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PROVO — BYU basketball will look to continue its run in the National Invitational Tournament with a quarterfinal game Wednesday night against Washington State.
The result of that game will reveal who books a spot alongside St. Bonaventure, Xavier and the winner of Texas A&M and Wake Forest in next week's NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
But while the team competes to extend its season on the court, the transfer portal is already humming to decide next year. And one familiar name is back in the portal — with eyes cast towards the Wasatch Front.
Just days after Cincinnati guard Mike Saunders Jr. revealed he was in the NCAA transfer portal for the second-straight season, the former Wasatch Academy standout revealed that BYU and Utah have both reached out for his services, Saunders told 247 Sports.
The 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore originally from Indianapolis has also heard from Cal, Nevada, Duquesne, Miami and Grand Canyon, among others, since entering the portal Monday.
Saunders put his name in the portal a year ago, but opted to remain at Cincinnati after the Bearcats hired Wes Miller as the program's 28th head coach.
But after starting 10 games as a freshman in 2020-21, Saunders came off the bench exclusively a year later, averaging 7.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 20.4 minutes per game. That included a career-high 20 points in a win over No. 14 Illinois. He also ran the fastest time of 2.91 seconds on a three-quarter court sprint among the Bearcats, according to his official bio.
But Saunders doesn't plan on returning to Cincinnati, he made clear to 247Sports.
"I'm looking for more time and a bigger opportunity," he said. "I want to feel like a team needs me to win. I want to be out there and be able to maximize my full potential and be the player I know I can be with a bigger role."
Saunders is in no hurry to commit to a new school, telling 247Sports he plans to take his time to find the right fit. Among other transfers interested in BYU are Sean East, the No. 1-rated junior college guard who SB Nation blog Vanquish The Foe reported will take an official visit to Provo during the Cougars' NIT quarterfinal Wednesday.
The 6-foot-1 lefty from John Logan College averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game last year and has three years of eligibility remaining.
A crafty, speedy point guard with a knack for defense, Saunders previously heard from BYU coaches when he hit the portal a year ago. That ultimately didn't work out, but the Cougars have perhaps an even bigger opening on the guard line in the 2021-22 season.
Both standout 3-point shooter Alex Barcello and floor general Te'Jon Lucas are departing, having exhausted all five years of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to playing through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Mike is the fastest basketball player I've ever seen in person," Wasatch Academy coach Paul Peterson told KSL.com. "His defensive tenacity and play-making abilities are second to none."
BYU is also expected to welcome home a quartet of high-scoring prep signees currently serving church missions, including former Fremont star Dallin Hall, Wasatch Academy sharpshooter Richie Saunders, Timpview wing Jake Wahlin and former Washington Mr. Basketball Tanner Toolson (the son of former Cougar great Andy Toolson).
Prior to his college career, Saunders played at Wasatch Academy alongside current BYU forward Caleb Lohner and big man Fousseyni Traore.
