Utah center Karram transfers to Utah Valley
Jay Drowns, UVU Marketing
UVU fans cheer on head coach Todd Phillips as he walks in front of the bench after the WAC championship game against Grand Canyon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 15, 2025.OREM — Utah Valley University head men’s basketball coach Todd Phillips has announced the signing of sophomore center Joul Karram, a transfer from the University of Utah and a standout from Israel with extensive international experience.
“Joul brings great size and length at 6-foot-11,” said Phillips. “We like his skill in the post and his ability to stretch the floor on the perimeter. He’s added strength and weight during his first year in the Big 12 and will help shore up the five spot for us as a strong interior presence.”
Karram appeared in eight games for the Runnin’ Utes during the 2024-25 season, scoring five points and pulling down 11 rebounds in limited action. He shot 66.7 percent from the field and added three assists and four offensive boards while averaging just 3.6 minutes per game.
Before beginning his college career, Karram played for Hapoel Tel Aviv and was a key contributor for Israel’s national teams at both the U16 and U18 levels. He was named to the Israeli U18 All-Star Team after a strong showing at the 2024 FIBA U18 Eurobasket in Finland, helping Israel reach the semifinals with wins over European powers France and Spain.
Karram averaged 13.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range during his final season at Hapoel Tel Aviv. He also competed in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Serbia and played on the Israeli Select Team during its tour against top NCAA programs Arizona and Kansas State. A native of Nazareth, Israel, Karram moved to Tel Aviv for high school and brings global basketball experience to Utah Valley, having played in Serbia, Macedonia, Finland, and across Israel.
Phillips and his coaching staff have now added nine transfers and freshmen to the roster for the 2025-26 season. The Wolverines top three players from last season — WAC Player of the Year Dominick Nelson (14.4 points per game), guard Tanner Toolson (13.3 ppg) and center Carter Welling (13.1 ppg) — transferred to Iowa State, TCU and Clemson, respectively. In addition, post player Ethan Potter (7.0 ppg) transferred to Utah Tech.
Utah Valley finished 25-9 last season and won the WAC regular season title with a 15-1 record. The Wolverines lost to Grand Canyon 89-82 in the WAC Tournament championship game and fell to San Francisco 79-70 in the first round of the NIT.
