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It could have been a different seat in a different city. Had Delon Wright chosen a different path, he may well have been speaking to reporters about his upcoming rookie season in the NBA instead of coming back for his senior year in college.
But Monday, he was decked out in Utah gear, smiling at the prospect of another year in school. A reporter asked him if making the NBA was his main goal. But Wright stayed focused on the short term.
"Win the Pac-12," he said. "Go to the [NCAA Tournament], of course. Go far in the tournament. Just have a good year."
The Runnin' Utes enter season with their high hopes pinned on their star guard, a 6-foot-5 triple-double threat who adapted effortlessly to the DI game after transfering in from junior college. Wright is the first Ute to be an all-Pac-12 first team player, and with more talent and experience around him, Utah's prospects of getting back in NCAA tourney for the first time since 2009 are realistic.
Fans might want to thank his family, who were all in the same boat: Even when Delon told them he was considering the NBA, they wanted him to go back to school. For a time, they weren't sure he was listening.
"I lost some sleep over it," Ray Wright said of his son's decision process this spring. "He finally saw the light."
Wright had quite the debut with Utah, helping the Utes surpass 20 wins last year for the first time in five years, and he was the star. He filled up the stat sheet, leading the team in scoring, assists, steals, blocks, and even as the second-leading rebounder.
NBA teams were listening. Wright wondered if he needed to wait any longer.
His family — father Ray, mother Stacy and brother Dorell — told him to wait. Even Dorell, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, said he was content for Delon to hold off a year before they could play in the NBA together.
One of the biggest factors was his education.
Stacy Wright works for the LAPD, tracking and filing evidence for the homicide and gang units of the force. Between her job — she just celebrated her 30 year anniversary with the department — and raising three athletically inclined kids, she didn't have much time for her own pursuit of higher learning.
But somehow, over the years, Stacy Wright did find time. She took classes online, and this spring, she earned her degree in organizational management. It was challenging, she said, but rewarding and liberating.
She told her son she wanted him to have the same feeling.
"I told him, 'I know it's your life, but as your mom, I would love to see you complete your degree,'" she said. "When he told me he was going back, it was a huge burden off my shoulders."
Other factors eventually played into the decision, the family said. There was worry he could slip down in a talented draft class. One of Wright's big weaknesses is outside shooting, which he could work on. Utah has a deeper and more talented team around him.
But he was sure to mention his mother on Monday morning, as he talked about his motivation.
"I feel like my mom wants me to get it," he said. "I'm pretty much getting it for her. I don't want to come back while I'm playing [at the pro level] and pursue a degree."
Larry Krystkowiak said Wright, who has always been ahead of the curve, has impressed this offseason: He has added weight to his lithe build, he's been putting up perimeter shots, and he's embraced being a leader after deferring sometimes too often in his first year at Utah. He's also attacked his classes with renewed interest.
One day, Wright will make his family happy by making it into the NBA. Today, they're happy he's staying where he is.
"Our mom was the first one in the family to graduate [with a four-year degree], and Delon's going to be the second,' Dorell Wright said. "When he was in high school, he never thought he would be in the position now, graduating from college. That's big. I'm happy for him."
Wright at a glance
• First-team all-Pac-12 selection as a junior.
• Led the Utes in scoring with 15.5 ppg, assists with 5.3 apg.
• First-team all-Pac-12 defender, led league in steals (2.56 spg)
• Selected for the Lebron James Skills Academy over the summer.