The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues
Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues

Utah freshmen Kuzma and Chapman stick together on and off the court

Utah+freshmen+Kuzma+and+Chapman+stick+together+on+and+off+the+court

— Chris Samuels

When the No. 13 Runnin’ Utes brought in six freshmen this season, there was a lot to be said about two of those freshmen in Kyle Kuzma and Brekkott Chapman. Both were ranked as four-star recruits by some recruiting websites and seen as the cream of the crop when it came to the incoming class.
However, as the season’s progressed, the talk has veered in Jakob Poeltl’s direction, something both Kuzma and Chapman both understand.
“Jakob is playing a lot of minutes, and we kind of need him to do that,” Kuzma said.
With the extra eyes on Poeltl, both Kuzma and Chapman have contributed to Utah’s 7-1 start to the season, but it’s more than just basketball for the duo.
Most freshmen classes have a special bond that can’t seem to be replicated anywhere else. From team practices, lifts and film sessions, they are spending most of their days with their fellow freshmen teammates. For Kuzma and Chapman, the relationship extends beyond the court as well.
“We’re real tight off the court,” Kuzma said. “If we’re not on the court shooting hoops or eating, we’re in his room playing the PS4 all the time, so we have a pretty close relationship.”
Yet it’s been rare to see the two on the court at the same time. With Kuzma measuring in at 6-foot-9 and Chapman not far behind at 6-foot-8, the duo can sometimes eliminate their chances of competing together by playing the same position.
But with the versatility of Kuzma, there have been those unique times where the Michigan native lines up at the small forward position with Chapman filling the power forward slot. The freshmen are slowly creeping their way into more minutes in Utes’ lineup, and Chapman feels the two have something going for them.
“[Kyle’s] a little more interchangeable, so he can play the three and the four,” Chapman said. “So when he’s at three and I’m at four on the court together, that’s a really long, athletic combo right there.”
In their most recent victory over BYU, Chapman and Kuzma did not find themselves on the court together often, but each made solid contributions throughout the contest. Kuzma saw the court for nine minutes while shooting 3-for-5 from the field for uplifting seven points off of the bench, and Chapman logged 13 minutes of work to the tune of eight points, four rebounds and two steals.
While head coach Larry Krystkowiak has been impressed with the entire freshmen class, he had nothing but praise for Kuzma after his play against BYU and in the rest of the early season.
“[Kuzma] gave us a big lift,” Krystkowiak said. “He plays with a little bit of moxie … He has a really good feel, he does against zone. He’s a guy we probably want to put in the high post and make some plays. He’s got a knack for finding the open area, and sometimes that’s hard to coach, but he’s always had that, and that’s a skill of his.”
Krystkowiak and his freshmen will have to get ready for another big game against No. 10 Kansas. While the game doesn’t take place in the famed Allen Fieldhouse, the Rock Chalk faithful will make their to the Sprint Center in Kansas City for, essentially, a home game for the Jayhawks.
For Utah, the key will be stopping the physicality that Kansas possesses. While the Runnin’ Utes have taller players, the Jayhawks have bruises that Krystkowiak and company will need to prepare adequately for if they want to leave Kansas with a win.
“They’re a really physical, big team,” Krystkowiak said. “They’ve got players all around, kind of what you’d anticipate with a Kansas team. Rebounding is a huge key for them, they’re really solid defensively.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. MT from Kansas City.
 
[email protected]
@GriffDoug

Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

The Daily Utah Chronicle welcomes comments from our community. However, the Daily Utah Chronicle reserves the right to accept or deny user comments. A comment may be denied or removed if any of its content meets one or more of the following criteria: obscenity, profanity, racism, sexism, or hateful content; threats or encouragement of violent or illegal behavior; excessively long, off-topic or repetitive content; the use of threatening language or personal attacks against Chronicle members; posts violating copyright or trademark law; and advertisement or promotion of products, services, entities or individuals. Users who habitually post comments that must be removed may be blocked from commenting. In the case of duplicate or near-identical comments by the same user, only the first submission will be accepted. This includes comments posted across multiple articles. You can read more about our comment policy at https://dailyutahchronicle.com/comment-faqs/.
All The Daily Utah Chronicle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *