Australian forward Bari Bedhahda commits to Central Wyoming College

Bari Bedhahda gives Central Wyoming College exactly the kind of frontcourt bet this roster needed. The 6-foot-6 forward from Perth, Western Australia, committed to the Rustlers with a game built on rim presence, rebounding and the physical edge that can change a possession in NJCAA play.

That matters in Riverton, where Central Wyoming spent last season fighting uphill inside. The Rustlers finished 10-18 overall and 4-9 in conference play, averaged 69.1 points and 30.9 rebounds per game, and allowed 73.1 points a night while losing the rebound battle by 2.1 boards per game. Their season ended with a road playoff loss on March 9, 2026, a result that made frontcourt help a priority rather than a luxury.

Bedhahda’s appeal is not just size. The AUSA Hoops pathway around him points to a player who has climbed through international basketball with production and toughness, including strong showings last July at NXT Pro and Pro 16 League stops in Richmond, Virginia, and Bryan, Texas. Those live-session environments are where Bedhahda’s instincts, flair for contact and willingness to compete around the paint stood out most, and they are the same traits Central Wyoming will want when games tighten in conference play.

The move also fits a program that has leaned into defense and development. Central Wyoming officially named Bob Ludwig its head men’s basketball coach on June 2, 2026, bringing him back after he previously served as an assistant in 2016-17, when the Rustlers won 21 games, their best season in nearly a decade. Ludwig’s coaching resume includes stops at IMG Academy and Peru State College, where he guided the Bobcats to back-to-back NAIA national tournament appearances and a 2019 Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament championship.

Ludwig’s bio says he has produced 10 20-win seasons, 10 national tournament appearances, six NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards, 13 All-Americans, 35 all-conference players and 16 players who went on to play professionally overseas. Central Wyoming athletic director and dean of students Steve Barlow said the school was fortunate to have Ludwig back, and that confidence frames the Bedhahda addition: this is a program looking for players who will buy into detail, toughness and development.

AUSA Hoops says it has placed more than 340 Australian players in U.S. college and high school programs since 2013, and Bedhahda is the latest to cross that path. For Central Wyoming, the question is simple: whether he becomes an immediate rotation answer or a longer-term investment, he is arriving to solve a very specific problem. The Rustlers need more size, more rebounds and a forward who will not be pushed off his spot. Bedhahda looks built for that fight.