facebook-pixel

Utah basketball big man Matt Van Komen hits the transfer portal

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Matt Van Komen at University of Utah basketball practice in Salt Lake City on Wednesday Sept. 25, 2019.

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.

Help The Tribune report the stories others can’t—or won’t.

For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism.  As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.

You can help power this work.

$15$25$35
Author
Josh NewmanUtah athletics reporter

Josh Newman began covering the University of Utah for The Tribune in 2019. A Long Island, N.Y. native, he covered Rutgers University and Monmouth University for the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey for 15 years. Basketball remains his first love, a cold IPA coming in a close second.