This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I'm picking up some of the pieces after being out of the country for a month, but please bear with me as we go back over some older news that never got properly addressed.
First and foremost for Utah basketball is that it has an extra scholarship available after combo guard Julian Jacobs, the top player in the program's class of 2013, decommitted earlier this month. He committed to the Utes in March, and told the Tribune that he wanted to play "where I was needed not necessarily wanted and I felt Utah was that place."
Considered a high-end, athletic guard, Jacobs, from Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, would have brought excitement to the position. See this dunk from earlier this year as an example.
In interviews, Jacobs didn't explicitly rule out recommitting to Utah, but he appears to no longer be an option for coach Larry Krystkowiak. A source close to the program said the Utes are "moving on."
Jacobs did not respond to messages but told Scout.com (subscription required), that he prematurely committed to Utah and hopes to explore some other options, including the possibility of Ivy League schools. Rivals analyst Eric Bossi tweeted yesterday that Jacobs will visit USC this weekend.
"I feel like I was really young when I made my commitment to Utah and I need to explore some of my options before I finalize anything," Jacobs said. "I really want to open my recruitment up and see what else is out there."
Utah also has commitments from 2013 guards Parker Van Dyke (East High School) and Brandon Miller (Brighton High School), who would fill similar roles as Jacobs. However, they are both expected to serve church missions and it is unclear when they would each first play at Utah.
— Bill Oram