BYU basketball needs to sign a 7-foot center in the transfer portal who can score in the post and patrol the paint

With the transfer portal still wide open, BYU's biggest need to fill remains landing a 7-foot, 250-pound center who can score in the paint and protect the rim. Players that meet those criteria don't grow on trees -- and they'll require significant NIL commitments -- but BYU boosters will pony up if it means finally bringing that elusive big man to Provo.

While BYU in recent years has generally prioritized 3-point shooting over traditional big men, and coach Kevin Young has said that shooting remains a top priority in constructing next year's roster, the Cougs need to get bigger. While there's always risk in taking one data point and running too far with it, just look at the beef and the skill levels in the paint for this year's Final Four teams:

Michigan cut down the nets with a national championship thanks in large part to the two-way impact of 7-foot-3 Aday Mara. UConn, who fell to Michigan in the championship game, featured 6-foot-11 Tarris Reed Jr. who averaged 14.7 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game on 61.7% field goals. His effective offensive game reminded me of former BYU post player Fousseyni Traore, only that Reed is five inches taller.

The two teams that lost in the Final Four were Arizona, a team that features 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas, and Illinois which boasts twin brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic who stand a combined 14-foot-3.

BYU, meanwhile, hasn't featured a true 7-footer since Matt Haarms back in 2020-21. The 7-foot-3 center came to Provo for one season after playing three years at Purdue. Haarms was good on the offensive end, averaging 11.3 points on 54.6% shooting in just 23 minutes per game, and he was a solid shot blocker at two swats per contest. But his five rebounds per game left a lot to be desired.

Why a 7-footer makes sense regardless of BYU's offensive scheme

Now, some BYU fans will reasonably argue that Kevin Young's offense doesn't need a traditional big man. In fact, plopping a center in the post could gum up a BYU offense that tends to prioritize spacing and perimeter shooting. Coach Young seems to prefer athletic rim-rolling centers, not plodders who clog up the lane.

I respectfully disagree.

There is significant value in being able to dump the ball down to an efficient post player who can get you buckets, period. Every team that made the Final Four this year featured traditional centers in their offensive sets.

Heck, just think back to BYU's 2024-25 Sweet Sixteen team. Even with a point guard who could create in Egor Demin and a multitude of shooters surrounding him in Richie Saunders, Trevin Knell, Dawson Baker, and Kanon Catchings, sometimes BYU's best offense was to dump the ball to Fousseyni Traore in the post. Fouss averaged 8.7 points per game on a ridiculously efficient 62.8% shooting that year. Despite coming off the bench he scored 20 in a win over West Virginia, 16 against Utah, 15 in a Big 12 Conference tournament win over Iowa State, and 14 against Texas Tech.

Sometimes outside shots just aren't going to fall. That happened to BYU plenty this past season. It will probably happen again this upcoming year more than we would like. And when those cold 3-point streaks hit, there's nothing more comforting than wrapping a team up in the warmth of a dependable post scorer.

Outside of just offensive production, beefy 7-foot centers can have a massive impact protecting the rim and cleaning the glass. Even when big men don't score regularly or have offensive sets drawn up for them, they still deter drives and alter shots. Defense is half of the game of basketball, after all.

If BYU whiffs on landing a true 7-foot big man in this transfer cycle, the upside of next year's team will be limited.

The transfer window is still open.

Let's hope the Cougs bring some beef to Provo before it closes.