South Summit's Beau Rydalch commits to walk on for Runnin' Utes after mission

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Fans of the 1990s Runnin' Utes must be starting to feel old.

First, it was announced that the son of Utes assistant coach and former point guard Tommy Connor will walk on at the U.

Then, Tuesday, the son of '90s Utah captain Craig Rydalch announced that he will join the Utes in 2016 as a preferred walk-on when he returns from an LDS mission to Ecuador.

Just committed to play basketball at the University of Utah! #FutureUte #GreatDayToBeAUte #UtahBasketball

Beau Rydalch, a 6-foot-6 small forward who shot 42 percent from 3-point range and 56 percent overall last season for South Summit, told The Tribune on Tuesday that he's always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his dad and his uncle Mark (would you believe it, another Runnin' Utes captain).

"We've been going to games for years and years," he said. "When I had the opportunity, it'd be nothing but a dream come true."

Rydalch led the Wildcats to a third-place finish in 2A as a senior. He says he prides himself on making hustle plays and that he's played every position at South Summit. He plans to study psychology at the U.

His club coach, Salt Lake Metro's Dave Hammer, was a volunteer assistant for former Ute coach Lynn Archibald and remembers recruiting Craig Rydalch; Beau, he said, is a chip off the old block.

"He's a pretty dynamic player — a good, hard worker," Hammer said. "He's still a little thin, so the mission will be good because it will give some time to let his body catch up with him a little bit."

— Matthew Piper

Twitter: @matthew_piper