This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The 162-mile roundtrip drive between Cache Valley and Salt Lake City is a long one. But Jaxon Brenchley made it twice this week.

He came to Utah's campus on Monday, when the men's basketball program offered the 6-foot-5, 185-pound combo guard a scholarship. And just because he felt the time was right, he drove down Wednesday to meet with Larry Krystkowiak and commit in person.

"Just everything about Utah is amazing," he said. "I love the coaches there. I think they can push me and make me the best player I can be. Utah's facilities, playing in the Pac-12, the education you get there — everything about Utah I really enjoy."

http://www.standard.net/High-School/2016/06/14/Former-Mountain-Crest-athletes-ready-to-rep-new-Ridgeline-High-School";>A senior at the newly-formed Ridgeline High School, Brenchley has been on Utah's radar for a long time. He averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game as a junior at Mountain Crest last year, and played this summer on the Exum Elite AAU squad.

Utah envisions him as a playmaking guard who could play multiple positions when he arrives in 2019, after a planned LDS Church Mission.

A three-star recruit on https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/maple/168706";>Rivals and http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/189046/jaxon-brenchley";>ESPN, Brenchley has been attending Utah camps for years — forming a strong relationship with assistant Tommy Connor in particular.

"I think I can be a good all-around player," he said. "Make the right pass, shoot it, handle pressure, do whatever the coaches want me to do."

Starting anew at Ridgeline, Brenchley has been unfazed. He said he embraces starting new traditions and creating new history at a brand-new school. Like Utah's facilities, the Ridgeline amenities were built in the last year.

Brenchley said he has always envisioned his recruiting process as a long-term plan with his desire to go on a mission. While his Utah days may be far into the future, he's glad to have it settled.

"I'm excited that I've figured out where I'm going to college, " he said. "I just felt ready."

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon