SALT LAKE CITY – The 2025-26 Utah men’s basketball roster is officially set for the inaugural season of Alex Jensen Era.
“We’re excited to officially announce the men’s basketball roster,” Jensen said. “Our staff has taken great care in constructing a roster that’ll compete on the court and make a positive impact on our community while also being great stewards of our University. We’re thrilled to get to work and can’t wait for the season to begin.”
The 2025-26 edition of the Runnin’ Utes will feature nine newcomers on the roster in Terrence Brown, Babacar Faye, Jahki Howard, Don McHenry, Elijah “Choppa” Moore, James Okonkwo, Jacob Patrick, Kendyl Sanders and Seydou Traore. In addition, the Utes will have services from three returnees led by Keanu Dawes, Jerry Huang and Ibi Traore.
“We have constructed a roster that is aligned with the clear vision we have for the program,” Runnin’ Utes General Manager Wes Wilcox said. “We will compete, we will work hard and we will not quit. This group represents those characteristics and we couldn’t be more excited to introduce them to our community.”
In addition to him returning, Dawes is also the first student-athlete in Utah Athletics history to sign a revenue share agreement.
TERRENCE BROWN
Junior – Guard – 6-3 – 166
Minneapolis, Minn. – Columbia Heights High School
Fairleigh Dickinson – Golden State Prep
- NEC Most Improved Player and First-Team All-NEC Selection as a sophomore at FDU
- Averaged 20.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals with a .448 shooting clip his sophomore year
- Ranked 8th in the NCAA in scoring while is 235 FGM ranked 24th, 658 points ranked 25th and 2.16 steals average ranked 26th in 2024-25
- Owned 13 of the top-20 single-game scoring totals among NEC schools in 2024-25
BABACAR FAYE
5th – Forward – 6-9 – 230
Dakar, Senegal – NBA Academy
Western Kentucky – College of Charleston
- Helped WKU capture its first CUSA Tournament Championships since 2013 and a berth to the NCAA Tournament his first year with the Hilltoppers in 2023-24
- Played in 34-of-35 games his sophomore year at College of Charleston and helped lead the Cougars to a CAA Tournament Championship as well as an NCAA Tournament berth
- His .510 shooting clip as a freshman led the team among non-center position players
- Participate in the 2020 NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held at NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago
JAKHI HOWARD
Sophomore – Forward – 6-7 – 179
Roxbury, Mass. – Overtime Elite
Auburn
- Played his freshman year at Auburn – who was a national semifinalist
- Was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school by ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals and On3
- Won the 2024 King’s Hawaiian Bread National Slam Dunk Contest in Phoenix, Ariz.
- Helped lead City Reapers to an OTE Championships as a senior and was named the finals MVP after averaging 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in the playoffs
DON MCHENRY
5th – Guard – 6-2 – 156
Milwaukee, Wis. – Milwaukee Academy of Science
Western Kentucky – Indian Hills CC – Hawaii Hilo
- Two-time All-CUSA recipient and 2024 CUSA Tournament MVP
- Led Western Kentucky in scoring back-to-back years, averaging 17.0 points in 2024-25 and 15.1 points in 2023-24
- Helped Hilltoppers capture their CUSA Tournament title since 2013 to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament his junior year
- Named NJCAA First-Team All-America and ICCAC Player of the Year as a sophomore at Indian Hills CC after averaging 15.4 points
ELIJAH “CHOPPA” MOORE
Sophomore – Guard – 6-4 – 175
Parkchester, N.Y. – Cardinal Hayes / Our Saviour Lutheran (OTE)
Syracuse
- Dropped a career-high 24 points at #3 Tennessee his freshman year at Syracuse
- A consensus four-star recruit out of high school according to ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals and On3
- Dropped 67 points on 13-19 shooting on senior day against Compass Basketball Academy
- Averaged 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in his lone season with OTE
JAMES OKONWKO
5th – Forward – 6-8 – 235
Maidenhead, England – Furze Platt Senior School / Beckley Prep IJN
Akron – North Carolina – West Virginia
- Averaged 6.9 points with a team-high 7.2 rebounds to go with 34 blocks and 19 steals
- Was second in the MAC with 252 total rebounds, fourth in rebounds per game (7.2) and fifth in total blocks (34)
- Was a multi-sport athlete at the prep level, playing competitive tennis for eight years
- Represented Great Britain in the 203 U20 Division B European Championship and led the team in scoring (12.1), rebounding (9.9) and blocked shots (2.1)
JACOB PATRICK
Freshman – Guard – 6-6 – 192
Ludwigsburg, Germany – Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium
- Played four seasons with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg out of the German BBL
- Was 1-of-2 players in the BBL to shoot better than .500 from the field, .400 from 3-point range and .900 from the line in 2023
- Played in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers with the German Senior National Team
- Averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists with the German U16 team at the 2019 FIBA European Championships
KENDYL SANDERS
Freshman – Forward 6-8 – 213
Los Angeles, Calif. – IMG Academy / St. Bernard HS
- Averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds during his prep season at IMG Academy
- Led St. Bernard High School to the third-round of the CIF Southern Section Championships
- Helped SBHS capture CIF Southern Section Championship title as a junior and advanced to the second round of the CIF State Division I Championship
- Advanced to the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals his sophomore year after leading St. Bernard toa 25-7 record
SEYDOU TRAORE
Junior – Forward – 6-6 – 222
Bronx, N.Y. – Our Saviour Lutheran
Iowa – Manhattan
- Dropped 14 points against #25 Maryland and followed up with a season-high 15 points vs. #8 Michigan State
- Started his collegiate career with a double-double, scoring 12 points with 11 boards at Bryant
- Reached double-digit points in his first five games as a freshman at Manhattan – including 16 points at No. 1 Kansas and 13 points with 8 rebounds at No. 5 UConn
- Led the MAAC in blocked shots his freshman year with the Jaspers, averaging 1.3 blocks
Those interested in purchasing season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 Utah men’s basketball season and the first year of the Alex Jensen Era can fill out an interest form by clicking here.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin’ Utes men’s basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the Apple Store or Google Play.
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