BYU basketball's problems just got magnified with the return of Arizona center Motiejus Krivas. Krivas, a giant of a man who stands taller than 7-feet, held down the paint for Tommy Lloyd's Arizona Wildcats last season all the way through the Big 12 Conference championship and to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
HE’S BACKKK🗣️
— Barstool Arizona (@UofABarstool) April 25, 2026
Mo Krivas will RETURN for his senior season! pic.twitter.com/bn9bGFnL4T
Krivas was a big reason for the Wildcats' success (no pun intended, but actually kind of pun intended) as he denied 1.9 shots per game, scored over 10 points, and swallowed 8.2 rebounds per night -- 3.1 of those coming on the offensive end. That kind of production was apparently lacking among the Cougars' unbalanced roster last season.
If BYU's objective is to reach that same height of a Final Four berth, the precedent is set, and the issue is clear: the Cougars cannot succeed without an NBA-quality starting center. That means real size -- at least 7'0" and the strength to support it -- and adequate effort and leadership to back it up.
Without a 5 with sincere NBA upside as Kevin Young's anchor, holding down the core of Wright, Chandler, and Branch, this vessel will spring countless leaks on the journey through the season's gauntlet. We saw what happened when an incomplete roster surrounded the best player in college basketball, AJ Dybantsa, last season. There will be rioting in the streets of Provo, Utah, if BYU basketball wastes another NBA talent in Bruce Branch, and I will not be there to quench the burn of any flaming dumpsters.
So it's agreed, then! Finding a starting center of elite Big 12 quality is paramount. With all due respect to recent addition Adam Stewart from TCU, that elite center still evades BYU basketball.
Fortunately, more potential problem solvers are added to the list every day. Luigi Suigo, a jumbo Italian with a beautiful three-point shot, has been connected to Kevin Young's program. The issue with Suigo? There's a decent chance he opts to forego the college route altogether and takes the leap to the NBA directly.
Then there's Obinne Ezekie Jr, a 5-star center and 4th-ranked player in his entire class who just took a visit to campus in Provo. He's a defensive force with a blossoming offensive game that extends well beyond rim-running. The issue with Ezekie? His high school class is 2027, while the Cougars need one from 2026. Here's the good news: he's rumored to be exploring a jump to college basketball this season by reclassifying. If that's the case, BYU would be an ideal landing spot.
No, this problem isn't derived exclusively from Krivas' return to Big 12 rival, Arizona, but it does reinforce the urgency with which BYU basketball must pursue next season's starting center. It could be the difference between life and death in the cutthroat Big 12 Conference.
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