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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For graduate senior power forward Lauren Gustin, it was only about a week. But for BYU fans, players and coaches, it felt like a lifetime.
The 6-foot-1 rebounding ace from Salem opted to enter the NCAA transfer portal in April after graduating. So degree in hand, Gustin decided to look around.
She's glad she did, even if the final decision was to return to BYU for her final year of eligibility and lead the Cougars into the Big 12 Conference in coach Amber Whiting's second season. It's a decision that felt like an eternity to make for Gustin's teammates and fans yielded a stronger player in the end.
Gustin was a non-contact player in the portal, meaning coaches couldn't reach out to her unless she did so first. Still, she took several visits — including to nearby Utah, several sources confirmed to KSL.com — before opting to return to BYU, which she called her home both on the main stage at Big 12 media days and in additional interviews with local media.
"It was definitely a crazy week," she said. "I didn't want to deal with all the extra noise and stuff. But I still had to keep my phone away from me and only rely on people's opinions that I knew cared about me and were close to me. It took lots of prayers and alone time to figure out what I wanted, and ultimately BYU is what I came up with. I'm very glad for my decision."
Last year, Gustin stuck with first-year coach Whiting after the abrupt departure of former head coach Jeff Judkins and went on to dominate the West Coast Conference on the glass, leading the nation in rebounding at 16.7 boards per game. The WCC co-Defensive Player of the Year also ranked second in the NCAA in double-doubles with 27, third with 38.3 minutes per game and first with 11.6 defensive rebounds per game.
The former Salem Hills High star had stops at Idaho and Salt Lake Community College before committing to Judkins. Gustin jumped right into Division I basketball, earning AP All-America honorable mention and All-WCC first-team honors as a COVID sophomore in 2020-21, when she averaged 12.6 rebounds per game and helping the Cougars to an NCAA Tournament berth a year later as a junior.
But can her dominance in the West Coast Conference translate to the Big 12, where the Cougars will face the likes of Gonzaga every night?
"With the team that we have and the tools, the coaching, everything, we're going to be a good team," said Gustin, an All-Big 12 preseason honorable mention. "We're going to work off each other. It's going to be a new challenge and new competition, but I think we're ready for it and we're going to be able to compete."
The Cougars will ride Gustin into their first season in a Power Five conference, flying under the radar after being picked 11th in their first year in the Big 12. But what a pillar to ride, eh?
"She's someone that we know we can always depend on," BYU point guard Nani Falatea said. "If we have a rough practice or whatever, we always know at least we got Lauren; things are going to be alright. One of my favorite things is a lot of teams don't always have someone they can constantly depend on. But I know I'm going to have these girls."
The former JUCO All-American earned had a record-breaking junior season in Provo, smashing Tina Gunn Robison's single-season rebounding record of 552, the third-most rebounds in a single season in NCAA history. The most dominant force on the glass since the BYU Hall of Famer, Gustin had fulfilled every obligation to the university — and deserve an opportunity to window shop, if nothing else.
It was nice to be wanted, too, including by her own teammates and Whiting's public plea to stay for one more year.
"So pumped," BYU teammate Kaylee Smiler said of Gustin's return.
Added Falatea: "She's our girl, and no matter what, we would've supported her and loved her. But it's a lot better to have her on our side than anywhere else."
Roster updates
No roster is ever set in college basketball, and Whiting's lineup for her second season in Provo changed before it began.
Jennah Isai, the former four-star prospect from Arizona who signed with BYU last winter from Oregon, has left the program for personal reasons, Whiting confirmed Tuesday. The 5-foot-11 guard from Surprise, Arizona and No. 6 overall wing in the 2022 high school recruiting class averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and just shy of 2.0 assists in 10 games off the bench for the Ducks in 2022-23 before enrolling at BYU in January.
Isai is taking a year away from basketball, Whiting said, adding that any decision to return to BYU — or anywhere else — is strictly the player's decision.
"That's completely up to here," said Whiting, who will enter the season with at least one available scholarship.
In addition to four-star freshman Amari Whiting and two-time Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year Ali'a Matavao, Whiting's freshman additions also include former Lone Peak star Kailey Woolston and Marina Mata, a 6-foot-1 wing from Barbastro, Spain. The Cougars also added Boston University transfer guard Lauren Davenport from the portal, as well as junior college guard Kylie Krebs, a native of Oahu, Hawaii, by way of Glendale Community College in Arizona.
