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Collin Chandler rises for a break-away dunk versus Texas last season. January 21, 2026

James Crisp

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Collin Chandler shoots a 3-pointer versus Vanderbilt last season. February 28, 2026

James Crisp

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Timpview star Dean Rueckert deferred to his teammate's to carry the scoring load during his team's 81-53 win over Maple Mountain. January 23, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

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Timpview guard Jake Wahlin (10) goes up for a shot while guarded by Farmington guards Josh Wade (13) and McKay Thomsen (24) during a semifinal game in the 5A boys basketball state tournament between the Timpview Thunderbirds and the Farmington Phoenix held Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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BYU men’s basketball roster should feel somewhat more familiar to Cougar fans this coming season, and it could lead to improved success over last season’s ultimate disappointment.

Take Collin Chandler as perhaps the most notable example.

The former Farmington High phenom addressed the media earlier this month, presenting a confident and excited demeanor as he prepares for this coming season. Chandler comes to Provo following a two-year stint at Kentucky, which was preceded by a two-year mission service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to both Sierra Leone and England.

“I loved my time in Kentucky, (but) if I was leaving Kentucky, it was going to be to come home to BYU,” Chandler said of his decision to transfer.

And it’s not just Chandler.

Other players giving interviews involved former Timpview High standout Jake Wahlin, who like Chandler initially committed to BYU before opting to play elsewhere following his mission service to Lithuania. The 6-foot-10 forward played two years at Utah and then this past season for Clemson before opting to finish out with the Cougars.

Add Timpview product Dean Rueckert and Brooks Bahr, who recently returned home from his mission service to Germany, and the Cougar roster set to look a lot more ‘BYU-like’ than it did a year ago.

Last season saw the Cougars field a rotation which included just one true local product in Richie Saunders, who played for both Riverton and Wasatch Academy before signing on to play for the Cougars. This season is set to look a whole lot different in that regard, beginning with Chandler, who has impressed since beginning practice sessions with the team.

“I think what intrigued me about Colin was his ability to play with the ball in his hands as a playmaker,” said BYU coach Kevin Young. “I think he’s really good passer. I think I think that he can do some things creation-wise that interests me, but just the play making on top of this shooting. He’s not obviously not the rebounder that Richie was, so they have some differences, but play-making along with the shooting is where we really got excited.”

Chandler is a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 9.7 points per game last season with the Wildcats and shot 41% from 3-point range, and was utilized primarily as a so-called ‘3-and-D’ type, which isn’t at all how he envisioned himself when coming out of high school.

“It’s kind of funny … my freshman year I was getting on the court to play defense, and I never thought I would ever say that my entire life,” Chandler said. “I was going on the court and chasing guys around screens … and then my sophomore year … I excelled in was shooting, and (that) really hasn’t been my thing my whole life, really. But two things were things I feel like were things that I needed to work on out of high school, and so being able to to excel in defense and get better in my shooting is going to help me. So I think put that together with the other things in my game is what I can do here.”

Chandler is almost assuredly going to play most of his minutes alongside returning point guard Rob Wright, and be given more of a ball-handling role than he did while with Kentucky.

As for Rueckert, Young expressed excitement about what he’s seen from the former 6-foot-8 T-bird forward, who was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school.

“He’s been super impressive with his motor,” Young said. “You could have him (practice) for 10 hours a day and he wouldn’t blink. He’s been really impressive with his work ethic and I love his shooting — that was the thing that really drew me to him. But you’re also talking about a 6-foot-8 legitimate athlete as well. So I think the sky’s the limit for Dean, honestly.”

While Chandler is likely to command a lot of playing time this season, Rueckert may have to wait a bit, however.

“I’m super high on Dean, but with all young players you hope they understand the patience required to get to the level they can ultimately get to,” Young said. ” … But I’m really high on what I’ve seen from Dean so far.”

As for Wahlin, he played 20 minutes per game for the Tigers last season and averaged 5.3 points and shot 34% from 3-point range.

With Bahr, Young is receiving a 6-4 guard fresh off of his mission service after starring as a high-recruited player for Keller High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

How all four players, who fit more the traditional profile of a BYU athlete, meld together and improves the overall team play remains to be seen, although optimism abounds for the coming 2026-27 season.