This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Brekkott Chapman called the guy who'd been following him around the country for much of the 2013 calendar season to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear.

When he did, Larry Krystkowiak was speechless.

Chapman's commitment to the University of Utah Monday remains a major coup for a Runnin' Utes program entering their third season under Krystkowiak and third in the Pac-12 Conference. The Roy High School senior was ranked the 49th prospect overall nationwide by ESPN.com and is considered one of the most versatile talents in the country.

The decision was Utah after a year-long recruiting battle with coaches from major programs from all over the West Coast and Chapman said much of the credit went to Krystkowiak's relentlessness as well as the environment of the university and program.

"It's just the way I feel when I'm down there," Chapman explained. "It's a feeling I haven't had on any other campuses I've visited. That's a huge thing to me."

That feeling is being close to home and playing for a coach like Krystkowiak who made Chapman his main target and went full bore after the skilled 6-foot-8 lefty. Chapman said Utah started to gain steam in his mind the last couple of weeks and said the "good family environment" helped his arduous choice that much easier. He added that being able to stay close to home played a role in his commitment to Utah.

"I really thought it would be the best decision for me," he said. "I've been thinking about it for a little while and one day it just popped into my head while I was dealing with the last AAU tournament. Coach K has been dedicated to me. That was a big part of it. That was a big factor. It shows that they were dedicated to me and that I was their No. 1 guy they wanted."

The last few days have been overwhelming Chapman said.

His phone hasn't stopped ringing with calls or buzzing with text messages and added that folks on Twitter have really embraced his commitment to Utah.

"It's been a lot of congratulations," he said. "It's been really good."

Chapman said he's spoken to both Utah sophomore forward Jordan Loveridge and incoming freshman guard Parker Van Dyke this week, adding that both former Utah prep stars have been ecstatic over his decision and are optimistic about the future of the program.

The Roy star picked Utah over a litter of prominent college basketball programs including Gonzaga, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU and Utah State. In a report by the Tribune earlier this week following Chapman's commitment, it was said that teams from the ACC, SEC and Big 12 called in the last seven days in an attempt to enter the recruiting process following a stellar AAU season with Utah Prospects.

Still growing, Chapman's skill set is that of a combo forward, able to take opponents off the dribble with his nifitness as well as stretching the opposing defense with great range from behind the arc. His creativity on the offensive end and ability to distribute the ball has helped round out his offensive game.

And now that his recruiting fiasco is in the books and he's one year away from donning the red and white, Chapman said he's very relieved and is ready to move forward with his final year with the Roy Royals.

"It's time to start working on high school and working on the present," he said.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani