The portal window officially opened Tuesday and will stay open through April 21, giving athletes 15 days to officially enter.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we\u2019ve had more time, I clearly see a path to be competitive in the Big 12 and I think it can be done here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00a0Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen<\/p>\n
Players can withdraw from the portal at any time and return to their previous school or decide a new destination after that time, but they must enter the portal during that window if they want to transfer.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the beginning, we knew it wasn\u2019t going to happen all at once. We can definitely be competitive in the Big 12,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, we\u2019re not going to be at Arizona\u2019s level in five months \u2014 that takes time. The one thing I know is there\u2019s a history here at Utah, which I don\u2019t think we\u2019re necessarily starting from scratch. … The top of the Big 12 reflects NIL resources and I think that\u2019ll continue to grow, but I think you can be competitive.”<\/p>\n
He concluded, \u201cNow that we\u2019ve had more time, I clearly see a path to be competitive in the Big 12 and I think it can be done here.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/E3EPFPXIMVFN5LGE6DIQAHVN5Y.JPG\")
Utah guard Terrence Brown (2) drives the ball toward the basket while guarded by Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey (3) during an NCAA basketball game held at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Utah\u2019s priority needs this offseason<\/p>\n
Point guard(s) to set the tone \u2014 Numerous times throughout the 2025-26 season, especially as the year wore on, Jensen bemoaned Utah\u2019s assist to turnover ratio and the team\u2019s carelessness in taking care of the ball.<\/p>\n
The Utes finished the 2025-26 season as the Big 12\u2019s worst in turnover margin \u2014 at minus-2.34 \u2014 and third-worst in assist-to-turnover ratio \u2014 at 1.2-to-1.<\/p>\n
Terrence Brown was brought in last offseason after two years at Fairleigh Dickinson and ended up leading the Utes with averages of 19.9 points and 3.8 assists per game, all while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.<\/p>\n
Brown had five games of five or more turnovers, though, and his assist-to-turnover ratio, at 1.6-to-1, was half that of the conference leaders.<\/p>\n
His value as a high-volume scorer can\u2019t be underscored, as well as his desire to win. <\/p>\n
Following Utah\u2019s 91-78 loss at BYU on Jan. 24, one wherein Jensen said he felt his team \u201cquit at the end,\u201d a frustrated Brown said, \u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s getting too late for moral victories. We just gotta win. The moral victories is getting a little old. We just gotta start winning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, the ultra-competitive Brown is in the transfer portal<\/a> and has high-end suitors. North Carolina, USC, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon and Ole Miss are in the mix for him, according to The Field of 68\u2019s Jeff Goodman<\/a>, and he reportedly has visits scheduled to North Carolina and Kansas next week.<\/p>\n Player status for Utah men\u2019s basketball<\/p>\n Players whose eligibility is exhausted<\/p>\n Don McHenry, guard<\/p>\n James Okonkwo, forward<\/p>\n Players who\u2019ve entered the transfer portal<\/p>\n Either announced by player or reported by various media outlets<\/p>\n Terrence Brown, guard<\/p>\n Keanu Dawes, forward<\/p>\n Seydou Traore, wing<\/p>\n Kendyl Sanders, forward<\/p>\n Josh Hayes, forward<\/p>\n Ibi Traore, forward<\/p>\n Jacob Patrick, guard<\/p>\n Alvin Jackson III, guard<\/p>\n *Jahki Howard, forward<\/p>\n *Elijah \u2018Choppa\u2019 Moore, guard<\/p>\n * left program during season<\/p>\n No decision announced yet, scholarship players<\/p>\n Lucas Langarita, guard<\/p>\n Babacar Faye, forward<\/p>\n Obomate Abbey, guard<\/p>\n Incoming recruiting class<\/p>\n Fynn Schott, forward\/center<\/p>\n Styles Clemmons, guard<\/p>\n Zati Loubaki, forward<\/p>\n #Simeon Suguturaga, guard<\/p>\n ^Jaxon Johnson, forward<\/p>\n ^David Katoa, guard ^ returned missionary<\/p>\n Obomate Abbey came to Utah as a freshman out of Finland last year, and while he had a handful of flashes, more often than not particularly in Big 12 play, he looked rushed by the speed of the game.<\/p>\n If he stays at Utah \u2014 Abbey is one of three scholarship players who hasn\u2019t yet announced anything regarding his future plans \u2014 he could provide depth at the point guard position, though more growth would be expected in Year 2.<\/p>\n There is a high school recruit joining the mix \u2014 Styles Clemmons, a Georgia native who wrapped up his prep career at Overtime Elite, is rated a three-star talent and the No. 34 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports\u2019 composite rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like Abbey, the expectation is that Clemmons is a depth piece who will likely need more seasoning this upcoming season. <\/p>\n That makes it imperative the Utes find help at point guard from the portal.<\/p>\n This early in the process, close to a dozen names have been tied to Utah in terms of transfer portal chatter. Among them is a reported list of point guards including Merrimack\u2019s Kevair Kennedy<\/a>, Tulsa\u2019s Tylen Riley<\/a>, Villanova\u2019s Bryce Lindsay<\/a>, Northwestern\u2019s Jayden Reid<\/a> and Toledo\u2019s Leroy Blyden Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n Kennedy held a Zoom call with the Utes on Friday, according to 247 Sports\u2019 Dushawn London<\/a>. <\/p>\n As a freshman, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while earning MAAC player and rookie of the year honors, and Kennedy could provide a young talent with years of opportunity for growth under Jensen\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n Two areas where Kennedy, who has three years of eligibility remaining, can improve is 3-point shooting \u2014 he made 13 last season \u2014 and turnover-to-assist ratio, at 1.4-to-1.0.<\/p>\n Another important consideration is that Utah will need to locate an emotional leader like Brown was for the Utes this past year, and that easily could come from point guard additions.<\/p>\n Big men to compete inside in the Big 12 \u2014 Utah is going to look completely different in the paint this year after losing almost every big to the transfer portal or graduation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a point of emphasis for the Utes to get better at, with Big 12 competition providing so many challenges to teams who are lacking a physical post presence.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the one thing we all went through once we hit the Big 12. I think Tommy (Lloyd) at Arizona had a good line, \u2018You gotta win the rim.\u2019 That was one thing I think we realized when we got to the conference play, the rim\u2019s not as open as it was before,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n \u201cAt any level, you want to get size, you want to get bigger, better shooting, better passing, better everything. … It\u2019s been fun, it\u2019s been actually a great learning experience playing the other teams in the Big 12, especially coaches that have been there a long time and we kind of get a feel for how they\u2019ve approached building their team and what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n The biggest departure for Utah in the front court is that of the 6-foot-9 Dawes, who played the past two seasons at Utah and averaged career-bests of 12.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game during the 2025-26 season. <\/p>\n Dawes also hit a career-high 32 3-pointers last year, and while he had stretches where he disappeared, Dawes was easily one of Utah\u2019s top talents and gave them a solid presence in the post. <\/p>\n For the second straight offseason, he hit the transfer portal. Last year, he removed his name from the portal, but this year, there isn\u2019t much chatter yet on where he could end up.<\/p>\n One player Utah was going to rely on primarily in the post last season, Babacar Faye, was hurt before the year even started, leaving the Utes\u2019 plan for attacking the interior altered. <\/p>\n He still has one year of eligibility remaining after using a medical redshirt and, if he stays at Utah, Utes fans could finally see why Jensen\u2019s staff is so high on the 6-9 talent from Senegal who\u2019s also played at Western Kentucky and College of Charleston.<\/p>\n A surprising transfer portal entrant for Utah was Kendyl Sanders, who showed promise as a stretch four, as well as the ability to get outmatched as a true freshman competing in one of the top conferences in college basketball.<\/p>\n Still, with three years of eligibility remaining, he appears to be a player on the rise, even if it takes another year or so for it to fully develop. <\/p>\n James Okonkwo (eligibility is up) and Josh Hayes (transfer portal) also provided energy in the post for Utah, while it was clear they could be overwhelmed by the physicality of the Big 12.<\/p>\n Ibi Traore (transfer portal), meanwhile, had his two seasons in Utah impacted by injury \u2014 he only played in nine games last year, and the former four-star talent is likely looking for a fresh start. <\/p>\n There is some immediate help the Utes know is headed to Salt Lake City. <\/p>\n The program is bringing in international big man Fynn Schott from Austria, former Alta High forward Jaxon Johnson is returning from a two-year church mission and 6-9 wing Zati Loubaki is a top JUCO transfer<\/a>, rated No. 2 nationally by JUCOrecruiting.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n While Johnson could take some time readjusting to the game after his mission, Schott and Loubaki have the versatility to play multiple positions and could be starters are\/or key rotation players next year.<\/p>\n Schott has four years of international pro experience and has played for the Austrian national team, while Loubaki, who will have two years of eligibility remaining, earned JUCO third-team All-American honors while averaging 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.<\/p>\n Still, Utah needs help from the transfer portal to bolster the front court.<\/p>\n One name that has been tied to Utah in the transfer portal thus far is Albany power forward Okechukwu Okeke<\/a>. <\/p>\n He was the America East Defensive Player of the Year while averaging 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for the Great Danes. His 58 blocks ranked No. 25 nationally.<\/p>\n Okeke has been contacted by more than a dozen schools since entering the portal, according to League Ready\u2019s Sam Kayser<\/a>, and that list includes other power conference programs in Texas, Missouri, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Cal, as well as fellow Big 12 program West Virginia.<\/p>\n Length, shooting and physicality across the board \u2014 In addition to losing Brown and Dawes, several others from last season aren\u2019t expected to return for the Utes that played big roles.<\/p>\n Shooting guard Don McHenry was the team\u2019s second-leading scorer, at 17.0 points per game, and he made a team-high 78 3-pointers. <\/p>\n McHenry\u2019s eligibility is out, though, and his absence will be felt.<\/p>\n Wing Seydou Traore, who transferred from Iowa, was an every-game starter while averaging 9.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, and while his inconsistency could be frustrating at times, Traore provided stability along the perimeter.<\/p>\n Like so many others, though, he\u2019s reportedly hit the portal.<\/p>\n Jacob Patrick, another international talent from Germany, had his season cut short by injury and is also in the transfer portal.<\/p>\n That leaves Utah looking for a bevy of talent that can provide length, shooting and physicality at shooting guard and along the wing. <\/p>\n Lucas Langarita, a mid-year transfer addition from Spain, hasn\u2019t entered the portal and could be back \u2014 he missed a large portion of time last year due to injury.<\/p>\n The intriguing shooting guard ended up playing in five games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in limited action at the tail end of the season. <\/p>\n Langarita is just one of several examples that Utah isn\u2019t afraid of going the international route to find talent.<\/p>\n The team will need to find versatility and physicality, as well as a nice blend of experience and youth \u2014 preferably guys who have two to three more years of eligibility remaining.<\/p>\n Another homegrown talent joining the program is shooting guard David Katoa, who is coming off a church mission after starring at Layton High and the previous RSL Academy.<\/p>\n Orem High\u2019s Simeon Suguturaga is also a part of Utah\u2019s 2026 recruiting class. He told former Ute Parker Van Dyke and Goodkind Network<\/a> last month he will serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before joining the program in 2028.<\/p>\n As for the transfer portal, a number of wings and other shooters have been linked with Utah thus far. It\u2019s a group that includes Wyoming combo guard Damarion Dennis, Colgate combo guard Jalen Cox<\/a>, Penn State small forward Eli Rice<\/a>, UVU shooting guard Jackson Holcombe<\/a>, BYU combo guard KJ Perry<\/a> and Charleston Southern shooting guard Brycen Blaine<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Utes are getting several of these players to Salt Lake City for visits.<\/p>\n
#will serve a mission before joining the team in 2028<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ZBDNJD7RR7VH6XJ7HBIT34Q3SE.jpg\")
Alta\u2019s Jaxon Johnson shoots the ball with Brighton\u2019s Jaxon Soto on defense in the quarterfinals for 5A high school boys basketball at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News <\/p>\n
![\"Utah](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3UCH4DQNMVBFVJ73Y2TNPFMJ4A.JPG\")
Utah guard Lucas Langarita dribbles during game against BYU at the Huntsman Center Jan. 10, 2026. | Anna Fuder\/Utah Athletics