Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

BYU adds 7-foot-3 walk-on center

Dave Rose

Brigham Young head coach Dave Rose shouts to his team in the first half during an NCAA basketball college game against Gonzaga Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

AP

BYU picked up a walk-on center with tremendous size as 7-foot-3 big man Alan Hamson committed to the Cougars, according to a report from Darnell Dickson of the Provo Daily Herald. Hamson didn’t play much in high school due to scoliosis and is currently finishing up a two-year LDS mission as part of the California Ventura Mission.

Back issues limited Hamson’s minutes in high school, but he had surgery after his graduation from Pleasant Grove High School. Once 7-feet-0 tall in high school, Hamson was 7-foot-3 after the surgery helped fix his back. Hamson also has a 7-foot-6 wingspan and good bloodlines. His mother, Tresa (Spaulding) Hamson was an All-American basketball player at BYU while his sister, Jennifer Hamson, was an All-American volleyball and basketball player at BYU before moving on to play in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks.

For the Cougars to just add a 7-foot-3 center this late could be a nice addition for them, although it’s unknown if Hamson can stay healthy or contribute at a high Division I level. Either way, his size will be something to adjust to and he’ll have plenty of time to develop during his career. You can’t teach 7-foot-3 and Hamson could be a future rim protector for BYU.