Thomas Wyatt and Kelly Walker, high school basketball players from suburban Chicago, have signed national letters of intent with the University of Utah.
Wyatt, a 6-foot-5 forward from Aurora East High School, averaged 27.3 points and 10 rebounds a game last season, earning all-state and All-America honors. Walker, a 6-7 forward from Waukegan East High, averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game last season."Both are good gets," said Utah assistant coach Joe Cravens. "They are very good players."
Wyatt was included on Street & Smith's preseason list of the country's top 50 high school players. He made campus visits to Illinois, Florida and Utah and was heavily recruited by Michigan, among other schools. He made the Chicago Sun-Times all-state team, and the Chicago Tribune all-state and All-America teams.
"I like Coach (Rick) Majerus," said Wyatt. "He and the university were able to put some things in writing that some of the other schools couldn't - like if I need tutors, I can get them. Coach Majerus has graduated 85 percent of his players."
Walker, an honorable mention all-state selection, and Wyatt live about 50 miles apart. Says Wyatt, "We became friends at an all-star camp. We've kept tabs on each other." Asked if they planned to sign with Utah together, Wyatt said, "He had to make his own decision. But after I signed, the next thing I know he's right behind me."
According to Waukegan assistant coach Al Rogers, Walker "was recruited by every major school in the country. Coach Majerus got one heck of a player. When people out in Utah see him play one or two games they're going to realize that Kelly is going to help make Utah an outstanding team. And as good as I think Kelly is, Thomas Wyatt is outstanding. He was the third highest recruit out of the state."
The signing of Wyatt and Walker brings to three the number of prep recruits signed by Utah this spring (the other being Deon Mims, a 6-11 center from Wisconsin). All three players could be ruled Prop. 48 cases, which means they wouldn't be eligible to play for Utah next season. According to Rogers, Walker is awaiting the results of his SAT test to determine his eligibility for next season. Asked if he will be a Prop. 48 next season, Wyatt said, "It's a possibility."
Aside from the three preps, Utah also signed three junior college transfers - 6-9 center Paul Afeaki of Dixie College, 6-5 forward M'Kay McGrath of Mesa Community College, and 6-1 point guard Anthony Williams of College of Southern Idaho.