2014-15 SEASON
UTAH MEN S BASKETBALL TV/Radio Roster 2 0 1 4-1 5 S E A S O N 0 BREKKOTT CHAPMAN 6-8 200 F Fr. Roy, Utah 1 ISAIAH WRIGHT 6-2 177 F Fr. Boise, Idaho 2 ERIS WINDER 6-1 168 G Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. 10 JAKE CONNOR 6-3 177 G Fr. Salt Lake City, Utah 11 BRANDON TAYLOR 5-10 167 G Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. 14 DAKARAI TUCKER 6-5 195 G/F Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. 15 AUSTIN EASTMAN 6-3 180 G Sr. Billings, Mont. 20 CHRIS REYES 6-7 230 F So. La Verne, Calif. 21 JORDAN LOVERIDGE 6-6 222 F Jr. West Jordan, Utah 25 KENNETH OGBE 6-6 190 G So. Munich, Germany 31 DALLIN BACHYNSKI 7-0 265 C Sr. Calgary, Alberta 35 KYLE KUZMA 6-9 210 F Fr. Flint, Mich. 41 JEREMY OLSEN 6-10 240 C Jr. Lawrenceville, Ga. 42 JAKOB POELTL 7-0 235 F Fr. Vienna, Austria 55 DELON WRIGHT 6-5 190 G Sr. Los Angeles, Calif. LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK Head Coach 4th Season TOMMY CONNOR Associate Head Coach 8th Season ANDY HILL Assistant Coach 4th Season DEMARLO SLOCUM Assistant Coach 4th Season 20 2 0 1 4-1 5 M E D I A G U I D E
2 0 1 4-1 5 S E A S O N UTAH MEN S BASKETBALL Roster & Breakdowns Roster Breakdown By Class Seniors (3) Dallin Bachynski Aus n Eastman Delon Wright Juniors (4) Jordan Loveridge Jeremy Olsen Brandon Taylor Dakari Tucker Sophomores (2) Kenneth Ogbe Chris Reyes Freshmen (6) Brekko Chapman Jake Connor Kyle Kuzma Jakob Poeltl Eris Winder Isaiah Wright By State/Country Austria (1) Jakob Poeltl Canada (1) Dallin Bachynski California (4) Chris Reyes Brandon Taylor Dakari Tucker Delon Wright Germany (1) Kenneth Ogbe Georgia (1) Jeremy Olsen Idaho (1) Isaiah Wright Michigan (1) Kyle Kuzma Montana (1) Aus n Eastman Nevada (1) Eris Winder Utah (3) Brekko Chapman Jake Connor Jordan Loveridge Numerical Roster No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Yr. Exp. Hometown (Previous School) 0 Brekko Chapman 6-8 200 F FR HS Roy, Utah/Roy 1 Isaiah Wright 6-2 177 G FR HS Boise, Idaho/Borah 2 Eris Winder 6-1 168 G FR HS Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde 10 Jake Connor 6-3 177 G FR HS Salt Lake City, Utah/Highland 11 Brandon Taylor 5-10 167 G JR 2L Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills 14 Dakarai Tucker 6-5 195 G/F JR 2L Los Angeles, Calif./Serra 15 Aus n Eastman 6-3 180 G SR 1L Billings, Mont./Billings Senior 20 Chris Reyes 6-7 230 F SO TR La Verne, Calif./Citrus College 21 Jordan Loveridge 6-6 222 F JR 2L West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan 25 Kenneth Ogbe 6-6 190 G SO 1L Munich, Germany/Urspring 31 Dallin Bachynski 7-0 265 C SR 2L Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Southern Utah 35 Kyle Kuzma 6-9 210 F RS FR HS Flint, Mich./Bentley 41 Jeremy Olsen 6-10 240 C RS JR 2L Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill 42 Jakob Poeltl 7-0 235 F FR HS Vienna, Austria/Arkadia Traiskirchen 55 Delon Wright 6-5 190 G SR 1L Los Angeles, Calif./City College of San Francisco Alphabe cal Roster No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Yr. Exp. Hometown (Previous School) 31 Dallin Bachynski 7-0 265 C SR 2L Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Southern Utah 0 Brekko Chapman 6-8 200 F FR HS Roy, Utah/Roy 10 Jake Connor 6-3 177 G FR HS Salt Lake City, Utah/Highland 15 Aus n Eastman 6-3 180 G SR 1L Billings, Mont./Billings Senior 35 Kyle Kuzma 6-9 210 F RS FR HS Flint, Mich./Bentley 21 Jordan Loveridge 6-6 222 F JR 2L West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan 25 Kenneth Ogbe 6-6 190 G SO 1L Munich, Germany/Urspring 41 Jeremy Olsen 6-10 240 C RS JR 2L Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill 42 Jakob Poeltl 7-0 235 F FR HS Vienna, Austria/Arkadia Traiskirchen 20 Chris Reyes 6-7 230 F SO TR La Verne, Calif./Citrus College 11 Brandon Taylor 5-10 167 G JR 2L Los Angeles, Calif./Pacific Hills 14 Dakarai Tucker 6-5 195 G/F JR 2L Los Angeles, Calif./Serra 2 Eris Winder 6-1 168 G FR HS Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde 55 Delon Wright 6-5 190 G SR 1L Los Angeles, Calif./City College of San Francisco 1 Isaiah Wright 6-2 177 G FR HS Boise, Idaho/Borah Coaching Staff Head Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (Montana, 1996) - 4th Season Associate Head Coach Tommy Connor (Utah, 1990) - 8th Season Assistant Coaches: DeMarlo Slocum (Georgia Southern, 2001) - 4th Season Andy Hill (Eastern Washington, 2000) - 4th Season Director of Basketball Opera ons: Norm Parrish (Northwest Nazarene, 1987) - 4th Season Director of Player Development and Camps: Phil Cullen (Utah, 2006) - 3rd Season Video Coordinator: Sco McByrne (Tampa, 2008) - 4th Season Pronuncia on Guide Larry Krystkowiak....... krist-koh-vee-ak Dallin Bachynski..........buh-CHIN-skee Dakarai Tucker.............. duh-car-ee Kenneth Ogbe.................AHG-bee Eris Winder..................... AIR-us Jakob Poeltl..............YA-kub PUR-tle Brekko Chapman............ BREH-cot Kyle Kuzma.................. KOOZ-ma W W W. U T A H U T E S. C O M 21
UTAH MEN S BASKETBALL Season Outlook Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak is entering his fourth year as the head coach of the Runnin Utes and last season, he guided the team to their first postseason appearance since 2009 and their best record since joining the Pac-12, surpassing the 20- win mark and finishing the year in the NIT. 2 0 1 4-1 5 S E A S O N The Utes bring back a lot of talent from last season s squad, losing only one starter and returning their top six scorers. Utah finished as one of the most offensively-efficient teams in college basketball last year, shoo ng 48.8 percent from the floor. The Utes also feasted on their non-conference foes in order to build confidence for a rigorous Pac-12 slate. In all, Utah won 15 of their contest last year by double figures and ranked 15th na onally in scoring margin (+10.8). Defensively, the Utes excelled at guarding the three-point line, holding opponents to 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, tops in the league. With a solid recrui ng class and the con nued development of the returning players, many see this as a breakthrough season for Utah. This year s team looks like a Pac-12 team, Krystkowiak said. We are no longer undersized in front court, which should help us improve our rebounding. We also want to implement a different offensive style; the ball shouldn t be in a player s hand for more than a second with this year s offense. I want lots of ball movement, comparable to a hybrid triangle offense. This will allow the players to have a li le bit more freedom. Hopefully, the offensive distribu on is a li le more diverse this season. In the backcourt, the main distributor will be Delon Wright. Wright burst on the scene last season becoming the first Ute to ever earn First Team Delon Wright became the first Ute to earn All-Pac-12 honors and was also named to the All-Defensive Team a er finishing 10th in the na on in steals per game. His 82 steals were second all- me in Utah history All-Pac-12 honors. Offensively, he had also had one of the best singleseason assist marks in Utah history with 174 (5.3 per game). Wright was one of the most efficient scorers in the na on last season, connec ng on 56 percent of his shots, most around the basket. In his first collegiate game, Wright showed a glimpse of what was to come with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a Ute victory. Wright was also named to the All-Defensive team a er finishing 10th in the na on in steals per game. His 82 steals were second only to Andre Miller s school record of 84 set during the 1998-99 season. This year, Wright needs only 31 steals to crack the top-10 all- me at Utah in only his second season. Despite being a guard, he ranked sixth in the league with 1.3 blocked shots per game and 12th in rebounding with 6.8 caroms per game. Due to his all-around excellence, Wright was invited to Las Vegas for the LeBron James Skills Academy in July, a showcase for the top 30 players in the na on. Delon con nues to impress me every day, coach Krystkowiak stated. He gained 12 pounds of muscle in the offseason, improved his shot and end-of-game mentality. The coaching staff and other players have seen him start to lead, combine that with his work ethic this offseason and that s been the biggest step he s taken. Brandon Taylor con nues to be one of the deadliest shooters in the Pac-12 and is gaining ground on some Ute records. Heading into his junior season, he needs 11 3-pointers to crack the top-10 all- me at Utah and a er last year, he sits 10th all- me in career 3-point field goal percentage at 40.5 Brandon Taylor ranks 10th all- me at Utah in career 3-point field-goal percentage, connec ng on 40.5 percent of his tries. He also ranked sixth in assist-to-turnover ra o while star ng every game last season Taylor was an excellent complement to Wright in the backcourt last season, providing the outside shoo ng threat while also ranking sixth in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ra o and 11th in assists per game. Taylor started every game for Utah as a sophomore and broke through with 23 points and eight assists in a win vs. Oregon State at the onset of the conference season. Despite being diminu ve in stature, the 22 2 0 1 4-1 5 M E D I A G U I D E
2 0 1 4-1 5 S E A S O N UTAH MEN S BASKETBALL Season Outlook junior started 22 games and played in every contest for Utah last season. Another strong perimeter player, Tucker shot 41.4 percent from 3-point land as a sophomore, sixth-best in the Pac-12. The Los Angeles na ve was outstanding against teams from his old neighborhood, averaging double figures in scoring against the Trojans and Bruins last year. The Utes also have Kenneth Ogbe, who played in 30 games last season and spent his summer playing for the German U-20 team at the European Championships. Kenneth looks to have grown an inch or two in the offseason, Krystkowiak added. He s ge ng more comfortable with his body and the style of play at this level. Things have slowed down for him and that will help him this season. During his freshman year, Ogbe set the Utah single-season mark for 3-point accuracy, connec ng on 47.1 percent of his tries from beyond the arc. He also excelled in big games, scoring a career-high 12 points in the victory over No. 25 UCLA. Dakarai Tucker is one of many long, athle c wings that Utah now has in its rota on. Tucker started 25 games as a sophomore and was one of the best defenders for the Utes sub six-foot guard grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in a win over Washington State, proving that although small in stature, he has a tremendous motor and will to win. Isaiah Wright is the quintessen al lead guard who facilitates the offense with composure and has all the physical intangibles. Isaiah may have the biggest impact of any freshman on our team, Krystkowiak said. He s a pass-first guard that plays good defense. He arrived here with a solid body that helps on both ends of the court. He doesn t get bumped or pushed off the ball. In the frontcourt, Jordan Loveridge seems poised to make a bigger leap this year for the Utes. Last season, he became the first Ute in program history to receive a weekly honor from the Pac-12 and is currently 22nd all- me at Utah with a career scoring average of 13.4 points per game. Heading into his junior year, he 128 points to become the 37th player in Utah history to eclipse 1,000 points. The West Jordan na ve amassed six double-doubles for the Utes and finished 10th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (7.0) and 12th in scoring (14.7). Loveridge is also dangerous at the charity stripe, finishing among the top-10 in the Pac-12 by connec ng on 80 percent of his tries at the line. With Loveridge and Delon Wright finishing 1-2 in minutes played for Pac-12 players, Coach Krystkowiak knows the versa le post player can be depended upon in any circumstance. Wright a ended Borah High School, same as current associate head coach Tommy Connor, and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year a er averaging 16.2 points, 6.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 steals. His accolades also include being named 5A All-Idaho Player of the Year and MVP of the 5A Idaho State Tournament while leading his squad to a state tle. Aus n Eastman was a walk-on last season and the mechanical engineering major earned a spot on the NABC Honors Court. The senior played in three games last season against Evergreen State, Saint Katherine and Colorado. This team player is a valuable addi on that brings a hard-working a tude and energe c a tude to the roster. Jake Connor is one of two new walk-ons for this season in the backcourt. He graduated from Highland High School where he was an all-state and all-region performer. His senior season, he averaged 15 points per game and finished as one of the state leaders in both 3-pointers made and percentage (45%). Eris Winder is the other addi on, a 6-1 point guard from Las Vegas. He spent last year as a member of the Elev8 Sports Ins tute post graduate roster. A McDonald s All-American nominee a er his senior season at Palo Verde High School, Winder averaged 17.3 points, 5.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals. His cousin, Anson, plays on the BYU men s basketball team. On the wing, Dakarai Tucker was the primary op on last season. The Jordan Loveridge is closing in 1,000 points for his Utah career and has one of the highest points-per-game averages in program history. The local product is another talented junior returning to the Utes W W W. U T A H U T E S. C O M 23
UTAH MEN S BASKETBALL Season Outlook 2 0 1 4-1 5 S E A S O N We know what Jordan is capable of and we may have worn him and Delon down a bit last season, Krystkowiak said. We hope to avoid that problem this year because we have more depth this year. We think that when the season starts, we ll have a solid 10-player rota on to avoid players ge ng burned out. Kyle Kuzma was listed as a top power forward by Scout.com and ESPN featured him as a four-star commit that could poten ally be a centerpiece to a team. A poten al mismatch problem with some throwback tools on the low post, he covers the court, handles the ball well and is ac ve on the offensive glass. The 6-9 wing has a unique combina on of size, length, and skill and con nues to improve a er averaging roughly 22 points and seven rebounds at Rise Academy. Kyle has done a nice job since arriving on campus, Krystkowiak stated. We ve moved him around and put him at the 3 in certain situa ons. He has really improved defensively in his me with the team. He and Brekko give us two more strong players on the glass. Brekko Chapman is a local product and was the top player from the state of Utah. The 6-8 forward ranked No.12 in the class of 2014 by ESPN and also played for the Utah Prospects AAU team. Due to his savvy, length, and skill set, the rangy le -hander always appears to make the right basketball play. Chapman can do it all on both ends of the court and averaged 19 points and 8.6 rebounds last season at Roy High School. He can knock down the jump shot, drop off a ni y assist, or convert buckets in the open court due to his polished skill set. Chris Reyes, a 6-7 forward, transferred from Citrus College, a junior college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora. Chris is a physical presence, something we haven t had in this program, Krystkowiak said. He brings depth and versa lity to our frontcourt and could have an immediate impact on our team. Dallin Bachynski shot 62 percent from the floor last year, the fourth-highest singleseason mark in Utah history. The senior brings experience and strength to the Utah front line While a ending Citrus, Reyes was named the Western State Conference South MVP and was also named a First Team All-State selec on. While at Damien High school, Reyes was a two- me Sierra League MVP, while being named Division 3AA CIF Co-Player of the Year. He also suited up for team La n America at the Adidas Na ons Global Challenge and was listed as one of the top 20 players in the state of California. Jakob Poeltl is a seven-footer hailing from Austria. He displayed outstanding offensive efficiency a er shoo ng almost 75 percent from the floor in the top domes c league, the Bundesliga. Jakob is not your typical European style of player, Krystkowiak stated. He has gained 15 pounds since arriving on campus and he really likes to mix it up in the post. He knocked one of our other guy s teeth out during one of the prac ces so he definitely brings aggressiveness to our front court. Poeltl was named an all-star a er averaging 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game for the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions. He captained the U-18 Austrian na onal team at the European Championships and was part of the na onal championship team at the U-16 level. Dallin Bachynski quietly had one of the most effec ve seasons scoring the basketball in Utah history and is back at center for the Utes. The Canadian big man shot 61.9 percent from the floor, the fourth-highest total for a Ute with at least 100 a empts from the field. He took over the star ng center role own the stretch for Utah and also finished 13th in the Pac-12 in blocked shots. He also impressed with 11 points and 12 rebounds against No. 10 Oregon. Jeremy Olsen was a member of the Pac-12 All-Star team that traveled to China this summer along with a few other Utes and the coaching staff. The junior missed only one game last season and his array of low-post moves is a prized commodity Jeremy Olsen joined Loveridge, Taylor and the rest of the Utah coaching staff as part of the Pac-12 All-Star team that traveled to China this offseason. The bruising post player appeared in every game but one for the Utes and scored in double figures against OSU, WSU and Stanford in league play. 24 2 0 1 4-1 5 M E D I A G U I D E