Former Utes Delon Wright, Jakob Poeltl give back during Raptors' brief road trip to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Jakob Poeltl and Delon Wright knew exactly where to take the Toronto Raptors for breakfast when they flew into Salt Lake City this week before Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

Neither one even had to check the menu at the Park Cafe, either.

The restaurant’s famed Michigan hash and french toast were on the table, and both players were eager to share a little bit of their old home with guys from their new home in Canada.

“We took some of the guys with us to experience how good it is,” Wright said before the Raptors’ 109-100 win over the Jazz.

Wright and Poeltl are two of four Utes currently playing in the NBA. Both of them were first-round draft picks by the Raptors, and both are having breakout seasons in the first month of 2017.

But even though the two arrived nearly two years apart, the connection to the Beehive State is undeniable.

“It is actually really cool to have a guy that I said last year that already knew when I came here and now whenever we come back to Utah, there is a little buzz about it,” Poeltl said.

Wright is the elder statesman Ute in Toronto — by a whole year.

“I think it is more so nice for him,” he said of Poeltl. “I already did a year, and most of these guys are already my friends. I think it is good to have a familiar face and when you come back to Utah, to have a guy that can share some of the love with you."

The Runnin’ Utes duo have followed a similar path. Wright struggled as a rookie and wasn’t in the rotation for the first time in his career, even spending time in the team’s D-League affiliate in 2016.

The same with Poeltl, who has since risen to become a key member of the rotation in the Raptors’ second unit. The native Austrian is logging about 19 minutes per game, averaging eight points and seven rebounds, while Wright is playing 23 minutes per game at a clip of seven points and three rebounds.

“I was definitely confident,” Poeltl said, “going through the summer, doing all the summer league and national team stuff, I felt like I could make a big step forward. Even during our summer league, I already felt so much more comfortable doing everything. Now to show that on the court a little bit is obviously reassuring.”

No road trip to Utah would be complete without a return visit to campus, either. The two were involved in the Ute community, taking part in player-oriented service projects and helping to make sandwiches for those in need.

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Midway through the third quarter, DeMar DeRozan was frustrated. He'd been sloppy with the ball and was letting his team down. "I feel like I was just making lots of mental mistakes and I was determined to pick it up," he said. A four-point play sparked DeRozan and he went on to score a season-high 37 points as the Toronto Raptors finished their longest road trip of the season Friday night with a 109-100 victory over the Utah Jazz.

That attitude hasn’t changed since going pro, either.

“Delon and I are trying to help out where we can,” Poeltl said. “It’s a great cause, coming back here to help the community. It sort of started my journey in America, so it is alway great to do stuff like that.

“It’s a little effort from our side, but it has a big impact. I really like doing that kind of stuff.”

Sandwiches made by Poeltl and his friends will be donated to The Road Home, a nonprofit aimed at helping the homeless and transient population in Utah and beyond. The Sandwich Project was started five years ago by Utah alum Jarred Dubois — who is also with the Raptors as a skill development assistant.

“Every year, we get a couple more people and it is something we try to do once or twice when we are in town,” Dubois said.

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