Utah basketball: Utes get commitment from Kyle Kuzma

Three weeks ago, Utah basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak made a big splash when he persuaded Brekkott Chapman to commit to the Utes.

On Friday afternoon, Krystkowiak continued his 2013 recruiting magic.

As first reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, Kyle Kuzma committed to Utah, spurning offers from schools like UConn, Missouri, Michigan State and Memphis to do so.

Kuzma — a 6-foot-8 small forward out of Flint, Mich. — is currently on campus visiting the school. When reached by The Tribune, he said the family atmosphere around the program is his biggest reason for committing to Krystkowiak's team.

"It's all about relationships," Kuzma said. "I built a good relationship with coach Krystkowiak and coach [DeMarlo] Slocum. They made me feel comfortable and I felt good about where the program was headed."

Kuzma began the summer out of the national recruiting spotlight, but blew up with several good performances in high-profile AAU tournaments. He is a consensus top-150 national prospect. With his commitment, Krystkowiak's recruiting haul goes from good to potentially special.

Kuzma attended Rise Academy in Philadelphia, but sources tell The Tribune that he will transfer out of the school and go somewhere else for his senior season.

"I can't wait to get to Utah and get started," Kuzma said. "I went to the football game (Utah's season-opening win over Utah State) and I loved the atmosphere and the students chanting my name and everything. It's been great."

Chapman, from Roy High, committed to the Utes on July 29.

tjones@sltrib.com

on twitter: @tjonessltrib