OREM — The long anticipated commitment announcement from Brandon Averette happened Friday evening, with the 5-foot-11 Utah Valley guard pledging to join the BYU basketball program.
Averette played his first two college seasons at Oklahoma State prior to his lone year at UVU last season.
Averette played at Richardson High School, which is just north of Dallas, where he averaged 22.6 points per game, leading all scorers in the DFW area in the 6A classification. He played in 36 games for the Cowboys, starting six, before electing to transfer to UVU.
He started all 30 games for the Wolverines last season, averaging 12.8 points and 3.0 assists.
As a graduate transfer, Averette will be eligible to play his final season immediately for the Cougars, where he’ll work to help replace TJ Haws at the point position.
“Brandon Averette is one of the most explosive, cat-quick, clever playmakers in college basketball. We feel so blessed to have him join our locker room.” — BYU coach Mark Pope
“Brandon Averette is one of the most explosive, cat-quick, clever playmakers in college basketball,” BYU coach Mark Pope said in a press release. Pope recruited Averette to UVU before leaving to replace Dave Rose at BYU last season. “We feel so blessed to have him join our locker room. He is universally beloved by his teammates for his competitive spirit and playmaking ability. It’s going to take about two seconds for Cougar fans to fall in love with his quiet charisma and winning charm.”
Averette joins fellow graduate transfer Matt Haarms (Purdue), freshman Hunter Erickson (a returned missionary from Timpview High School) and junior college transfers Gideon George (New Mexico Junior College) and Spencer Johnson (Salt Lake Community College) as newcomers to the 2020-21 BYU men’s basketball roster.
The Cougars have also signed Dallin Hall (Fremont High School), Richie Saunders (Wasatch Academy) and Tanner Toolson (Evergreen High School) from the class of 2020. They all plan to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling at BYU.