Yaacov is a 21-year-old Israeli-Danish point guard with years of international pro experience and a rising profile.
Utah head coach Alex Jensen calls out to his players during the second half of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News The University of Utah has its signature piece of its 2026 recruiting class, and it is coming from overseas.Draft Express’s Jonathan Givony reported Monday morning that Israeli-Danish point guard Noam Yaacov has committed to the Runnin’ Utes.NEWS: Oostende's Noam Yaacov has committed to Utah, agent Matan Siman-Tov tells DraftExpress. The 6'2 Israeli point guard is averaging 17.9 points and 5.8 assists in 26 minutes, shooting 40% from 3.He'll go through the 2026 NBA Draft process as an auto-eligible prospect. pic.twitter.com/U2xyDTGf2c— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 20, 2026Who is Noam Yaacov?The 6-foot-2 Yaacov is a 21-year-old with several years of pro experience, most recently with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League, a first-tier league in Belgium and the Netherlands.In addition to committing to Utah, Yaacov will go through the NBA draft process, Givony reported.Yaacov is a rising star in the game, having won BNXT League Player of the Month honors in March, when he averaged 20.4 points, 7.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, while making an average of 2.6 3-pointers per contest.During the 2025-26 season, he is averaging 17.9 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field, 40.3% from 3-point range and 77.4% from the free-throw line.How does Noam Yaacov fit into Utah’s plans for the 2026-27 season?Yaacov is the kind of dynamic guard that Utah coach Alex Jensen and his staff can build their roster and game philosophy around.He is the fifth recent addition to Utah’s upcoming roster, along with four transfers in former Utah Valley wing Jackson Holcombe, former Ohio State combo guard Taison Chatman, former Weber State big Malek Gomma and former Wright State point guard TJ Burch.With Yaacov and Burch, the Utes’ point guard depth is in place — that was the position of greatest need for Utah in the offseason after seeing Terrence Brown hit the transfer portal.Not only does Yaacov bring the ability to create his own shots, he can also help facilitate and connect a group that, on the surface at least, appears well-balanced.With Yaacov’s commitment, Utah can focus on bringing together the final piece or two of its 2025-26 roster and building for the future.