BYU Basketball: L.J. Rose transfers from Houston to Provo

L.J. Rose goes from one Cougar to another: Houston to BYU basketball.

One of the better point guards still uncommitted has made a decision.

On Wednesday, news broke that L.J. Rose has decided to join BYU as an graduate transfer (immediately eligible). This was a great snag for a program that didn’t have an established ball handler returning for the 2016-17 campaign.

Rose had this past season derailed thanks to a foot injury suffered in November. He managed to play just 27 minutes over two games before shutting it down.

In his junior season, the former Houston player averaged 9.8 points and 5.3 assists on a team that struggled to just a 13-19 overall and no postseason. The team saw marked improvement in Rose’ injury year and he likely saw that there wasn’t going to be much space for him, prompting the move to Provo, UT.

He joins a new group of Cougars that won 26 games, but finished third in the WCC behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. They still managed to run all the way to the NIT semifinals before getting bounced by Valparaiso.

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BYU graduated their leading assist man Kyle Collinsworth as well as Chase Fischer, which leaves just sophomore-to-be Nick Emery left to distribute the ball. Rose has the opportunity to either beat Emery for starting point outright, or more likely will slide in as an experienced hand for the second unit.

If there is one thing that should concern watchers, is that Rose only shot 30 percent in his last season. He has great potential from range, as evidenced by his 41 percent rate as a sophomore, but he must keep that consistency.

The hope is that a full year of rest and rehab will get Rose to old form, which would keep his new Cougars in the thick of WCC play.

Without the ability to know Rose’s true health situation it is impossible to really project his ceiling. But, if he feels 100 percent, then his worst-case scenario is a quality backup who has good size (6’3, 200) to defend at a high level, with the potential to knock down deep shots and share the ball efficiently.

It’s hard to know just how much this moves the needle for BYU in terms of competitiveness. They lost two of their best players to graduation and Rose probably doesn’t have the sheer talent to push them above Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s.

What he does do, however, is provide a steady hand for one of the most intriguing teams in America next year. BYU brings in four recruits that could all play as freshman and should have the talent to stick at third place in the WCC.

I think this also comes at a pivotal time for BYU as they continue to tout success across multiple sports in the hopes that the possible Big 12 expansion will include their school.

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There is little chance that something happens this summer, but if Brigham Young can throw a surprise or two, it will be more ammunition for their pitch to join one of the best conferences in college hoops.