The Runnin’ Utes received a bit of good news on Wednesday with the commitment of East Carolina big man transfer, Ezra Ausar.

The 6-foot-9 and 240 pound junior averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds last season. He shot 51.4% from the field and 37.5% (6-16) from three-point range. His career-high of 28 points came last season against Tulsa.

Utah won the battle for Ausar over interest from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and more.

He made his announcement today on social media:

What Utah is getting

The best way to put it is a replacement for Keba Keita, but Ausar can shoot from long-distance better, albeit in a limited sample size.

Ausar was one of the top remaining prospects in the NCAA Transfer Portal, and he fills a sizable hole that Utah had in its front court for the 2024-25 season. While it’s a significant step up in competition for Ausar, he should be able to maintain his 11.4 points per game average due to a higher usage rate, but his 4.7 rebounds per game average is concerning for a big that averaged over 26 minutes per game. It’s up to Utah’s staff to improve that area of his game.

This is a nice addition for a team that has been severely depleted this off-season. As the roster is currently constructed, Ausar should be a central part of the Utes’ offense.

What this means for the class

Ausar joins a transfer class of Milo Little, Zach Keller, Keanu Dawes, and Mason Madsen. Utah still has four spots to fill as summer workouts are fast approaching. The stakes are high for the staff to get these additions right in a crucial year for Craig Smith’s future at Utah.