This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
A one-time four-star prep recruit has decided to play out his college basketball career close to home.
Brekkott Chapman, 20, is transferring from Utah to Weber State. He'll sit out the 2016-17 season in compliance with NCAA transfer rules, then will have two years of eligibility remaining to play for the Wildcats.
The pairing of Chapman and Weber State allows the Roy High School star to play close to home, and gives the Wildcats their next potential star on the hardwood.
"We've known Brekkott well and have watched him throughout his high school years and his time at Utah," coach Randy Rahe said in a school news release, "and we feel very strongly that he has tremendous potential to become a very good and impactful player, as well as a great person and student in our program."
Since his prep days, Chapman has oozed potential.
The 6-foot-8 forward was a top-50 rated-prospect by ESPN, and was courted by major programs including Arizona and UCLA. When the Utes signed him to the 2014 recruiting class, it was considered a major coup.
But in two years, Chapman's promise never quite turned into production: He averaged 5.7 points per game as a freshman, then 4.4 points as a sophomore when teammate Kyle Kuzma assumed a starting role. The Utes were planning to move Chapman to a more perimeter-oriented role next season when he decided to transfer.
The Wildcats hope a fresh start will bring a revival for Chapman. Over the past few years, Rahe produced Damian Lillard, a two-time NBA All-Star, and Joel Bolomboy is also expected to be an NBA Draft pick on Thursday night.
The Tribune was unable to reach Chapman as of Wednesday afternoon, but Chapman tweeted to confirm the announcement.
"Thank you to all the Ute fans who supported me throughout the last couple years, you guys were amazing!" he wrote. "But the time has come for me to move on and I'm proud to say I am now a Wildcat!"
Twitter: @kylegoon