BYU made a major frontcourt move when former Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler committed to the Cougars, but the biggest question around the addition still hangs over a date on the calendar.
Kohler is eligible for a fifth college season right now because of a temporary injunction granted through a California court. That status is not guaranteed to last. A ruling expected Sept. 29 could change everything, according to Vanquish the Foe.
So BYU is in a familiar but awkward spot: building for a season around a player who may or may not still have the same eligibility once the legal process catches up.
On the court, Kohler looks like exactly the kind of piece BYU needed. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds last season at Michigan State while shooting 50 percent from the field. Those numbers point to a big man who can steady the interior right away, and that matters for a team that needs help on the glass, in the paint and against bigger, more physical lineups.
Kohler also brings something beyond the box score. He comes with Big Ten experience and the kind of background that suggests he understands what high-level college basketball demands from a frontcourt player.
If he’s available, BYU can shape the rest of its big-man rotation around a proven option.
If he’s not, the picture gets much murkier.
International big man Jakub Urbaniak is also waiting on NCAA clarity because of changing eligibility standards tied to previous competition in European leagues. BYU has also shown interest in 7-foot-1 Serbian prospect Petar Ostojic, but relying on a developmental newcomer to fill Kohler’s role would be a very different path.
That uncertainty would also push Khadim Mboup and Jake Wahlin into much bigger jobs if both Kohler and Urbaniak end up unavailable.
Kohler’s route to BYU came through a state-level case separate from several federal eligibility challenges. The injunction let him enter the transfer portal and commit to the Cougars, but temporary legal relief is just that - temporary.
For now, BYU has to plan as if Kohler will suit up while keeping an emergency backup plan in place if the Sept. 29 ruling goes the other way.
It’s not a clean way to build a roster, but it’s the reality across college basketball. And BYU, for its part, simply made a strong basketball move inside the rules it was given.
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