MBB: Van Komen enters transfer portal
The first domino following the conclusion of the Utah men's basketball season has officially fallen.
On Thursday, it was reported by the Salt Lake Tribune that Utah freshman center Matt Van Komen asked for his release. And on Saturday, Van Komen's name was listed among others in the transfer portal.
He was a former 3-star and the No. 6 ranked recruit out of the state of Utah. He received interest from Baylor, Gonzaga, Portland State and Utah State throughout the recruiting process before ultimately deciding on the Utes.
But he lost a lot of his would-be minutes to Brendan Carlson, who returned this season after serving his two-year LDS mission. Carlson's emergence, eventually to the starting lineup, ultimately gave the Utes the inside and shot-blocking presence they were searching for.
So Van Komen's departure isn't completely out of the blue as the 7-foot-4 center's minutes dwindled towards the middle of the season — he didn't play in any game following Utah's 60-45 victory over Cal on Feb. 8 when he recorded two minutes.
He found himself deep down on the depth chart with centers/power forwards Carlson, Riley Battin, Mikael Jantunen and Lahat Thioune all playing in at least 25 games throughout the year.
On the season, Van Komen saw action in just nine games. He played in 43 total minutes on the year, knocking down 7-of-10 field goals, averaging 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks on the season.
With his departure, the Utes are now down to 13 scholarships on the roster, the maximum allowed under NCAA rules.