Utah basketball trending favorably with 4-star recruit

Runnin' Utes remain in the mix for one of the top point guards in the 2027 class

Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen and his program are heavily involved in the recruitment of four-star point guard Antonio Pemberton. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As Alex Jensen navigates his first season at the helm of the Utah basketball program, his coaching staff has managed to stay in contact with one of the top point guard recruits in the 2027 class.

This line of communication, as well as the play style the Runnin' Utes approach every game with, have left a considerable impression on four-star prospect Antonio Pemberton.

"The coaching staff stands out to me with Utah," Pemberton told Jamie Shaw, senior national recruiting analyst for On3/Rivals. "I mean, they're like family, so we talk every day."

Utah is among the schools vying to land Pemberton, the No. 10 point guard prospect in the 2027 class according to 247Sports. The Brewster Academy (New Hampshire) product also holds offers from Marquette, Iowa, Maryland and a few other power conference programs.

Runnin' Utes assistant coach Raphael Chillious is the one responsible for keeping the line of dialogue between the school and the 6-foot-1 recruit open, according to what Pemberton told Shaw. Chillious, who joined Jensen's staff prior to the 2025-26 season, has an understanding of the high school recruiting ecosystem on the East Coast from his coaching days at South Kent High School (Connecticut), as well as UConn (2017-18), Villanova (2012-13) and East Carolina (2018-20).

"I talk with Chills every day," Pemberton told On3/Rivals. "So, just him calling, or texting me, even just sending me quotes as often as he does, really means a lot to me."

Pemberton also pays close attention to Utah's guard-focused offense, which revolves around the shot creation and playmaking abilities of Terrence Brown and Don McHenry. Those two combine for roughly half of Utah's total scoring output on the season and attempt almost 30 field goals per game.

Given Pemberton's budding skillset, he'd be a perfect fit to run Jensen's offense. Pemberton, a self-proclaimed three-level scorer, is averaging 16.3 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 42.4% from 3 in Nike's EYBL league.

Pemberton's talents have earned him consensus four-star status from all the major recruiting services, including ESPN, 247Sports and On3/Rivals. All three sites grade him as either the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect from New Hampshire.

Pemberton, who completed official visits with Utah (September) and Marquette (December) in the fall and winter, told On3/Rivals that he hasn't planned any other visits. The consensus top-85 recruit in the 2027 class added that he intends on committing at some point in the fall, and that he'll remain in the 2027 class as opposed to graduating early so he can join the 2026 class.

What is Brewster Academy?

Brewster Academy has a well-documented history of developing NBA talent under head coach Jason Smith, the leader of the boy's basketball program that has won seven national prep championships over the course of his 25 years at the helm. According to the program's official site, 24 alumni have played in the NBA, while 70-plus have had professional careers in leagues around the world, including the NBA G League.

Donovan Mitchell, T.J. Warren, Will Barton, Devonte' Graham and Matas Buzelis are among the school's notable NBA alumni.