SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah freshman Brekkott Chapman returns home for family dinner nearly every Sunday — a gathering that almost always includes his grandparents and two aunts around the family's kitchen table.

The thought of a free meal for any college student is a welcomed opportunity, and Chapman is no different. Around this kitchen table, though, is a tight-knit family where experiences are shared and dreams are explored. And most importantly, it’s about the close bond and support they’ve all given to one another.

“I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Chapman says as he describes his family makeup and the role they've played in his life.

For the first eight years of Chapman’s life, he and his mother, Kim Littlefield, made up their small family, with grandparents and other family members close by lending occasional support. His father was not a part of the picture.

Among other parental responsibilities, which included working multiple jobs to make ends meet as a single mother, Littlefield taught her young son the game of basketball and how to work hard — a message he believes identifies who he is on and off the court.

“I definitely want to be known as a hard-worker, a good guy, a good teammate and always being there — being the one that’s going to get on the floor for a loose ball,” Chapman said.

“He is very self-driven, self-motivated,” Littlefield said. “If he has a bad game you can almost guarantee he’s going to come out and play incredible (the next game) because he’s really hard on himself and wants to be his very best.”

Although Chapman participated in other sports growing up — baseball, football and soccer — he made basketball a priority as a young teenager. Chapman put other sports behind him and focused on improving his skills in basketball, which quickly got him recognized in AAU ball and in high school.

As a 6-foot-8 forward, Chapman was a highly recruited athlete from Roy High School where he made a name for himself as one of the best high school players in the West for his recruiting class. Prior to committing to Utah, Chapman was ranked as the 59th best player in the country, according to rivals.com.

“It’s definitely hard not to pay attention,” Chapman said, speaking about the difficulty of not getting caught up in the rankings and what other people were saying throughout the recruiting process. “It’s all over Twitter and Instagram and whatnot. You’ll see it, but those rankings don’t really mean anything. It’s really who’s going to go out there and play their heart out and play as hard as they can.”

Scholarship offers poured in from in-state schools — BYU, Utah and Utah State — in addition to offers from Cal, Colorado, Gonzaga, UCLA and perennial powerhouse Arizona. But throughout it all, the University of Utah was the preferred choice.

“There were times where he thought about other places, but Utah was always towards the top of the list. The coaches were very personal with him,” Littlefield said. “Everything from Utah was very personal. That really made a huge difference.”

“I think it was the changing culture (at Utah),” Chapman said, speaking about his decision to play for the Utes. “Coach (Larry Krystkowiak) came in here and started to turn this school around. I wanted to be a part of something that was going to change and become great again."

For Chapman, the support he received from his mom and other family members along the way meant more than anything.

Related:

Family helps newest Utah recruit achieve success

Brekkott Chapman received valuable advice from his mother at a young age that has helped him become one of the best high school basketball players in the nation.

“We were sitting down in our living room and (my mom) got a little teary eyed and said — I think it was first when Utah offered me a scholarship — she got a little teary eyed and said, ‘My boy’s going to do good things,’" Chapman said, recalling the first time a scholarship offer arrived at his house.

“My mom wants me to do what I want to do. She’s behind me 100 percent. That’s how my whole family is. I couldn’t ask for any better support,” Chapman added. “I probably have one of the closest families. That’s why it was a big thing for me to come here (to Utah); it was close to home.”

Now, as a freshman in a basketball program ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll, Chapman recognizes the hard work necessary to have an impact on the team — a statement Krystkowiak has recognized in the more than two months Chapman’s been with the team.

“Against San Diego State he was one of our best bigs going in there as a freshman, in one of his first games. I think some of that is gaining some trust,” Krystkowiak said following Utah’s overtime win against Wichita State Dec. 3. “When someone goes in and they don’t look like a deer in the headlights as a young player, then you learn to gain a little trust and respect for what they do.

“It’s pretty easy to keep him on the floor when he’s doing what he was doing,” Krystkowiak added. “He’s been as coachable as anybody on our team. And he typically isn’t a guy that’s making the same mistake multiple times. He’s making plenty of mistakes, but he’s not making the same mistakes over and over, and it’s encouraging.”

The new environment is still a bit daunting for Chapman at times, where he is just one of many equally talented players on a roster.

“It’s definitely new to me because even my sophomore year in high school I was starting. This is definitely new to me and it’s helping me and I think it’s going to change the way I look at it,” Chapman said. “It’s going to make me work harder and it’s going to make me have to get in the gym more often and try to work to where I want to go and what I want to do.”

Chapman has already had an impact with the team where he averages 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in 16.9 minutes of play as a backup.

“There are so many good feelings,” Littlefield says describing the emotions of watching her son play basketball in college. “It’s unexplainable how it feels as a parent. Nothing is better than watching your child’s dreams come true.”

Related topics