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Crowds now have to wait a few minutes to see him, but when Brekkott Chapman comes off the bench, he usually has a few good plays ahead.
Playing at a packed Marriott Center, he might have put together his best half of the year: a jumper as he came in, another a few minutes later, two free throws, then a put-back on an offensive rebound. Eight minutes into the game, he had eight points. BYU had nine.
The 6-foot-8 forward's talent was on full display all the time at Roy High. Now a freshman for the No. 14 Runnin' Utes, his highlights are more like flashes, but still there. He's not the focal point, and he likes it that way.
"To be honest, I enjoy having a supporting role," he said. "I'd rather not be the star player. We can put that on other people. It takes off a ton of pressure not being the one guy."
Chapman has inspired some confidence that he may one day be a star in Utah's program, but for now he's playing a steady 16 minutes per game, often the first one off the bench. He does just a little bit of everything, with 5.7 points and three rebounds per game, and four steals in the last two games.
A self-admitted quiet guy, Chapman sometimes struggled to handle weight of being one of the West's top senior prospects last year. With the Utes, he's found a way to contribute and win while not being a figurehead.
"He has a role; he likes that role," said Lynn Lloyd, Chapman's club team coach. "And the thing I've always said about him is he likes winning. You watch the bench, and if he's not the loudest cheerleader, he's one of them."
Chapman has spent the past few years anywhere but the bench. His mobility and skill as a left-handed big man made him a four-star recruit, but also a guy who needed to be on the floor for the Royals.
Coach Dan McClure remembers Chapman seemed to step up for the big ones, getting good games against Jalen Moore and Parker Van Dyke locally, or against blue-chippers such as Kelly Oubre, Malik Pope and Thomas Welsh on AAU circuits.
Those performances made him a big deal in his hometown. But they also strained him.
"I could sense so much pressure: He knew he was the guy, and he had to be the guy for us to be successful," McClure said. "I made the comment to our staff, 'I think he's going to be a better player with some of that pressure taken off.' "
An enduring memory of Chapman is one of his biggest disappointments. He sat out of the 4A playoffs as a senior for violating team rules, and was confined to a spectator as his team lost in the quarterfinals.
Watching from the sideline was tough — just as tough as meeting with his future coach, Larry Krystkowiak, on the day he was suspended. In what Chapman later described as a "stern" meeting, Krystkowiak told him that the Utes wouldn't be forgiving if he stepped out of line.
Chapman said the incident showed him basketball could be taken away from him. From the moment he walked out of that meeting, people around him said he matured.
"He lived through it, made him stronger, made him a better person," Lloyd said. "I hate to say it was a good experience for him, but he probably needed to fail to grow."
The misstep is behind him now, and he's thriving in college. He's nestled behind the star power of Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl, and he's also able to go home every Sunday for dinner with his mother, brother and grandparents.
For Chapman, there may come a day when he's called upon to do more for the Utes. For now, he's in the perfect spot.
"To be honest, this is what I thought it would be like," he said. "I figured if I came in and started good, I'd get the opportunity to play. That's what's happened so far."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Brekkott Chapman
O Averaged 19 points and 8.6 rebounds as a senior at Roy High.
• Played for Utah Prospects in AAU circuit.
• Four-star recruit, according to Rivals, ESPN, Scout.
• Averaging 16.3 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 3 rpg; shooting 44.4 percent. —
Utah vs. UNLV
At the MGM Grand Garden
Saturday, 9:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2