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BYU basketball out of contention for 6'11" center in wake of Xu Xin reveal

BYU basketball may have its starting center, so the news of Frolov's commitment stings a bit less.
ByCalvin Barrett|
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Feb 18, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kevin Young yells out to players during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Feb 18, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kevin Young yells out to players during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

BYU basketball is missing out on another international big man prospect in 6'11" Ilia Frolov, who was announced to have committed to John Calipari and Arkansas, but this news stings considerably less in the wake of news that the Cougars are just a few dotted I's and crossed t's away from bringing on 7'5" center Xu Xin from the CBA.

BYU was only vaguely tied to Frolov, a player whose recruitment had many bidders, and Kevin Young and his staff had clearly been more focused on other prospects. In that light, Frolov's commitment isn't so much as a miss than it is a take from the Cougars. He can commit elsewhere, BYU basketball has other commitments at the moment.

Still, the fact that Calipari is the man to bring in Frolov is telling as to what kind of talent he could be at the collegiate level.

I wrote the following on Frolov when I first learned that BYU was connected to his recruiting process.

"...a dynamic stretch center who can do damage from anywhere on the floor -- something BYU basketball missed dearly with three-point-deficient options like Keba Keita, Abdullah Ahmed, and Khadim Mboup playing the 5. Last season, Frolov played with Real Madrid's U22 squad and put up averages of 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 23 minutes per game. Frolov is looking to commit to a college basketball program this upcoming season, with Penn State, NC State, Arkansas, and others in the mix with BYU."

Much more limited defensively than Xu, but a more dynamic offensive weapon, the pair could have been a potent one-two punch if Xu's minutes remain slightly limited as they did in his 24 minutes per game run in his most recent season of CBA play. I'm sure Frolov puts little thought toward Xu Xin, however, and this comparison is a bit pointless at this point in time.

So BYU misses out on another center and technically still stands without a starting big until Xu is enrolled. But fans of BYU basketball are far less concerned over Frolov's commitment than they would be even a day earlier.

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