Dean Rueckert spent his childhood in Provo looking up at BYU athletes like they were hometown royalty. He wanted photos, he wore the costumes, and he followed the program with the kind of loyalty that usually comes only after years of being around it.
Now the roles have flipped. The freshman forward is the one fans are stopping in public, even if some of them mistake him for teammate Collin Chandler.
“It’s super weird,” Rueckert laughingly told the Deseret News of his newfound local celebrity status. “I’m like, ‘You really want a picture with me?’ Like, that’s kind of funny.
“But looking back at how much I loved BYU basketball players and all BYU athletes, whenever I’d see them out in public, I’d always want a picture, so I just want to leave a good impression, try to make kids happy, make them feel special, because I know how special that was to me when I was little.”
That full-circle feeling sits at the center of Rueckert’s move to BYU. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter from Timpview High grew up steeped in Cougar basketball, with Jimmer Fredette as his “idol” and Halloween costume, and Tyler Haws, Chase Fischer and Kyle Collinsworth all serving as models along the way. More recently, Richie Saunders became another on-court reference point.
Now Rueckert is headed to the same Marriott Center floor where those players once made their names. He’ll do it just steps from home, after choosing BYU over Utah, Clemson, Washington and Stanford when he committed in August of 2025.
“When I was little, I loved BYU. I was obsessed with all things BYU. I always really dreamed of going to BYU,” Rueckert said, flashing the contagious smile he’s seemingly rarely without.
“When I started getting recruited, I really had to think about what the best option is, which school was going to be the best fit and everything, and it ended up being BYU. It was just the best fit all around.
I just love BYU. I grew up right here, and so it’s super exciting to be able to see this all play out.”
Rueckert arrives with plenty of hardware and production behind him. He was a two-time Deseret News 5A State Player of the Year and once scored 46 points against Bryce James.
As a senior at Timpview, he averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while earning top-100 national recruit status and ranking as the No. 4 player in Utah. His signing also made him the No. 7 highest-rated BYU signee of the 247Sports era.
The fit, from his perspective, was clear. Rueckert pointed to the coaching staff’s NBA background, the program’s track record of getting players to the next level and Kevin Young’s style.
“The coaching staff has a lot of NBA experience and has had good seasons here, and they’re getting guys to the next level, too,” Rueckert said. “I feel like I fit (Kevin Young’s) play style, too. Seeing what he’s done at BYU and how he’s really brought everything to the next level, I just think he really knows how to run a program.
“But also, I love what BYU stands for, and I really want to represent that and make the most of that. Because I’ve grown up around it and everything, it’s super exciting to be able to carry that on the best I can.”
He enrolled at BYU in April after graduating early from Timpview, and the early buzz around him has been strong. In June, Young praised Rueckert’s motor, work ethic and shooting, while also emphasizing the forward’s athletic tools.
“He’s been super impressive with his motor. I mean, you could have him in there for 10 hours a day and he wouldn’t blink,” Young told reporters of Rueckert in June.
“He’s just been really impressive with his work ethic. 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. I think the sky’s the limit for Dean, honestly.
He’s a young kid that’s barely scratching the surface.”
The shot is the obvious calling card. Rueckert made 40% of nearly 200 3-point attempts as a senior, a number that fits the BYU lineage he grew up watching. But he’s also trying to make his first mark through the less glamorous parts of the game.
That’s where Collinsworth has entered the picture. The former Cougar standout and current friend has been helping Rueckert work on rebounding and defense, areas Rueckert sees as essential to earning time on the floor.
“He’s ‘Mr. Triple-Double.’
He could just do everything,” Rueckert said of Collinsworth. “He’s helped me to expand my game just from wanting to shoot and play offense to getting down, playing defense and rebounding.
“That’s been a pretty big emphasis, and something that I’ve improved on since I started working out with him. ...I think if you’re playing hard and focusing on rebounding and defense, everything else will fall into place.”
As for the pro game, Rueckert grew up with a mix of NBA favorites rather than one team. He had “a bunch of Steph (Curry) jerseys” and also admired Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Dirk Nowitzki.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the NBA. I’ve always loved the NBA,” Rueckert said.
When asked for a player comparison, he landed on Saunders, now a second-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies, and specifically on the way Saunders used his quickness and catch-and-shoot game.
“He has a high level of catch-and-shoot, and then he’s so quick off the dribble,” Rueckert said. “That’s where I kind of see my game and where I want to get better.
“How he developed (at BYU), how he fit in the offense and how he used his game, his quickness and skillset the best way he could, that was really exciting.”
Saunders spent two seasons coming off the bench before breaking through, and Rueckert could follow a similar path into BYU’s rotation. The challenge is obvious: this is a deep, veteran-heavy roster, and minutes won’t be handed out lightly.
Still, Rueckert’s ceiling gives the Cougars something to dream on. For now, though, he’s keeping the focus on the basics - learning, getting better and carving out a role that helps the team.
“Rebounding, playing hard and playing defense, playing hard defense, I think that’s how you can get on the floor and how you can make a difference,” Rueckert said.
“... It all will kind of fall together pretty soon, but I just want to play whatever role can help our team win and help us have a successful season.”
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