Following a successful first year under head coach Phil Jalalpoor, the UBC Thunderbirds are ready to welcome some fresh faces to the squad ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 Canada West season.
 
The 'Birds did quite well last year – making it back to both the Canada West Final and the U SPORTS Final 8 – but after another large wave of offseason departures from what was a veteran-heavy team, this fall will see a UBC side that skews much younger.
 
"We are going to be one of the youngest teams in recent UBC Men's Basketball history after losing eight players from last year's group, including our entire starting five," said Jalalpoor. "Because of that, it was really important for us to bring in the right people.
 
"We wanted players who fit the culture and identity we are building, while also having multiple years of eligibility remaining so we can continue to develop and grow together through the next era of UBC Basketball. We believe each of them will raise our standard in different ways, and they all genuinely want to be part of building something special at UBC."
 
That incoming group includes two first-year athletes as well as three transfers, each of whom have just one or two years of collegiate experience.
 
One of those transfers is Roko Maric, younger brother of the now-graduated Thunderbird Toni Maric. After spending a year with NCAA Division I school South Carolina State before playing last year closer to home at Simon Fraser University, Maric now heads to UBC following a 2025-26 season where he averaged six points and four rebounds off the bench for the Red Leafs as a redshirt freshman.


 
With good size at 6'10" and a great basketball IQ, the Vancouver native is a versatile big man whose skillset gives him a high ceiling that he'll work towards reaching as a Thunderbird.
 
"What I found most appealing about choosing to study at UBC was the prestige of the institution and how it could take my education to the next level," said Maric, who plans to study in the Faculty of Arts.
 
"Competing as a Thunderbird also stood out to me because watching my brother play over the past few years showed me the strong community behind the basketball program, and with the addition of coaches Phil Jalalpoor and Jacob Simmons, it felt like a no-brainer."
 
Another incoming T-Bird with a familial connection is Blake Pye, a Victoria native and brother of UBC Women's Rugby star Adia Pye. The young guard led Lambrick High School to a third-place finish at the B.C. AAA Provincial Championships this past March, averaging 36 points per game at the final tournament to showcase his explosiveness on the offensive end.
 
Having previously led Team BC to a third-place finish at the Canada Games, Pye is described by Jalalpoor as a team-first player and incredibly hard worker who has a two-way impact.
 

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"The main appeal [to become a T-Bird] is Phil Jalalpoor being the head coach," said Pye, who plans to join the Faculty of Arts at UBC. "I am also glad to be staying in B.C. and attending the school my parents both graduated from and that my sister is also attending. Go 'Birds!"
 
Also now in the fold is Jakob Vigneault, a Montreal-born athlete who has spent most of his life living abroad in the United States, Germany and France. The 6'5" guard came up through development programs at Bayern Munich in Germany and Nantes in France, competing for U21 Nantes in the very well-regarded Espoirs Elite youth league.
 
After spending a year at NCAA Division II school Mississippi College, Vigneault now arrives at UBC with four years of eligibility remaining and a good shooting touch, having shot 37% from three-point range for the Choctaws last season.


 
"I feel really confident about choosing UBC because of its world-class academics and the fact that the program is competing with Canada's best," said Vigneault, who aims to eventually earn a Bachelor of Commerce. "It's also a huge plus that I get to move back to my home country after more than 17 years of living abroad."

Nas Rezk is another player coming from abroad, having grown up in Alexandria, Egypt before attending a preparatory school in New York State. An Egyptian youth international, he's served as a starter for the country's U18 national team and competed at the U18 AfroBasket and other international competitions.
 
A physical wing who pushes the pace and can shoot the ball well, Rezk is excited to begin his university career at UBC this fall, where he plans to study International Relations.
 
"I chose to be a Thunderbird because of the opportunity to compete in one of the best basketball programs while also studying at one of the top academic institutions in the world," stated Rezk. "I felt UBC would push me to grow both as an athlete and as a student."
 

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Rounding out this year's recruiting class is 6'7" forward Marcus Flores, who will redshirt this upcoming season after transferring from UFV. The White Rock native started all but one game for the Cascades last season, averaging 12 points and 5.7 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field.
 
A hard-nosed player who plays with intensity on the defensive end, Flores – a Kinesiology student – will enter his third year of eligibility after he completes his redshirt season.
 
"UBC's kinesiology program is as good as it gets," said Flores on what drew him to UBC. "I'm excited to study in this program and compete for national championships."
 

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The new Thunderbirds will look to hit the ground running in training camp, before conference play begins in October.