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Before today, BYU had filled most of its roster. However, the team was still in need of centers. The Cougars have now brought one in as Jakub Urbaniak committed to the program on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old from Poland stands 6'9" and played for WKS Slask Wroclaw last season in the Polish Basketball League, the highest division in the country.
While at WKS Slask Wroclaw, Urbaniak averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds and also competed in the EuroCup. He had a season-high 16 points back in March against Legia Warszawa and had eight games with at least 10 rebounds across all competitions.
He also showed flashes of his defense throughout the year, including a two-block, two-steal performance against Hapoel Jerusalem in EuroCup play and a three-steal outing in a EuroCup matchup against Venezia. These are signs of the defensive versatility BYU hopes he can bring to the paint in Provo.
Prior to his time with the club, Urbaniak spent several seasons in Gran Canaria's system in Spain, where he was teammates with new Gonzaga commit Massamba Diop. It was in Spain's Segunda FEB where Urbaniak first flashed his upside as a scorer and rebounder, once posting a career-high 32 points on 13-21 shooting from the field, and on another occasion pulling in 19 rebounds to go along with 18 points.
Performances throughout his career hint at the potential Urbaniak could have at BYU. He has shown his ability of being able to impact the game in a variety of different ways.
Urbaniak also made his debut with Poland's senior national team this year in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, averaging 5 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 8 minutes a game across four contests. That international experience, even in a limited role, is valuable.
The big man adds a nice physical presence in the paint for the Cougars. He's a rim runner who also has the ability to knock down perimeter shots, the kind of stretch-five profile head coach Kevin Young has been searching for all offseason.
With Urbaniak's commitment, the Cougars now have two roster spots remaining that they need to fill. While Urbaniak brings good experience overseas, it's expected that BYU will still add another center to the roster, one who will compete with him for a starting role heading into next season.
For now though, BYU fans will be relieved that the program has brought in a center.
You can watch Urbaniak's highlights below.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/byu as How New BYU Commit Jakub Urbaniak Fits into the Search for a Center.
