University of Utah

Utah Center Jakob Poeltl to Return for his Sophomore Season

Utah freshman center Jakob Poeltl announced he would return for his sophomore season this morning. He had been projected as a possible lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft.

“I really enjoy it here at the University of Utah,” Poeltl said. “I love my teammates, coaches and college in general. I think another year will help my development and I’m looking forward to next season.”

Poeltl, a semifinalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, was also named to the Pac-12’s All-Freshman Team after shooting 68 percent from the field (4th nationally) and ranking third in the league in blocked shots. Both of his totals in those categories set new freshman marks for the Utes. Poeltl started all but one game for the Utes his freshman year as they reached their first Sweet Sixteen since 2005 where the Utes lost to Duke. Poeltl averaged 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season.

“Jakob had a solid freshman season for us and made great strides but there is no doubt in my mind that his best basketball is ahead of him,” head coach Larry Krystkowiak said. “He is driven, intelligent and an elite athlete. I’m excited he has faith in our program to turn the words ‘potential’ and ‘project’ into ‘proven’ and possibly “prize”.

Poeltl applied to the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee for an evaluation of his NBA Draft potential.

“During this process I talked to a lot of people, including my family and coaches,” Poeltl added. “I received positive feedback about both options but in the end, this was a gut decision on my part. I want to come back to gain experience. I think I can elevate my game a little more before facing the challenges of playing in the NBA.”

“One of my favorite parts of this story is that immediately after informing us of his return, he starting talking about our goals for next year’s team,” Krystkowiak stated. “He went from ‘me’ to ‘we’ pretty darn quick and that’s our culture.”

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