Why Timpview basketball star Dean Rueckert could fit ‘hand in glove’ next year at BYU

Provo • The Timpview boys’ basketball team found itself trailing 60-59 with 3.7 seconds left in the game against American Fork on Nov. 26.

Being guarded by two defenders on the inbound pass, Dean Rueckert broke free to catch the ball from teammate Mason Ford.

Rueckert took two dribbles to the right corner and chucked up a fadeaway 3-pointer. His 6-foot-8 height and over 7-foot wingspan made it impossible for the three Cavemen defenders near him to alter the shot.

Swish. Timpview beat American Fork 62-60.

“When I drew up that play, there was no fear in [Rueckert’s] eyes,” Timpview coach Brad Kitchen recalled. “He’s like, ‘No. I want the ball. I want to shoot it. I want to have all the pressure.”

Rueckert, a four-star recruit and the No. 77-ranked player in the 2026 class according to 247 Sports, is the leading man for the 13-1 T-Birds, and is another name on the long list of elite recruits to commit to BYU in the Kevin Young era.

At first glance, Rueckert’s length is what sticks out. His build is reminiscent of former BYU guard Egor Demin, but with a wingspan slightly longer than the now Brooklyn Net. Like Demin, Rueckert was intrigued by Young’s pro experience and ability to turn players into NBA products.

“My main goal is to make it to the NBA,” Rueckert said. “BYU is a great place to help me do that.”

But Rueckert would have considered the Cougars regardless of who was at the helm. Rueckert grew up on the border of Provo and Orem, and says he fell in love with basketball going to BYU games with his grandfather.

“Some of my first memories of basketball are with BYU and going to BYU games,” Rueckert said. “My grandpa had season tickets, so I’d always go with him and that kind of inspired me to always want to go play at BYU.”

Rueckert gained national popularity during his junior season, when Timpview played a game against Notre Dame High School, a California team that featured Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked player in the country.

Against Stokes, Rueckert scored 31 points and looked every bit as good as the nation’s best player. He even had a block on a Stokes jumpshot that was the highlight of the game.

When asked if he thinks he should be considered among the country’s best prospects, Rueckert said, “I mean, yeah, I think I can compete with anyone.”

Rueckert is a multidimensional scorer who can get a bucket from almost anywhere on the floor. His most prized asset is his 3-point ability, but he can do much more than stand in the corner and let it fly when his name is called.

“I’d say [my NBA comparison is] Kon Knueppel,” Rueckert said, “like a shooter, but also can get downhill.”

If you watch the tape, Rueckert has an impressive touch around the rim and has some wildly acrobatic finishes in his highlight reels.

He is also an excellent playmaker for his small forward position, leading the state’s No. 1-ranked 5A team in assists.

Only at 195 pounds, however, Rueckert knows that he’ll need to add a lot more weight to have similar success at higher levels.

“Next year, I’ll be in the weight room a lot,” Rueckert said, “just getting stronger, getting used to playing with those older guys and also just being aggressive. You can’t really not be aggressive playing against older guys like that.”

“I think he fits hand in glove with what BYU is trying to do offensively,” Kitchen said. “He’s a high-flying athlete that can really shoot the ball. I think those are the things that Kevin Young loves. … I think he’s going to fit really good in that pro-style offense.”

As for Kitchen, he has full confidence that BYU can prepare Rueckert for the highest level that basketball has to offer.

“He has ambitions and dreams to make it to the league and I don’t doubt for a second that he doesn’t have what it takes to get to that spot,” Kitchen said. “It takes some time, but I think he can be a guy that plays in the NBA someday.”