utah signs bogut

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Catching Up: Utah Gets An Aussie To
Join 3 Incoming SoCal Guys--(May 9, 2002)

The University of Utah is getting three players from SoCal this next season, and that's not really news at this point: Tim Drisdom (6'-4" Sr. PG) from Calvary Chapel Downey, Bryant Markson (6'-7" Sr. F) from Monrovia and Richard Chaney (6'-4" Sr. G) from Verbum Dei have all signed and will be enrolling at Utah in the fall. And this past week, Rick Majerus received another National Letter of Intent from a post player, Andrew Bogut, a 6'-9" post player from Australia, who will enroll in December and join the team at that time. We really don't know much else about Bogut other than what's contained in the press release from the University of Utah since we've never seen him play, but someone has been doing a pretty good job of scouting if this guy turns out to be as good as we've heard. Here's the press release announcing the signing:

Andrew Bogut Signs With Utah
Post player will be part of Ute freshman class in 2002-03.

April 30, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah men's basketball team has signed Australian forward/center Andrew Bogut to a letter of intent. The
announcement came today from Ute head coach Rick Majerus.

Bogut (6-9, 205) plays for the Australian Institute of Sports, which toured the United States last November and played against several small college teams on the West Coast. Bogut (pronounced Bo-GOOT), who is from Endeavour Hills, Victoria, played with the AIS team in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany in early April. He started all four games, averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Bogut also shot 47.7 percent from the field and 71.4 percent at the free throw line.

"Andrew has a fine upside because of his good hands, fine shooting touch, great feel for the game and ability to run the floor," said Majerus. "No question, he must get stronger, but we think he will be a fine addition to our program. He is an outstanding student, but due to the Australian school system calendar he will not be able to join the team until December, and that will slow his progress a bit. We are all excited about Andrew joining the Utes."