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Utah's 7-foot holiday gift doesn't go in a tree stand — he'll be planted in the paint.
And he just might play this year.
While the Runnin' Utes have yet to commit to playing him this season, California big man Jayce Johnson joined the program Monday and practiced with the team for the first time after flying to Salt Lake City on Sunday. He figures to be a big part of Utah's post-Poeltl future — if not its present.
Johnson is eligible to play as soon as Utah's game Tuesday against Delaware State. Whether he will play that early is another matter: The staff originally planned for him to redshirt for the remainder of the season.
It has a lot to do with how quickly Johnson can get up to speed.
"It's a process, as is the case with a lot of freshmen," coach Larry Krystkowiak said at his weekly press conference. "Lot of enthusiasm, lot of excitement, and then you're in the environment and you go, 'Wait a minute, this is a little bit harder than I thought.' I think from a mental point of view, Jayce is probably really excited. He's been sitting out a while. I'm guessing he's chomping at the bit."
Utah has also been chomping at the bit to get him in: Johnson was ranked the No. 47 prospect by 247 Sports this fall, and he's the No. 11 center according to ESPN. A consensus four-star recruit, he drew a lot of interest after standing out in the AAU circuit this summer, ultimately choosing Utah over Cal.
The Utes have been a very different team without sophomore center Jakob Poeltl on the floor: While the 7-foot double-double performer has been arguably the best center in the nation this year, Utah doesn't have a player over 6-foot-9 on the roster to replace him. The Utes have made the best of the situation, playing Kyle Kuzma and Brekkott Chapman together, or subbing in Chris Reyes — which worked this past weekend against Duke.
With Johnson, they potentially have a true backup center. If he progresses quickly in practice and the coaching staff feel he's needed, he could see time early. Krystkowiak sees Johnson bringing physicality to the post.
"I've never seen, honestly, a 7-footer get on the floor as often as he does for loose balls," he said. "He runs extremely well, gets up and down the floor. A little bit like Jakob in that he's not a selfish low-post player. I've seen him the last couple years make great passes when he gets double-teamed or when the opportunity arises. And he's a solid back-to-the-basket post player."
Poeltl player of week
After 19 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks against Duke, Poeltl is the Pac-12 Player of the Week — once again.
The Austrian 7-footer starred, despite fouling out, in a 77-75 overtime win over the Blue Devils, combining with Kuzma to give Utah a dominating presence in the frontcourt. His defensive performance included two blocks in the final 1:26 of regulation against Duke drives, and he also scored four points and added three rebounds in overtime before getting his fifth foul.
Poeltl's second weekly honor came mostly on the strength of that game: Against Savannah State, he had only 10 points and 7 rebounds, but Utah rolled 99-53.
Poeltl is the first Ute to earn Pac-12 Player of the Week twice in one season. He is listed as Draft Express' No. 9 player for the 2016 NBA mock draft, and his 70.2 percent field goal percentage is No. 11 nationally and leads the Pac-12.
Utes back in top 25
Just when they thought they were out, the Utes got pulled back in.
Utah is No. 24 in the Associated Press' most recent poll after upsetting the Blue Devils, the second time the Utes have re-entered the poll since beginning the season ranked No. 16 and dropping out twice. They came in just ahead of No. 25 South Carolina, with one voter ranking the Utes as high as No. 15.
Within the conference, Arizona is the only other ranked team, at No. 8.
Matthew Piper contributed reporting.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Delaware State at No. 24 Utah
P At the Jon M. Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 7 p.m.
TV • Pac-12 Network
Radio • 700 AM
Records • DSU 0-11; Utah 9-2
Series history • First meeting
About the Hornets • DeAndre Haywood is the only player averaging double-digit scoring, with 10.1 points per game. … According to stat site Basketball State, the Hornets rank last in Division I in both field goal percentage (34.9 percent) and true shooting percentage (42.7 percent). … Delaware State will play its eighth game of a nine-game road trip on Tuesday, and will be looking to break a 13-game losing streak dating back to last season.
About the Utes • With a win over Duke, the Utes have now won 11 straight games following losses, with the last back-to-back defeats coming to finish the 2013-14 campaign. … Utah is one of the best shooting teams inside the arc, hitting 57.7 percent of all two-point attempts for the No. 8 mark nationally. … The Utes give up the fewest fouls in the conference, averaging only 16.7 team fouls per game for No. 29 in the country.