BYU Basketball Signs Two In-State Sharpshooters In Pope’s First Class
Nov 13, 2019, 3:36 PM | Updated: 7:44 pm
Photo Courtesy of Richie Saunders Instagram
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – BYU Basketball head coach Mark Pope’s first recruiting class as head coach of the Cougars is off to a solid start.
The early signing period for college basketball programs opened up on Wednesday. Pope’s BYU program received letters of intent from two in-state prospects that can shoot the ball.
Here are the details on BYU’s two new hoop signees.
Spencer Johnson | Salt Lake Community College
One of the top players for Salt Lake Community College in the early stages of the Bruins season, Johnson was the first commit in the 2020 class for BYU. A former Weber State Wildcat, Johnson transferred to SLCC and is now headed to play for the Cougars.
.@SLCCbasketball sharpshooter Spencer Johnson made it official and signed his letter of intent to play for @BYUbasketball. ✍️ 🏀 #BYU #BYUhoops pic.twitter.com/O1yflvi6py
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 13, 2019
After this season in head coach Kyle Taylor’s Bruin program, Johnson will play his remaining three seasons at BYU. Johnson is the older brother to Isaac Johnson who signed with the University of Oregon last year out of American Fork High School.
Through four games, Johnson is the Bruins leading scorer averaging 14.0 points per game as SLCC has jumped out to a 3-1 start.
Welcome to the Family @spoonce32!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/Odmi8ZOjhX— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) November 13, 2019
“This is a big day. I’m really excited,” said Johnson. “I’m really excited to be signing with BYU and knowing where my future is going to be. Really grateful for my coaches here at Salt Lake and all the stuff they’ve done for me. This is a great opportunity. I’m excited about what the future holds.”
MORE ON BYU BASKETBALL:
- SLCC’s Leading Scorer Signs With BYU Basketball On Signing Day
- Wasatch Academy’s Richie Saunders Commits To BYU Basketball
- BYU’s Nick Robinson Learned Valuable Lessons As Head Coach At SUU
Richie Saunders | Wasatch Academy
Saunders, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, narrowed down his college choices down to BYU, Utah State, and Creighton from the Big East Conference before ultimately deciding to sign with the Cougars. The small forward originally from Riverton was ranked as the 147th best prospect nationally in the class of 2020 by 247Sports.
Welcome to the Family Richie!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/AyEIdFKmc3— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) November 13, 2019
Last year, Saunders averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 40-percent from behind the three-point line.
Saunders is expected to be one of the top players for Wasatch Academy in his senior season. Wasatch plays one of the toughest schedules among all high school programs nationally.
