Back on Nov. 8 when he was scoring 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting in an 86-80 loss to BYU in front of 17,381 fans at the Marriott Center, UC Riverside guard Nate Pickens allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to play home games in that kind of atmosphere all the time.
"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."
So when the 6-foot-3 rising senior entered the transfer portal on March 24 after his third season playing for the Highlanders was in the books, he silently hoped that BYU would be one of the teams to reach out, although he acknowledges he didn't know much about the Provo school.
"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."
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.
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.
"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."
BYU newcomer Nate Pickens poses during his official recruiting trip to Provo. | Nate Edwards, BYU Photo
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.
He visited BYU with his father the first couple of days of May, and narrowed his choices to Fordham, UC Santa Barbara and BYU beforecommitting to the Cougars on May 7.
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.
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.
"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.
"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."
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.
"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."
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'sDominique Diomande. Kennard Davis of Southern Illinois has committed to BYU, but BYU had not announced his signing as of midday Monday.
"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."
"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."
Pickens 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.
"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."
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.
"I don't think it will be too crazy to get used to," Pickens said.
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?
"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."
At Riverside, Pickens mostly played two guard and backed up starting point guard Barrington Hargress, a 20-point scorer, when called upon.
"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."
UC Riverside guard Nate Pickens, left, drives past UCLA guard Sebastian during game Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Los Angeles. Pickens will be playing for Kevin Young and Cougars next season in Provo. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press
