BYU Hoops Recruiting Notebook, 9/15: Official Visits Upcoming, Mark Pope Travels Across the World

The early signing period for college hoops is less than two months away (November 8-15), meaning the next 8 weeks are paramount for programs across the country. BYU will have at least five official 2024 visitors during that time period, four of whom are uncommitted.

The 2024 class has the potential to be foundational for the future of the program. The first big weekend is happening two weekends from now.

General Conference Weekend Will Be Massive

Sources tell me the Church will loosen the guidelines around coffee during conference. Just kidding.

Basketball wise, BYU has three official visits lined up for the weekend of September 29, the same weekend BYU hosts Cincinnati in football. Top 150 recruits Brody Kozlowski, Jaxon Johnson, and Brooks Bahr are all visiting. BYU did this intentionally. Brody and Jaxon are AAU teammates, and Brooks knows both of them. BYU is one of the only schools recruiting each of these players and can offer the unique pitch of letting them and their parents bond together and talk of being future teammates. Coaches know the football environment will be top notch. USC is the only other P6 school that has offered all three. Brody is expected to join a program in 2024 while Jaxon and Brooks both plan on leaving for their missions right out of high school.

BYU is right near the top of the list for all three players. I anticipate each would be multi-year starters in their potential BYU careers. BYU coaches want all three and have been recruiting each player for a long time now. The official visit weekend will be paramount to lock down each player.

For Brody, I’m keeping my eye on USC and UCLA as the biggest threats. UCLA hasn’t offered, but they came on him late in the summer and made his final 6.

Brooks and Jaxon have several big schools eyeing them. Brooks has a final 8 that includes Wake Forest, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, USC, Utah, and others. His dad played football at BYU. Jaxon grew up a Utah fan. Both have plenty of options, but I think this turns into a BYU-Utah battle for both players.

Malick Diallo

The top 150 big man is scheduled to visit BYU October 21, the same weekend football hosts Texas Tech. Diallo has attended several football and basketball games the last couple years, including the Sam Houston game 9/2. BYU has recruited Diallo longer than any player in the 2024 class. They were his first offer all the way back in October 2021 and have stayed on him ever since.

Most recently, sources tell me that Mark Pope has been in Mali, Africa this week meeting with Diallo’s parents to try to lock Diallo down. Pope visited Madagascar last summer to see Diallo in person at the Africa FIBA U18 championships. Pope clearly wants Diallo. The 6-foot-10 big man is a great rim protector and has developed his game playing for Wasatch Academy and on the AAU Circuit for Utah Prospects. His defensive game is further along than his offense, but he has range out to the three-point line and can score in the PNR and in the paint.

Malick has recently taken official visits to Cal, TCU, and has a visit scheduled to Vanderbilt 9/23. BYU could be his final official visit.

Other News and Notes

• Isaac Davis: The top 150 forward committed to BYU back in April. Davis started playing football this year, so he won’t be able to take his official visit until November.
• I’m still keeping my eye on 7-foot, 4-star big man Khaman Maker. BYU has been working to get him on campus for an official visit, although I think he’s a long shot to actually commit. He recently visited St John’s, whom I would call the favorite. BYU likely wouldn’t take him and Diallo since they are both 5 men. But this is worth monitoring if Maker does indeed visit. He’s a very talented big man with high upside.