Deseret News
Yes, Matt Haarms is moving on, but here’s why getting him to BYU in the first place was so important
The Purdue transfer never got to play in a sold-out Marriott Center, but his presence in Provo may have paved a path for future recruits
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BYU center Matt Haarms celebrates a play during game against Saint Mary’s on Feb. 27, 2021, in the Marriott Center. Haarms recently announced he is moving on and won’t return for a bonus year at BYU, but the impact he made may still be felt in Provo moving forward.
Former BYU basketball center Kolby Lee has committed to Dixie State, the junior from Meridian, Idaho, announced Monday on social media.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center played four years at BYU, including a redshirt season in 2017-18 shortly after he returned from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Lee s best season came in 2019-20, when he averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 30 games, including 28 starts, playing alongside Yoeli Childs and even starting in his stead while Childs served a nine-game suspension due to improper benefits after returning to school out of the 2019 NBA draft.
Deseret News
Basketball, marriage and the transfer portal: Former BYU forward Kolby Lee opens up about decision to play elsewhere
Because his wife plays for BYU, Lee wanted to find a program that’s relatively close to Provo. He will play next season for an in-state program and an announcement is expected to come Monday.
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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
When former BYU forward Kolby Lee decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, he had two priorities when considering a new school: geography and an opportunity to play.
In that order.
It was a night never to be forgotten.
BYU students will be telling their grandchildren years from now where they were when the No. 24 BYU men’s basketball team beat No. 2 Gonzaga on Feb. 22, 2020. Whether they were physically in the Marriott Center, at home on their couch, or even just listening to Greg Wrubell on the radio, Cougar Nation was united that night.
Students waited outside the arena for days, eagerly anticipating the matchup. When the stadium officials finally started letting people inside, it wasn’t long before the arena had reached capacity as 18,987 fans quickly packed together like sardines, waiting for the gladiator match to begin.