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As first indicated Tuesday in "Cougar Tracks", former University of Utah hoopster Josh Sharp will transfer to BYU after his return from an LDS mission to Texas.
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Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak confirmed Wednesday that Sharp would not return to the Utes program.
My sources tell me Sharp will return from the mission field in two weeks and plans to enroll at BYU in time for the summer term (June 20th through August 8th). It is unknown whether Sharp would be allowed to accompany the BYU basketball team on its summer trip to Greece, or be part of the team's plans for that trip.
While the NCAA-mandated spring National Letter of Intent signing period has passed, a student-athlete can still join the program, with a financial aid agreement effective once he is enrolled and attending classes. BYU has a scholarship available, with James Anderson having left the program to pursue his professional non-basketball career after completion of the just-completed season.
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The Sharp addition could be as beneficial as it was unexpected. With the aforementioned scholarship available, BYU had offered it to Western Nebraska JC wing Hauns Brereton, who opted to instead take his talents to Waikiki Beach, committing to Hawaii.
The scholarship remained open until it became clear Sharp was considering a transfer, and expressed a desire to explore the possibilities with BYU. As confirmed by Utah in a press release last week, "a technicality with (Sharp's) National Letter of Intent" opened the door for contact between Sharp and "other schools." The same technicality will allow Sharp to suit up immediately for BYU, with four years to play four--Sharp having red-shirted at Utah during the 2008-09 season.
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Here's what I've been able to put together:
In the fall of 2007, Utah's rookie coach Jim Boylen was intently recruiting Lone Peak's Tyler Haws (Class of 2009) and getting a commitment from Haws' friend and prep teammate Josh Sharp was seen as a win-win; Sharp was a good player, and Haws just might feel a little better about joining the Utah program with Sharp in the fold.
Of course, Haws committed to sign with BYU in September of 2008, right around the time Boylen was considering what to do with Sharp as a college freshman. A scholarship having been made available, Sharp (originally set to walk on) was rewarded with a financial aid agreement, but since it did not accompany his NLI, the agreement was not binding--the "technicality" that led to Sharp's post-mission availability. There are whispers that Utah's original "soft" commitment to Sharp would allow for the sides to part ways if Boylen didn't think Sharp was working out.
Boylen opted to red-shirt Sharp, but then a couple of months into practice, the Utah coach was discovering that Sharp was turning into a heck of a player. Boylen reportedly told others that one of the biggest mistakes he made was not playing Sharp as a true freshman, later claiming that Sharp was in line to be a "three-year starter" for his team, and would have been the first player off the bench that season--had he played.
Yahoo! Sports writer Jeff Eisenberg has written about the Sharp saga and has talked to Boylen about Sharp.
Among the coach's comments, as obtained by Eisenberg:
"He's one of the best guys we recruited in the four years I was there. We had him penciled in as starter coming back...I'm saying this humbly, but he was poorly evaluated out of HS. I thought he was a high-major guy like J.J. (O'Brien)."
So, Sharp having completed his freshman season, he embarked on his two-year LDS mission. While he was gone, Utah's program struggled, Boylen was fired, and Larry Krystkowiak was hired. The way I understand it, the Sharp family was initially intending on being loyal to the Utah program, assuming reciprocal loyalty would be demonstrated by the new staff.
While Krystkowiak is said to have indicated that a scholarship would be available for Sharp, personal contact was apparently non-existent for a long enough period of time that the family began exploring options. One of those options was BYU, and once it was determined there would be an opening in Provo, one thing led to another, and the decision to transfer was solidified.
Provo Daily Herald reporter Beky Beaton also reports that the lag time between contacts precipitated family requests for a release from Utah. Once those requests were denied, "it was at this point that Josh decided to transfer to BYU for a variety of reasons."
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So, BYU is getting another Lone Peak HS product to add to an already prodigious pipeline that started with Sam Burgess, went on to include Jackson Emery and Tyler Haws, and will soon feature big man Nate Austin (returning from a mission this summer), along with Sharp. Junior-to-be Nick Emery (younger brother of Jackson) and sophomore-to-be T.J. Haws (younger brother of Tyler) are hoped to be the next in line, assuming BYU can secure commitments from two of the most talented players in the state of Utah.
Sharp was an all-state selection from a two-time state championship program, yet was arguably overshadowed by fellow Division 1 signees Haws, Justin Hamilton (Iowa State then LSU) and even Bracken Funk (Fresno State). Sharp was listed at 6'7" prior to his mission, and may have added an inch to a previously slender frame. Sharp is said to have put on some bulk by hitting the weights at Utah during his freshman season, but nobody can really speak to his current weight or conditioning level until his return from Texas.
A decent shooter more than a slasher, and a hustler more than a driver, Sharp is long, active, and most importantly, tough--and should certainly fit into a mold Dave Rose has refined with his taller wings.
Seeing how Sharp fits into the 2011-12 team and future BYU squads will be intriguing, and his contributions to the Cougar program will now draw the kind of attention that only the BYU-Utah rivalry can inspire, regardless of which conference the two teams call home.
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Hoops extras:
Jackson Emery tells me he has another NBA workout scheduled, with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, June 17th.
Jimmer Fredette's documentary film unit has created a YouTube channel with vignettes from Jimmer's draft prep; see them at youtube.com/followjimmer
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