Utah's replacement for center Jayce Johnson is a 7-foot-4 returned missionary from Africa who can execute a standing backflip.
That’s a composite character of how Ute basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak plans to staff the position, describing a “three-headed” group of freshmen. The 7-4 Matt Van Komen is a freshman from Pleasant Grove, 7-foot Branden Carlson has enrolled in college after a two-year church mission that followed his Bingham High School gradation and 6-10 Lahat Thioune, from Senegal, sat out last season after breaking his foot in preseason practice.
Carlson fits two of the above descriptions, as player who can do a backflip.