYU basketball since gaining eligibility. Per Robby McCombs at Vanquish the Foe, BYU stands above the competition in the race for Kohler, and has the best shot at signing the big man before the season begins.

Kohler is a high-level defender for his size -- 6-foot-9 or 10, depending on who you ask -- and started for Tom Izzo at Michigan State as a senior last season. The Spartans were as good as you'd expect for a historically excellent program under the watch of a legendary head coach, and Kohler was a driving force toward that success.

He's also a great scorer, prolific at the block and in the post, while maintaining a red-hot stroke at the three-point line. He hit over 38% from distance as a senior, and could be the Cougars' second-leading scorer from the starting lineup.

It's hard to overstate what landing Kohler would mean for BYU hoops this season. After struggling to fill in the void at center since the end of the NCAA Tournament, Kevin Young has spent the offseason building a deep, talented, and well-balanced roster around Robert Wright III, Bruce Branch III, and Collin Chandler. Sort of the best of both worlds between Young's first two seasons with BYU, this roster could go 10 players deep with self-creation and reliable production all the way down, while delivering some of the most talented players in the nation.

Kohler's arrival elevates BYU's ceiling from a second-weekend team in March (at very best) to potentially a Final Four contender. Needless to say, signing him has to be their only point of emphasis at the moment. They can't afford to miss out now.

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