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OREM — New Utah Valley coach Mark Pope hasn't coached his first official game, but the Wolverines have already begun reaping benefits of the hire.
Wyatt Lowell, a 6-foot-9, 290-pound four-star prospect by Scout.com from Gilbert, Arizona, announced his commitment to the Wolverines via Twitter on Tuesday night.
Happy to announce that I will be playing college basketball for Coach Pope at Utah Valley University. #Wolverinespic.twitter.com/NiS9BLF3aO — Why It (@lowell_wyatt) November 11, 2015
The No. 1 power forward recruit in Arizona, Scout.com projects Lowell as the 24th-best player at that spot in the nation.
Lowell chose Utah Valley over offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State, Northern Colorado, Lehigh and UC Davis. He also had interest from Cal, Iowa and BYU, among others.
Lowell plans to serve a two-year mission for the LDS Church immediately following high school graduation in 2016, and would enroll ahead of the 2018 season at UVU, according to an earlier report by Scout.com.
ESPN.com describes Lowell as "a pick-and-pop 5-man with very long arms, good hands and a solid motor." He showed a mid-range jumper of about 20 feet during his junior year at Williams Field High School in Gilbert, Arizona.
Coaches cannot comment on incoming recruits until they have filed a National Letter of Intent. Wednesday marks the first day of the NCAA's initial signing period.
Utah Valley opens the season Friday at BYU. The Wolverines defeated Western State, 97-52 in an exhibition game Nov. 9.
