The 2026-27 BYU men's basketball season begins to unfold Friday night at the Marriott Center as the Cougars host Nebraska in an exhibition opener. According to a October 15 report, the matchup arrives amid significant uncertainty regarding player eligibility and the impact of the transfer portal and NIL.
The Cougars roster features a significant addition in former American Fork standout Jaxon Kohler, a 6-foot-10 post player who completed four years at Michigan State last spring. Kohler is among the athletes utilizing a June NCAA rule allowing current players five years of eligibility. Head coach Kevin Young stated in June that he sought specific functionality and size to pair with Robert Wright III, noting the team had cast a wide net to find a player who could play away from the basket.
The Nebraska Huskers enter the exhibition following a 28-7 season that included a Sweet 16 appearance. While the Huskers lost Rienk Mast and Sam Hoiberg, they return leading scorer Pryce Sandfort, who averaged 18.1 points per game last season, and Braden Frager. Nebraska has also added several transfers to bolster their frontcourt, including Trevan Leonhardt from Utah Valley, Damon Wilkinson from South Dakota State, Sam Orme from Belmont, and Boden Kapke from Boston College.
BYU's roster includes five holdovers from the previous season: Robert Wright III, Nate Pickens, Khadim Mboup, Brody Kozlowski, and Dawson Baker. The Cougars also feature several recruits with 40% three-point shooting ability, including Collin Chandler and Tyler Betsey. Nebraska's recent exhibition performance included a 79-74 loss to St. Louis.
The exhibition game is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. MT. The Cougars are scheduled to travel to Las Vegas for an exhibition game against UNLV on October 24.
