How Nate Pickens’ Unexpected Bond with Coach Kevin Young Sealed His Surprising Transfer to BYU

On a crisp November evening that drew over 17,000 fans to the Marriott Center, Nate Pickens lit up the scoreboard with 18 points on a sharp 6-of-9 shooting effort, standing out even as UC Riverside fell just short to BYU. But more than the stats, it was the electric vibe of that packed arena—the kind of atmosphere few players get to savor—that stuck with Pickens. He found himself daydreaming about what it might be like to call a place like that home for every game. Fast forward to late March, after three solid seasons with the Highlanders, and Pickens stepped into the transfer portal with a quiet hope: that BYU, that same team he’d faced on the big stage, would come knocking. The 6-foot-3 senior knew little about the school beyond a few basketball circles, but the idea of competing at a higher level, surrounded by fervent fans and polished coaching, suddenly seemed too good to pass up. Less than a day after making his move, that chance came knocking, launching Pickens on a new journey with the Cougars—and a fresh shot at elevating his basketball dreams. LEARN MOREPickens said Young’s ties to the NBA — he was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns — and the NBA methods and processes he is using in Provo are “definitely” one of the aspects of BYU that appealed to him.“I had been at Riverside for three years,” he said. “I think I got what I kinda wanted from there. I just wanted to test the waters in the portal, see if I could get a better situation on a bigger stage.”“I am a hard worker, and a bright kid with a great attitude. I am just going to try to impact the school in a positive way, on and off the court.”

Obviously, BYU brought in Wright, a former five-star recruit, to replace Egor Demin as the starting point guard. And No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa will also have the ball in his hands a lot. Where does Pickens see himself fitting in?—  BYU transfer guard Nate Pickens

“I had some options, but I just came to the conclusion that BYU was probably the best place for me in order to get to the next level, which is my ultimate goal — to play professional basketball,” he said. “I feel like BYU puts me in the best position to do that.”“I am a hard worker, and a bright kid with a great attitude,” he said. “I am just going to try to impact the school in a positive way, on and off the court.”Pickens shot 39.2% from 3-point range in 2024-25 and has one season of eligibility remaining. He is the fourth transfer to join Young’s program this offseason, joining Idaho’s Tyler Mrus, Baylor’s Robert Wright and Washington’s Dominique Diomande. Kennard Davis of Southern Illinois has committed to BYU, but BYU had not announced his signing as of midday Monday.

“They sold it pretty good, honestly. They showed me all the resources they had and (talked about) the NBA backgrounds they all had. So who wouldn’t want to have access to these resources and be a part of that process?” Pickens said. “If you want to be a pro, I just felt like this was the best place to be, with just the resources and what they know.”Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.“I can play the one (point) and the two (shooting guard), for sure,” he said. “I think I will be playing both. I will probably start out more at the two, but will definitely grow into being the backup point guard, for sure. That is the plan, me playing the two and the one.”“I had some options, but I just came to the conclusion that BYU was probably the best place for me in order to get to the next level, which is my ultimate goal — to play professional basketball. I feel like BYU puts me in the best position to do that.”Wanting a “different fit” after averaging 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a game his junior season at UC Riverside, Pickens said he went into the portal hoping to get an opportunity to play at a “higher level” school.“He is a high-level defender who has the strength and athleticism needed to defend guys in our league,” Young continued. “We’re ready to get Nate on campus and get to work.”Fordham made his “final three,” he said, because five-year UC Riverside coach Mike Magpayo became the Rams’ head coach in March back in New York City.His wish was granted less than 24 hours later, as BYU assistant coach Brandon Dunson contacted him to gauge his interest in joining the Big 12 program. Dunson, a former Stanford assistant, told him that members of BYU’s second-year coaching staff had him on their radar when he came out of Arizona’s Dream City Christian School years ago, while at other schools, and were reminded of his potential when he had a nice game against them last season.“That was probably the best environment, college basketball-wise, that I have ever played in. I am not going to lie,” Pickens told the Deseret News last week. “It was a great experience, playing at that level, in front of a crowd like that. I remember the support that the fans gave BYU was just amazing.”Pickens said he had a “good amount” of offers, including some from other Power Four programs, before picking BYU, which announced his signing on May 8.

“They really care about basketball over there. They have a great sports environment, for sure, and are a high-level school in the Big 12,” Pickens said. “I just thought pretty highly of them. Being able to go there, play in that environment, it is definitely a blessing and a great opportunity. I saw that when we (played there). It was kind of cool.”—  BYU guard Nate Pickens

He visited BYU with his father the first couple of days of May, and narrowed his choices to Fordham, UC Santa Barbara and BYU before committing to the Cougars on May 7.“We would like to welcome Nate and his family to BYU. We are so excited to have him join us,” BYU coach Kevin Young said in a school news release. “Nate brings a level of experience and toughness that we were looking to add. His ability to knock shots down from 3 and play on-and-off the ball will fit in well with our group.Pickens hasn’t been able to join his future team in Provo yet because UC Riverside classes don’t conclude until June 10. He has been majoring in media and culture studies at Riverside and will pursue a degree in communication at BYU.As far as BYU’s honor code and religious environment, Pickens said his grandfather is a pastor and he has grown up in faith-based setting and attended several Christian schools and academies. His younger brother, Gabe Pickens, plays basketball for New Mexico State.Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”“I don’t think it will be too crazy to get used to,” Pickens said.Pickens said he was mildly familiar with BYU growing up in El Mirage and Surprise, Arizona, but didn’t know much about the school outside of basketball. He did have a teammate his sophomore season who was a member of the faith that sponsors BYU, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So he knew the school was faith-based, but not much else.At Riverside, Pickens mostly played two guard and backed up starting point guard Barrington Hargress, a 20-point scorer, when called upon.