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Provo • BYU basketball coach Dave Rose ended the 2016-17 basketball season hoping he would have more continuity on his roster next season, but that doesn't appear to be the direction the program is heading.

In a far-reaching roundtable with reporters on Tuesday, Rose acknowledged the possibility exists that only six scholarship players will return for the 2017-18 season: Nick Emery, TJ Haws, Yoeli Childs, Payton Dastrup, Elijah Bryant and Braiden Shaw.

That will happen if star center Eric Mika keeps his name in the NBA draft. BYU's best player last year has until May 24 to decide. Rose said he was "pretty prepared" for Mika's announcement last month that he was testing the NBA waters, but not hiring an agent, because many NBA teams had expressed interest in having the 6-foot-10 rising junior in for a workout.

Mika took his last final exam of the 2017 winter semester Tuesday and will begin attending some workouts this week, Rose said, while not indicating which way he believes Mika is leaning.

Still, Rose said, "you kinda have to hold a space for him" on the roster until he makes a decision, which makes finding replacements a tricky proposition.

For sure, though, forward Jamal Aytes and guards Steven Beo and Davin Guinn will not be returning. Rose said the lightly used Aytes graduates Thursday and wanted a bigger role next fall. When Rose told him he didn't think that would happen, Aytes decided to look elsewhere as a graduate transfer.

Guinn, who also has a year of eligibility left, will graduate in August and attend law school — "and law school and basketball don't go together," Rose said, alluding to guard Jordan Chatman's departure last summer. Chatman is now at Boston College working on his MBA.

Beo, a freshman who came to BYU as a walk-on but earned a scholarship before the season started, has decided to transfer after a series of "discussions" with Rose, the coach said.

Also, Rose said two-sport star Corbin Kaufusi is "concentrating on football" for the time being, and not likely to play basketball next winter. However, Rose is not ruling out the possibility of Kaufusi returning to hoops.

"He's got 70-some games under his belt, and that's a good thing to have," Rose said, and mentioned the center's 3-0 career record at Gonzaga.

Rose said departed assistant coach Terry Nashif has already accepted a job in the private sector in Salt Lake City, and applications for his position are being taken until Thursday. He'd like to have a replacement in place by the second week of May, but acknowledges it could go beyond then.

"I want team guys," Rose said, when asked what he is looking for in a new assistant, "and someone with extended recruiting ties" throughout high school and college basketball.

Rose said next year's roster will include four returned missionaries: Zac Seljaas, Luke Worthington, Dalton Nixon and Ryan Andrus, who returned a few days ago and has already visited coaches in the Marriott Center Annex.

Another issue facing BYU is the health of star guard Elijah Bryant, who reinjured his knee in the WCC tournament semifinal loss to Saint Mary's and did not play in the NIT opener. Rose said Bryant is "making real progress," but his recovery is "slower than we thought it would be."

Bryant will return to his home near Atlanta next week to be examined by doctors there. Hopes are he does not need more surgery, but Rose said that hasn't been determined yet.

Rose acknowledged BYU needs to get better defensively if it hopes to improve upon last year's 22-12 season.

"Defensively, there are changes we need to make to be competitive on that end of the floor," he said, noting that Seljaas and new recruit Rylan Bergersen from Boise, Idaho, "are long perimeter guys" who can throttle 3-point shooting, something BYU was lacking last season.

Finally, Rose alluded to Las Vegas guard Christian PoPoola's flipping from BYU to Utah recently when asked if the fact that he played a lot of younger players extensively last season is scaring off recruits.

"Fair to say," he said. "Fair to say."

Twitter: @drewjay —

Storylines

• BYU is accepting applicants for departed assistant coach Terry Nashif's old job through Thursday, and hopes to have a new coach in place by the second week of May.

• Rose said returned missionaries Zac Seljaas, Luke Worthington, Dalton Nixon and Ryan Andrus will be on the roster next fall.

• Rose said Jamal Aytes, Davin Guinn, Steven Beo and Corbin Kaufusi are leaving the program.

• Two-sport star Kaufusi will concentrate on football and does not plan to play basketball next winter.