Brooks Bahr’s path to BYU has been anything but ordinary, but the freshman guard says he never seriously considered changing course.
Bahr signed with the Cougars in November 2023, back when Mark Pope was still steering the program into its first Big 12 season. Since then, Pope left for Kentucky, Kevin Young took over in Provo, and BYU’s new coach has already guided the Cougars to 60% of their Big 12 games, a Sweet 16 and two first-round NBA draft picks. While all of that was happening, Bahr was away on a mission in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Now, four months after finishing that mission, he’s finally in the fold. And for Bahr, the decision to stay locked in with BYU was never in doubt.
“I think BYU is just the place where I want to win the most,” Bahr said Monday on BYUtv’s “BYU Sports Nation.”
“No matter where in the country I go, there’s money elsewhere and stuff like that, different coaching staffs and everything, but winning at BYU to me is the most special. Since I was a kid, it was my dream to win at BYU, to bring a banner, bring a championship to this university, so that’s why I stayed (committed).”
That loyalty carried through a lot of change. Bahr arrived after a mission and into a program that looks very different from the one he signed with, but the freshman guard is now part of a roster that’s trying to build something with a new mix of talent and experience.
A senior at Keller High in Texas, Bahr put up 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game and was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 25 combo guard in the country. BYU beat out Utah, USC, Wake Forest and other schools for his commitment.
Young has already made it clear what he sees in Bahr. Back in June, the coach praised the guard’s edge and versatility, saying, “He’s got that attitude where he’s got a chip on his shoulder, which is right up my alley,” and adding, “He’s got some Richie Saunders in him, with that kind of psycho gene, and I say that very complimentary where he just is a maniacal-type worker.
“But he’s going to help us because he’s a super competitive kid. I think he’s got the physicality to do well in our league.
What I’ve seen out of his offensive game, he’s a guy who can dribble, pass and shoot, stuff I’ve been talking about for a while. So I think he’ll fit in, he’ll fit in well.”
At 6-foot-4 and well built, Bahr looks more like someone who belongs in the front seven than the backcourt. Young noticed the size right away, and Bahr’s mission routine helped keep him in good shape.
“In my mission we were lucky, we all had weights and benches in our apartment,” Bahr said. “We would just wake up, I would put some peanut butter on toast, eat that as I was lifting, and that was good. But coming back, just getting into shape, we’ve been running a lot as a team, so it’s been good.”
Young was impressed too, saying, “I don’t know how many pushups the dude did on his mission, but quite a few would be my guess. He’s in really good shape physically ... he’s bigger than I thought.”
Bahr enters a BYU team with several new pieces, and he’ll be trying to carve out minutes behind Rob Wright III, Nate Pickens, Dawson Baker and Collin Chandler. Even so, he’s already bought into what the Cougars are trying to become.
He said the summer emphasis has centered on staying connected and playing with pace and force.
“I love the emphasis that we’ve had of just being together as a team,” Bahr said. “I think we’re just going to be a team that plays super fast and plays super hard.
We rebound, we make shots and we play together. That was the emphasis today in practice, it’s been the emphasis all summer.
“... We’ve got guys that just love to win. We’re diving for loose balls, taking charges, doing the things that other teams don’t want to do.
“... I’m just excited (for) every night (in the Big 12) playing against guys that are hungry to win, big, strong, fast.
It just gets me excited, man. I’m ready to go, I’m excited to play.”
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BYU Fall Camp Opens With Key Starting Jobs Still Up For Grabs
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BYUs fall camp opened with a familiar August theme for a program trying to build depth fast: freshmen who are not waiting around for a future window. Several newcomers are already in the mix for immediate roles or at least meaningful competition, with the staff taking a close look at who can help early and who can simply make the two-deep sturdier before the season gets rolling.
Among the names worth watching are safety Kennan Pula, who is starting his college career in the secondary, along with cornerback Jordyn Criss, offensive tackle Bott Mulitalo and defensive tackle Ulavai Fetuli, all of whom could become useful pieces if the need arises. The kicking situation also adds an extra layer to the camp intrigue, while the running back room has enough interest that a freshman could force his way into the conversation behind the established options. [Read more 🡒]