KELOWNA, B.C. – UBCO Heat men's basketball head coach Clay Pottinger continues to reshape his roster ahead of the upcoming Canada West season with the addition of three Kelowna athletes for 2026-27.
 
Set to join UBCO in the fall are guards Tarun Saroya and Cole Koop, along with forward Wil Zylyk. Both Saroya and Koop suited up for Kelowna SS during their high school careers while Zylyk is a graduate of Okanagan Mission SS.
 
"I'm thrilled to have Taryn, Cole and Wil join our team for the upcoming season," said Heat head coach and general manager Clay Pottinger. "These athletes had multiple options but chose to join UBCO. That's a major win for us."
 
Saroya is a 6-6 guard who comes to UBCO after suiting up for Erie Prep Academy in Pennslyvania following his time with the KSS Owls. In his one season in the United States, Saroya was named the Ohio Prep Conference Most Valuable Players after helping his school win their first-ever regular season championship. The team's leading scorer, he finished the year ranked inside the Top 35 players in the state.
 
Koop and Zylyk both return to Kelowna as transfers with Koop playing for Briercrest College in the ACAC last season while Zylyk spent two years with the Ottawa Gee-Gess in the OUA.
 
Koop, who suited up for 11 games for the Heat between 2023 and 2025, enjoyed a strong season with nationally-ranked Briercrest last year, finishing fourth on his team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game while playing 24.8 minutes per contest. He would also contribute 2.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.
 
Zylyk returns to the Okanagan having been immersed in one of the top teams in U SPORTS the past two years. He appeared in 37 games with the Gee-Gees from 2023 to 2025, helping them win an OUA Championship in 2024-25 while also taking home bronze medals from the U SPORTS Championships in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
 
"Kelowna has exceptional basketball talent and we've always endeavoured to keep the greatest local talent home," continued Pottinger. "Whether we get them as rookies, or we get them as transfers, we are committed to building a team that features players who grew up playing in the Okanagan. There's always something extra special about playing for your hometown team. We want to tap into that energy and bring the Kelowna basketball community closer to UBCO."
 
Saroya, Koop and Zylyk join an incoming recruiting class that already features Vernon standouts Dom Zaino, Tylen Lewis and Mason Clerke. The group will join current Heat players and Kelowna natives Isaak Moore and Julien Malfair on the roster next season, bringing the team's total to eight players who grew up in the Okanagan.