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SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday was the first day for junior college prospects to officially sign with Division I schools, and a number of local players found landing spots to continue their basketball careers.
Many of the in-state’s signees come from JUCO national champion Salt Lake Community College. The Bruins, led by NJCAA coach of the year Todd Phillips, captured the 2016 national championship a month ago and sent a dozen players to four-year institutions.
Here’s a look at the signees at the state of Utah’s institutions.
UTAH STATE
Norbert Janicek, F, Snow College
The 6-foot-11 Janicek will have three years of eligibility after earning first-team all-Scenic West Athletic Conference honors and all-SWAC tournament honors in 2015-16. Janicek comes to Logan after one season in junior college averaging 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
The native of Drazkovce, Slovakia, led the Badgers in shooting 63.8 percent from the field, a mark that ranked seventh in the NJCAA.
Janicek had five double-figure rebounding efforts, including a career-high 14 boards against USU-Eastern in the Badgers’ final game of the regular season. He also led Snow with 21 blocks on the year.
“Norway gives us an inside scoring presence,” Utah State coach Tim Duryea said in a statement. “He is a very skilled scorer in the post and can use either hand and can go over either shoulder.”
Janicek prepped at Canarias Basketball Academy and played with Slovakia’s U-18 national team, averaging 12.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in international duty.
The sophomore-to-be joins the Aggies’ 2016 signing class, which also includes Wasatch Academy star Koby McEwen, Klay Stall from Chandler, Arizona, Daron Henson from Los Angeles, and returning LDS Church missionary Sam Merrill.
UTAH
Tyler Rawson, F, Salt Lake Community College
The former American Fork High standout committed to to the Utes several weeks ago and put pen to paper on that commitment during a signing ceremony in Taylorsville.
Rawson, an NJCAA third-team All-American, helped lead the Bruins to the 2016 national championship while averaging a team-best 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds. He posted 13 double-doubles and captured Region 18 Tournament MVP honors in his lone season at SLCC.
Rawson initially signed with Southern Utah out of high school, averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29 games, including two starts.
“We are extremely excited to have Tyler join our Utah family,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said in a statement. “He is a Utah kid and we have known him since his sophomore year of high school. Tyler has developed into an oustanding player and he is an excellent addition to our team.”
Here’s KSL.com’s story from the day Rawson announced his commitment.
UTAH VALLEY
Conner Toolson, G, Salt Lake Community CollegePerhaps the biggest signings since Mark Pope took over the Wolverines’ program, Toolson was a starter on Lone Peak’s dynasty squads that won three-straight state championships from 2011-13 alongside teammates Nick Emery, T.J. Haws and Eric Mika — a squad that was named national champions by MaxPreps in 2013.
In a twist of fate, one of Toolson’s first Division I basketball games will come against Emery, Haws, Mika and BYU in the 2016-17 season opener for both teams at the Marriott Center.
After serving a two-year church mission to Forth Worth, Texas, the 6-foot-4 point guard averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 assists per game en route to the 2016 NJCAA national championship with SLCC. The Highland native and son of former Utah Jazz veteran Andy Toolson is also the cousin of UVU all-time leading scorer Ryan Toolson, who played for the Wolverines from 2003-04 and 2006-09.
“Conner Toolson is one of the most poised, clutch and lethal shooters in the country,” Pope said in a statement. “He is a proven winner, a great teammate and plays with an uncommon savvy and a quiet swag.”
Toolson was also recruited by BYU, Utah State, Saint Mary’s and Boise State, among others.
Here’s KSL.com’s story from the day Toolson committed to UVU.
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Austin Waddoups, G, Salt Lake Community College
Canada’s largest public research institution isn’t a local college. But Waddoups, who prepped at American Fork, played one season at Southern Utah, where he averaged 8.3 minutes in 16 games played while tallying 1.8 points and 0.9 rebounds per game.
He transferred to SLCC following a two-year LDS Church mission and finished his junior-college eligibility with a national title alongside Rawson, Toolson and the rest of the Bruins.
Waddoups, who previously committed to Dixie State, averaged 8.1 points and 3.5 assists for SLCC en route to the national title.
