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BYU's 2014-15 basketball roster received another addition on Monday, with the news that Orem High School star Dalton Nixon, who committed to Dave Rose two summers ago and signed a letter of intent last November, will be available to play for the Cougars in 2014-15.
Nixon, who had received a call to begin serving in the LDS Church's Massachusetts Boston Mission later this summer, told me he will defer his mission service until after the upcoming basketball season, with plans to enter the Missionary Training Center next spring. He said his mission destination may or may not remain the same, with details to be determined in coming months.
Nixon will attend BYU as a non-scholarship player in 2014-15, but will be on scholarship upon the return from his mission. He anticipates joining the team with the start of the Fall Semester classes.
All other BYU players with current grants-in-aid will remain on scholarship.
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"Dalton will be a great addition to our roster," BYU head coach Dave Rose said in a statement released Monday evening. "He had a great high school career and won a lot of games. He's very skilled and has good size. We're excited to have him."
"I'm really excited to be on the team this coming season," Nixon said. "I'm going to do whatever I can to help the team this year."
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Nixon, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward, was a three-time first-team all-state honoree at Orem High School; as a senior he averaged career highs of 20.2 points and 8.9 rebounds while leading the Tigers to an 18-9 record and a trip to the state championship game.
As a junior, Nixon led Orem to a 20-4 record while averaging 17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. His sophomore season saw Orem win the 4A state title with a 24-1 record. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds that season, and was named the state tournament MVP.
Nixon is Orem's all-time leading scorer with 1,367 career points, breaking a record previously set by former BYU point guard Craig Cusick.
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The addition of Nixon to the 2014-15 roster bolsters the BYU frontcourt, which will feature returners Nate Austin, Josh Sharp and Luke Worthington, along with redshirt freshman Isaac Neilson, incoming freshman Ryan Andrus, and sophomore Jamal Aytes, who will not be eligible to play until late December, after transferring from UNLV last winter.
Forward Kyle Davis will be on the roster, but ineligible to play for BYU in 2014-15, as a transfer from Utah State.
Projected 2014-15 BYU Basketball Roster
| Player | Height | Weight | Position | Class | Scholarship in 2014-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Andrus | 6-10 | 200 | Center | Freshman | Yes |
| Nate Austin | 6-11 | 230 | Forward | Senior | Yes |
| Jamal Aytes* | 6-6 | 230 | Forward | Sophomore | Yes |
| Frank Bartley IV | 6-3 | 200 | Guard | Sophomore | Yes |
| Jordan Chatman | 6-4 | 195 | Guard | Freshman | Yes |
| Kyle Collinsworth | 6-6 | 215 | Guard | Junior | Yes |
| Kyle Davis** | 6-7 | 225 | Forward | Junior | No |
| Chase Fischer | 6-3 | 195 | Guard | Junior | Yes |
| Skyler Halford | 6-1 | 180 | Guard | Senior | Yes |
| Tyler Haws | 6-5 | 200 | Guard | Senior | Yes |
| Isaac Neilson | 6-10 | 230 | Center | Freshman | Yes |
| Dalton Nixon | 6-7 | 220 | Forward | Freshman | No |
| Josh Sharp | 6-7 | 185 | Forward | Senior | Yes |
| Anson Winder | 6-3 | 195 | Guard | Senior | Yes |
| Luke Worthington | 6-10 | 245 | Fwd/Center | Sophomore | Yes |
* Eligible to play in late December 2014
** Ineligible to play in 2014-15 due to transfer rules (Utah State)
