Suddenly, LSU's treachery is officially bleeding into BYU basketball's business.
In Kevin Young's desperate hunt for a 7-footer to hold down the fort in the paint, the one prospect that appeared to be the Cougars' to lose was stolen by Will Wade and the LSU Tigers. The newest villains of college basketball have increased their strangle-hold on the international recruit market by overruling BYU's offer of a starting role and stronger connections... with money.
BYU basketball will not be signing Michael Ruzic -- he's bound for Baton Rouge.
BYU had the relationships and starting role with Ruzic, LSU was able to offer more money and that won out. https://t.co/giMgObbdva
— Robby McCombs (@rtmccombs) May 20, 2026
I guess money talks.
Add another frustrating miss to the pile in Kevin Young's 7-footer adventure. After throwing their hat in the ring for players like UConn transfer Eric Reibe (now a USC Trojan), Marcio Santos (also joining LSU), Obinna Ekezie (reclassifying up with a potent Louisville squad), Theo Edema (recently committed to St. John's), and many others, it seems the Cougars' only hope is to secure the commitment of Luigi Suigo, an Italian big who's commitment will have to arrive despite pull from the NBA Draft first, and Villanova second.
I'm running out of optimism over here, because Ruzic was supposed to be the Cougars' easiest 7-footer recruiting win of the season, and was swayed by a heftier NIL package from Wade and his team of 25-year-old professionals and NBA-experienced returners (that's not even hyperbole, anymore).
Ruzic was a floor-spacing big, who fit in more as a power forward than a center, despite his 7-foot frame. As Kevin Young's depth at the 4 spot is a toss-up between Tyler Betsey and Jake Wahlin at the moment, Ruzic could have been either a jumbo forward, or perhaps the best backup center in the Big 12 Conference.
NEWS: 7-0 Croatian big man Michael Ruzic has committed to LSU, per @JonRothstein.
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) May 20, 2026
The 19-year-old recently played for Joventut Badalona in Spain. pic.twitter.com/TCVPw5rihl
LSU really came out of nowhere in the hunt for Ruzic, as BYU led the pack with Kentucky as the only team receiving any comparable buzz. At just 19 years of age, Ruzic will begin his college career as a freshman in an increasingly loaded depth chart with the Tigers.
This is a frustrating miss for BYU, but the Cougars are far from out of options. Luigi Suigo has long been, and remains the prize of the recruiting class for BYU basketball. We'll see if they can manage to round out their roster against the rising odds.
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