Ranking the Pac-12 Classes of 2015: #9 Utah

Ever since the end of the Rick Majerus Era, Utah has been far more successful in football than basketball. The tide may be slowly starting to shift thanks to coach Larry Krystkowiak and his Class of 2015. Although it is ninth in the Pac-12 according to 247Sports (and i'm in agreement with them, obviously.), their class is 67th in the country, which is a success. Currently there are only three players in their class, so it's entirely possible they add a couple more before the next season starts. The three Utah signees in the Class fo 2015 as of right now are: three-star power forward Makol Mawien, two-star small forward Gabe Bealer, and three-star small forward Noah Togiai.

Makol Mawien

Mawien, the three-star power forward from Salt Lake City is ranked #142 on 247Sports Top247 for 2015. He's also the 36th best power forward in the class, and the second best player in the state of Utah, behind Gonzaga commit Jesse Wade. As you'll see below, Mawien had a great showing at the 2014 Jayhawk Invitational. He uses every inch of his six-foot-nine frame to drive to the hoop, post up, or block shots. Coach Krystkowiak formerly worked as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks in which his primary role was working with big men Andrew Bogut and CHarlie Villanueva, so he will definitely be able to get the most out of Mawien. Before signing with Utah, Mawien had offers from Boston College, BYU, Gonzaga, and San Jose St.

Gabe Bealer

Bealer, a two-star small forward from San Francisco, will have some college experience under his belt before he arrives in Salt Lake City. Bealer is currently a sophomore at City College of San Francisco, the former school of current Utah point guard Delon Wright. Bealer is the 36th best JuCo player in the Class of 2015, and the fifth best small forward, both per 247Sports. According to Bealer's coach at City College, Justin LaBagh, Bealer can "score everything around the rim". Below is Bealer's highlight tape from his senior year of high school (2013).

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Noah Togiai

Togiai, a three star small forward from Salt Lake City, is perhaps the most interesting player in Utah's Class of 2015. In addition to being a standout on the basketball court, he was also recruited by some schools (including Utah) for his prowess on the football field. It appears he'll only be playing basketball for the Utes, however. He told Scout that basketball is "always something I liked to do; I never thought I could do it in college, I always thought it would be football. My brothers both played college football, I wanted to do a different sport." There aren't many videos of him on the basketball court out there, but below is Togiai throwing down a huge dunk. Similar to Mawien, it should help Togiai immensely to be coached by Larry Krystkowiak.

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Verdict

This is a nice class so far. I especially like Krystkowiak recruiting the big men, because those are the types of players he's comfortable grooming dating back to his time in Milwaukee with the Bucks. They may add another player or two in the next few months, time will tell.