Purdue transfer Haarms heading to Brigham Young

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Purdue graduate transfer Matt Haarms has chosen Brigham Young over Kentucky and Texas Tech.

Haarms posted an image of himself in a BYU uniform on Instagram with “Committed” written at the bottom. He will be eligible to play basketball immediately.

“No words can express how excited we are to welcome Matt to our BYU family,” coach Mark Pope said Thursday in a statement. “Clearly with his size, athletic ability, versatility and skill set he has the potential to emerge as one of the premier bigs in college basketball. His passion for the game and intensity on the court are inspiring. There’s a reason he was one of the most sought-after transfers this offseason.”

Haarms was one of the top transfers after announcing he was leaving the Boilermakers after his junior season. He narrowed his choices to BYU, Kentucky and Texas Tech earlier this week.

The 7-foot-3 center from Amsterdam averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game while shooting 63% last season. Haarms finished fourth all-time at Purdue with 210 blocks and should have an immediate impact at BYU, which finished No. 18 in the final AP Top 25.

Haarms will make the Cougars one of the biggest teams in the country, joining 6-11 Richard Harward, 6-10 Wyatt Lowell and two 6-9 players on the front line.