Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The Utah basketball team has added three walk-ons to the fall roster, and all of them are Utah natives. One of the complaints from fans during the Jim Boylen era up on the hill was that there wasn't any local talent on the team. The addition of Corbin Green (Olympus, Snow College), Blake Wilkinson (Viewmont) and Alexander Ricketts (Brighton) is a step in the right direction.
The complete press release is below.
*****************************************
SALT LAKE CITY - The Runnin' Utes have added three walk-ons from the state of Utah to the roster for, the team announced Monday. Corbin Green, Blake Wilkinson and Alexander Ricketts have enrolled in summer classes at the U. as they begin preparing for the 2011-12 season.
"We are excited to add three quality basketball players from the state of Utah to our team," said Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak. "They each bring a unique skill set that will benefit our squad and they will add some much needed depth to our front line."
Green is a 6-foot-5 wing from Salt Lake City who played high school basketball at Olympus. As a transfer from Snow College, he comes to Utah as a redshirt sophomore and will have three years of eligibility remaining. Green averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds as a freshman in 2009-10, then redshirted the 2010-11 season. He was a 4A first-team all-state selection by the Salt Lake Tribune before heading to Snow. Corbin's brother, Shaun Green, is a former 1,000-point scorer for the Utes (2005-09).
"Corbin is a Ute through-and-through," said Krystkowiak. "His late father played football at Utah and his brother Shaun was a tremendous player and recent graduate here. Corbin's skill as a perimeter shooter will be a nice addition for us."
Wilkinson, a 6-foot-7 forward who hails from Bountiful, Utah, averaged 18.7 points per game to go with 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals as a senior for Viewmont High School. A first-team all-state selection, he led the Vikings to the 5A Region 1 championship and was named the league's co-MVP. As a junior, he accounted for 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
"Blake is a terrific recruit for us to get at this stage in the process," said Krystkowiak. "He is a very skilled and physical player, and was certainly one of the best big men in the state this year. Blake plans to attend Utah for one year before leaving on his church mission and we are excited to support him through that process as well."
Ricketts is a 6-foot-8 forward from Sandy, Utah, who represented Brighton High School. As a transfer from Simon Fraser University, he comes to Utah as a sophomore and will have three years of eligibility remaining. SFU is an NCAA Div. II institution located in Burnaby, B.C., Canada.
"Alex will provide another physical post presence with the benefit of a year of college basketball already under his belt," said Krystkowiak. "We expect him to battle and help improve our post play on a daily basis."
