The tradition continues of my BYU Basketball Notebook where I highlight BYU’s search for a starting big man. I say that tongue in cheek (sort of), but BYU still needs a starting center. If the season started tomorrow, Khadim Mboup would be the starting center and Adam Stewart would be the backup. That’s not going to happen, but BYU needs to find it’s starting big. The demand for quality bigs across college basketball is sky high and the supply is much less, and that is the pool BYU is playing in.
In some ways, writing about BYU’s starting center search reminds me of writing home on my mission. At the beginning of my mission, I would eagerly tell my parents about the new investigators that I met. In their email to me the next week when they asked me about one of those people, he/she was already gone and I sadly told my parents that Mihai was no longer talking to us. As I got later in my mission, I shared fewer and fewer individual names.
BYU’s big man search kind of reminds me of that. I don’t write just to write and usually put out content when I have something of value to share, not just to put out content and get clicks. But as is the case with recruiting, I’ll share some names that get fans’ hopes up and then that player goes elsewhere. Such is life. I’m not here to make you happy, I’m hear to share some of the things I’m hearing and what I think.
Below is what I’m hearing on some of BYU’s targets (and players who aren’t targets).
Theo Edema, 4-Star Center
Let’s get Edema out of the way. A member of the 2027 class, Edema released a top earlier in the week that includes BYU, Maryland, Stanford, and St John’s. He is strongly considering reclassifying to the 2026 class and playing this next season. Multiple sources have reiterated to me that BYU is not recruiting Edema. He just decided to include BYU in his final four.
Luigi Suigo, Italian Center
As I detailed a month ago, BYU started recruiting Suigo over a year ago. Suigo just finished participating in the NBA Draft combine, where he measured 7-foot-3 barefoot and 289 pounds. He mentioned Villanova and BYU has two possible destinations if he chooses the college route. Suigo would certainly be at least a second round pick, but is hoping to be a first round pick and may not get that this year. Sources have indicated to me that returning to college is the more likley option. I’ve heard for weeks Villanova is the likely destination, and I haven’t heard anything recently that makes me think differently from that.
Michael Ruzic, Croatian Center
Alright, here’s where I’ll spend more time and give you some background on Ruzic’s recruitment and relationship with BYU that you probably didn’t know before you read this.
I detailed Ruzic a couple weeks back. The 19-year old Croatian center is currently playing professionally in Spain in the ACB, the best domestic league in Europe. He is teammates with Ricky Rubio and Jabari Parker and going against former NBA players and high-end college players, which shows the level he is playing. Ruzic participated in the NBA Draft combine last year, where he measured 6-foot-11 barefoot and a wingspan of nearly 7-foot-1. Even if he hasn’t grown in the past year, he’d be listed 7-feet on a roster.
Sources have told me that Kevin Young’s preference is to land a skilled big man, and Ruzic has been right at the top of Kevin Young’s big man wish list since April. Ruzic is a skilled 7-footer who has nice touch around the rim, can move well, and has the ability to hit outside shots. His club’s starting center (Ante Tomic) got hurt in April, and Ruzic has burst onto the scene in the past month, playing well against some of the best international players in the world.
BYU has a long relationship with Ruzic’s agency. Ruzic’s agent is Sasa Zagaroc of the agency BDAI Sports. That is the same agency that represents Egor Demin. Back when Egor Demin visited BYU a couple years ago as part of his recruiting visit, that agency visited BYU with Egor and got to know Kevin Young and BYU. Back in late May, BYU Women’s Basketball signed UNC transfer and Russia native Lisa Astakhova. She is repped by BDAI Sports. There is trust and familiarity between BYU’s staff and BDAI Sports.
One industry source told me that Zagaroc really values relationships and will send clients to schools and spots where he really trusts the coaching staff and fit, even if it means less money. Kevin Young has known Sasa and his agency for years and has built a great deal of trust with the agency.
It’s not a slam dunk that Ruzic chooses BYU. LSU has been involved and has lots of money, Kentucky would be a bigger threat if Malachi Moreno stays in the NBA Draft, and staying in Europe is a real consideration as well. Kevin Young has made it clear to Ruzic’s camp for sometime that he wants Ruzic, and BYU is right there.
Ruzic would be BYU’s starting center if he comes to Provo. Since getting the starting spot for his club, he’s scored in double figures in four of his last five games and has shown really well against some of the best international players. In his last game a couple days ago, he scored 10 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and recorded 3 blocks. One of his blocks showed his ability to cover ground; he blocked Sir’Jabari Rice, the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year a few seasons ago at Texas.
Here’s some more highlights from that game. Ruzic also knocked down a three, where he is 10-26 (39%) in 24 games this season.
Ruzic can play either the four or the five, and people in the sport have questioned what is his better position. He’s shown the past month that he can play the five at the high level and that is his best future position if he wants to make the NBA. BYU is recruiting Ruzic to be their starting five. Ruzic himself said a month ago he sees himself as a five.
Below are some more highlights of Ruzic where you can skill his size and ability to score in a multitude of ways.
Other Targets
BYU has been involved with a lot of big men as they try to land their starting center. Below are a couple other names BYU has contacted.
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18-year old Serbian Pavle Backo has been going through the draft process. Backo is a big body who has a versatile offensive game. BYU has been in contact with him, sources tell me.
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French big man Zacharie Perrin is another big man who several high majors have been in contact with. Perrin played for Illinois in the 2022-2023 season, where he played in one game before returning to Europe. Sources tell me BYU has also been in contact with him. Transcripts could be a hurdle for him a many schools, but he is a talented big who has been producing in Europe for years now.
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Will Voigt has spent a lot of time in Africa since the season ended. He’s been looking at several big men. Voigt has tons of connections in Africa, and sources have told me he is looking to bring a big man to compete with Khadim Mboup as the backup center.
