There will be at least one defection from the University of Utah men’s basketball team this offseason.
Freshman center Matt Van Komen will enter his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal, Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak told The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday afternoon.
Multiple sources told The Tribune that Van Komen’s transfer request came on Thursday. Late Saturday afternoon, Van Komen’s name was in the portal, per multiple sources.
Van Komen saw action in nine games, but none since playing two minutes against Cal on Feb. 8. He played a total of 43 minutes in those nine games, averaging 1.7 points per game, while hitting seven of his 10 field-goal attempts.
A three-star recruit and the No. 6 overall Class of 2019 prospect in the state of Utah according to 247sports, the 7-foot-4 former Pleasant Grove star originally drew interest from Baylor, Gonzaga, Portland State and Utah State during the recruiting process.
BYU could get in the mix this time around for Van Komen, with first-year head coach Mark Pope having made hay with transfers in the past. Van Komen’s mother, Lindsay Newville, played basketball for the Cougars.
With Van Komen’s departure, Utah gets down to the NCAA maximum of 13 scholarships for 2020-21. If anyone else decides to leave, that could make Utah a player in terms of late recruiting for the 2020 cycle and/or the transfer portal.
Follow @Joshua_Newman