Utah Utes head coach Craig Smith celebrates after a Utes defensive stand towards UCLA in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Keba Keita wished a trophy when as a teenager his volleyball staff gained a championship recreation again in Mali, West Africa.
He was so upset that he didn’t get one, he just lately advised the web site prospectiveinsight.com, that he began enjoying basketball a couple of months later.
The College of Utah’s males’s basketball teaching workers couldn’t be happier about that call.
Keita, a 6-foot-8 middle who performed the final two basketball seasons at Wasatch Academy in Mount Nice, Sanpete County, dedicated to the Runnin’ Utes on April 13 and signed the following day. The near-consensus four-star recruit has been seen as an enormous get for second-year Utes coach Craig Smith, contemplating Keita is an ESPN Prime-100 prospect (No. 84) and was the NIBC Defensive Participant of the 12 months for the 2021-22 season.
“Keba is a superior athlete with loopy shot-blocking talents. He brings a bodily presence to the sport. He's mainly all the things you need out of an enormous man — a man that runs the ground, units numerous screens, has a excessive motor. He can block photographs and rebound on each ends of the ground. He’s only a defensive star, a defensive mastermind.” — Wasatch Academy coach Paul Peterson on Utes’ freshman Keba Keita
What are the Utes getting in Keita, who has solely been enjoying organized basketball for 4 or 5 years? The Deseret Information just lately spoke to Wasatch Academy coach Paul Peterson, who has had Keita in his program for 2 seasons, to search out out.
“Keba (pronounced: KAY-buh) is a superior athlete with loopy shot-blocking talents. He brings a bodily presence to the sport,” Peterson mentioned. “He's mainly all the things you need out of an enormous man — a man that runs the ground, units numerous screens, has a excessive motor. He can block photographs and rebound on each ends of the ground. He’s only a defensive star, a defensive mastermind.”
Peterson mentioned Keita will play middle, also known as the “5” place, for the Utes and can be a “good” complement to Utah’s second-team All-Pac-12 ahead Branden Carlson, who enters his fourth yr in this system this fall.
“Utah talked to Keba about Branden Carlson being so distinctive as a result of he can shoot and dribble and be a movable piece,” Peterson mentioned. “They advised Keba he's going to be the 5, and play (with) Branden, who's extra of a decide and pop man, a 4. As a result of Branden has a ravishing stroke.”
Keita doesn’t have an awesome leap shot but, or numerous taking pictures contact, however he’s working diligently on that, mentioned Peterson, who has been Wasatch Academy’s head coach since 2020 and joined the workers in 2018.
6’8 w/ a 7’1 WS 2022 @WATigersBB massive Keba Keita 🇲🇱 has placed on some purposeful muscle this previous yr. Tonight, he showcased his explosive vertical athleticism, timing as a shot-blocker & an elevated total consolation degree w/ the velocity of the sport. Picked up a UW supply this week. pic.twitter.com/L2760IwIbI
— Professional Perception™️ (@_proinsight) October 9, 2021
“He does quite a bit across the rim. He’s acquired a ravishing proper hook shot,” Peterson mentioned. “Loads of his stuff comes from being massive on the within. And that’s why he's excited to play for coach Smith, as a result of he feels they'll develop his recreation and he can develop in different methods. And he's a ferocious dunker.”
In accordance with a College of Utah information launch when he signed in mid-April, Keita averaged 11.6 factors and 9.5 rebounds per recreation in NIBC play final season. He related on 66.7% of his photographs and likewise averaged 2.0 blocked photographs per recreation.
“Keba is a warrior. He performs the sport with large ferocity and is extraordinarily athletic,” Smith mentioned within the launch. “He performs with drive on each ends of the courtroom and is an elite defensive participant that brings us versatility in our frontcourt. We're pumped.”
Smith referred to as Keita “a spotlight reel” due to his dunking and rebounding capability.
“Each evening on the ground, if you watch him play, you simply begin smiling,” Smith advised The Zone Sports activities Community. “The dude’s (movie) is unbelievable. You say, ‘I can’t consider he simply did that.’ He's a kind of guys.’”
Keita performed his sophomore season at American Heritage, a constitution college in American Fork. He improved immensely between his junior and senior seasons at Wasatch Academy. Peterson mentioned Keita’s recruitment blew up final winter and he obtained between 15 and 20 Division I gives.
“He needed to undergo the recruiting course of fairly quick,” Peterson mentioned. “The (switch) portal is horrifying, so it kinda sped issues up simply because groups wish to get outdated and keep outdated.”
Keita narrowed his selections to UNLV and Utah earlier than going with the Utes. Peterson mentioned Keita’s relationship with Smith is what gained the day for the Utes.
“He likes Craig’s pleasure and vitality,” Peterson mentioned. “(Smith) actually proved to Keba that he believes in him. After which I feel being in Salt Lake was an element. Keba has by no means actually frolicked in Salt Lake. I feel he acquired to see a bit bit extra of how totally different Salt Lake Metropolis is, though it's nonetheless in Utah.
“I feel he acquired to see the town and hang around down there and kinda see the distinction and see a bit bit extra range and issues like that.”
Keita would be the second Wasatch Academy product on Utah’s roster, becoming a member of Cincinnati switch Mike Saunders, who dedicated to the Utes on April 2. Former BYU participant Caleb Lohner, who's transferring to Baylor, and incoming Cougars freshman Richie Saunders additionally performed for Wasatch Academy.
Peterson mentioned BYU coaches “talked to Keba quite a bit,” however didn’t find yourself providing the large man a scholarship.
“They have been in that distinctive place the place they needed to wait and see what a few of these different guys of theirs have been going to do for subsequent yr,” Peterson mentioned of the Cougars.
Keita grew to become Utah’s second signee from the highschool class of 2022, becoming a member of taking pictures guard Wilguens Exacte Jr., of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Exacte, 6-6, joins the Utes after enjoying within the NBA Academy Latin America final season.
Counting the aforementioned Saunders Jr., Utah now has six newcomers on their technique to the Hill, 5 scholarship gamers and a walk-on, BYU graduate switch Gavin Baxter.
Most just lately, the Runnin’ Utes have obtained commitments from Wisconsin switch Ben Carlson and Serbian ahead Luka Tarlac. The dedication of Tarlac to the U. was first reported by Eurohopes.com and Balkan Prospects through Twitter.
One of many high 2002 born prospects Luka Tarlac has dedicated to @UtahMBB the place he'll be a part of his former teammate Lazar Stefanovic. 6’8 tall Serbian SF performed earlier season on a mortgage at Dunav in Serbian KLS league and averaged 8.1ppg and a pair of.8rpg in 19 video games. pic.twitter.com/aBUjlRjkQV
— Balkan Prospects (@BalkanProspects) April 29, 2022