BYU Basketball: Will Elijah Bryant leave the Cougars this off-season?

Yoeli Childs has already declared for the NBA Draft without an agent. However, it could be another BYU Basketball star that ultimately leaves the Cougars this off-season.

BYU’s basketball this past season was largely depended on the team’s star players – Yoeli Childs and Elijah Bryant. The duo combined for 36 ppg and 14.9 rpg, more than half of the team’s overall production. After Eric Mika left, Childs development and rise in numbers were somewhat expected, but what Bryant did was a nice surprise.

The year prior was tough for the Elon transfer, playing in only 23 games and missing the NIT with continuing knee issues, before getting off-season surgery.

But after guard Nick Emery left the program before the start of this past season, Bryant took advantage of the increased touches, posting career highs in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounding (6.3 rpg) and across the board in shooting splits (49-42-85). It was an outstanding year for him, especially since he played all 35 games.

More from Busting Brackets

• Oregon Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2023-24
• Big East Basketball: Ranking all head coaches going into 2023-24 season
• Florida State Basketball: Is Seminoles roster good enough to win in 2023-24?
• SEC Basketball: 10 potential additions for the league if they ever expanded
• NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 5 teams for 4-star PG Jeremiah Johnson

But for BYU fans, could this have been the last time they see Bryant in a Cougar uniform? There will be some who immediately say that he’s not on any NBA Draft board, so there should be no reason to worry. However, there are key factors that will make Bryant’s decision a lot tougher than you may expect.

Knee Issues

This is by far the biggest reason why Bryant would leave BYU. For basketball players, any lower body injuries should be taken seriously, as it’ll have a huge impact on them down the road. The NBA isn’t likely for him, so why risk another problem with his knee and cost himself potential money in Europe to play basketball for free?

Age

Many people might not know this but Bryant will be 23 years old on April 19. These are the prime earning years for athletes, so will he stay for another season and start his career at age 24? Mika left early to have a good first year in Italy, so there is a precedent for BYU stars to leave early.

Grad transfer option

Even if Bryant doesn’t go pro, there is another route for him to exit the Cougars program. He’ll be on track to graduate this spring, and he’ll be eligible to play for other college basketball teams without sitting out a year.

If the goal is to play in the NCAA Tournament, then it might be wise for him to go somewhere else. Gonzaga is a projected top-five team coming into next season and has dominated everyone in the WCC for that automatic bid. And based on the small number of teams from mid-major leagues getting at-large bids, Bryant might go to a team with a much better chance.

Next: 10 mid-majors to watch for in 2018-19

At this point, it’s up in the air as to what Bryant will do, as he’s yet to announce his intentions. But his decision will absolutely have a huge impact as to BYU’s ceiling will be in the 2018-19 season.