Alex Barcello
Alex Barcello, a 6-foot-2 point guard, began his collegiate journey at Arizona before transferring to BYU to play under Coach Pope. In his first season with the Cougars (2019-20), he averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 49.3% from the field and 48.6% from beyond the arc. His performance significantly improved in his second year, leading BYU to the 2021 NCAA Tournament with averages of 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, while shooting 52.3% from the floor and 42.1% from three. For this outstanding season, he was named an All-American honorable mention and made the first-team All-WCC. Barcello returned for his final season in 2021-22, once again receiving All-WCC acknowledgment.
Trevin Knell
Trevin Knell, a 6-foot-5 guard, joined the Cougars for the 2020-21 season after serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His freshman season saw him averaging 1.5 points across 19 games as a bench player. However, he made a notable leap in his second year by participating in 27 games, starting six, and averaging 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds with an impressive 45.3% shooting from three-point range. Knell continued to develop under Coach Pope and finished as BYU’s fourth all-time leader in three-pointers made (239) during his college career.
Gideon George
Gideon George, standing at 6 feet 6 inches, started his college career at the junior college level before transferring to BYU prior to the 2020-21 season. In his debut year, he played in 27 games, starting nine, and averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field. In his sophomore year, he improved to 8.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 43.6% from the field and 34.9% from three. George concluded his college career averaging 10.4 points per game during the 2022-23 season for Coach Pope.
Fousseyni Traore
Fousseyni Traore, a 6-foot-6 forward, joined BYU ahead of the 2021-22 season and was recognized with All-WCC Freshman Team honors after averaging 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting an impressive 58.7% from the floor. His sophomore campaign saw him elevate his game further, averaging 12.9 points and earning All-WCC second-team honors, while also setting a school record for defensive rebound percentage. Traore maintained strong performance, averaging 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds during the 2023-24 season, finishing his career under new coach Kevin Young.
Jaxson Robinson
Jaxson Robinson, a 6-foot-7 guard, played his freshman year at Texas A&M and then at Arkansas before transferring to BYU prior to the 2022-23 season. During his first season with the Cougars, he started 30 of 33 games, averaging 8.5 points along with 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. In his second season, Robinson emerged as a key player, leading the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game and earning the Big 12 Sixth-Man of the Year award. He played his final season at Kentucky under Coach Pope, averaging 13.0 points before suffering a wrist injury that ended his campaign in February.
Noah Waterman
Noah Waterman, a 6-foot-11 forward, played limited minutes at Niagara and then at Detroit Mercy before transferring to BYU before the 2022-23 season. In his first year with the Cougars, he appeared in 33 games, starting 14, and averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. His performance improved significantly in his second season, starting all 33 games and recording a career-high 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.0% from three. Waterman concluded his collegiate career after playing for Louisville in the past season.
Richie Saunders
Richie Saunders, standing at 6 feet 5 inches, joined BYU for the 2022-23 season after completing a mission. As a true freshman, he played in 34 games and made two starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds, with shooting percentages of 45.3% from the field and 33.3% from three. In his sophomore year, he made significant improvements, scoring 9.6 points, grabbing 4.1 rebounds, and assisting 1.1 times per game, while achieving a career-best field goal percentage of 52.3%. Most recently, Saunders averaged 16.5 points and earned the Big 12’s Most Improved Player Award, gearing up for his senior season in 2025-26.
