Utah Men’s Basketball Signs Top 10 nationally rated recruiting class

The current group of Utah basketball players are among some of the youngest in the country, with 12 freshmen on the team. They will welcome a very talented group of four new freshmen to the team next season, with one leaving on a mission. Larry Krystkowiak signed the No. 7 rated recruiting class in the country, per 247sports.com, and the top class in the Pac-12 on Wednesday afternoon. Of the four guards that the Utes picked up, three of them were four star rated, and one was three star. The last two recruiting classes are two of the best Utah has ever had, and this one arguably is the best, at least star rankings wise.

The Utes continued to pick up some guard depth, which is crucial in college basketball, and they were all big guards too, measuring 6-3 to 6-6, which mirrors the current guard lineup quite a bit, with the exception of Rylan Jones, who is a bit smaller. I’ve felt like the Utah wins over the last handful of years either lacked athleticism or size, and it seems that Coach K is turning the trend on that with some big, athletic guards. This current season will likely see some growing pains, which you’d expect with so many new faces, but when it comes to next year, they should be able to come out swinging, and really flex in these new pieces nicely into the squad.

Here are the official player profiles and a statement from Coach K from the official press release today:

MASON FALSLEV

6-3 | 190 | G

Benson, Utah | Sky View HS

A four-year letterwinner in basketball at Sky View High School under Kirk Hillyard … led the Bobcats to a Class 4A State Championship as a junior, scoring 17 points with 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in the title game … was named the Deseret News 4A State MVP in basketball and All-Valley Region 12 MVP in both basketball and football his junior season … led Class 4A in scoring (24.1 ppg) and assists (5.2 apg) while his 7.6 rebounds per game and 2.2 steals per game were good for fifth-best as a junior … owns the school record in scoring with 1,421 points heading into his senior season … is three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … helped guide SVHS to the Class 4A State Semifinals as a sophomore, scoring 25 points with six rebounds, 3 assists and two steals in that semifinal game … also a three-year letterwinner with the football team as a wide receiver, where he led them to three-straight undefeated Class 4A Region 11 titles … guided the Bobcats to the Class 4A State Semifinals his sophomore year … will serve a two-year mission out of high school for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints before joining the Utes.

Coach Krystkowiak on Falslev…

“I have watched Mason a lot the last three years and we’re really excited about his future. Mason is a multi-sport athlete that brings toughness and a winning spirit. We are excited to watch Mason his senior year and cheer him on to another Utah High School State Championship.”

PELLE LARSSON

6-5 | 185 | G

Stockholm, Sweden | Riksbasketgymnasiet Luleå

Strong athletic guard that spent the last two seasons playing with RIG Lulea and most recently with BC Lulea … is a four-star recruit according to 247Sports and Scout … averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks with RIG Lulea last season, which earned him Eurobasket.com All-Swedish BasketEttan Third Team honors … also garnered All-EYBL U20 First-Team accolades in 2019 … averaged 15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks in eight games with the Swedish U18 team at the FIBA U18 European Championships in Oradea, Romania this summer ... led the tournament with a 61.1 field-goal percentage, assists and third in block shots, earning him a spot on the all-tournament team.

Coach Krystkowiak on Larsson…

“Pelle is an outstanding lead guard with great size, versatility and IQ. He shined this summer in the European Championships and solidified himself as one of the premier guards in Europe. We believe his international experience and opportunity to play in the Swedish pro league will help make his transition to the college level smooth.”

CALEB LOHNER

6-6 | 200 | F

Dallas, Texas | Wasatch Academy

Highly-touted four-star recruit out of Wasatch Academy according to ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … also ranked No. 72 in the ESPN Top-100 rankings for the class of 2020 and 19th nationally among small forwards … helped guide Wasatch Academy to the GEICO High School Nationals and a No. 10 ranking in the USA Today Sports Super 25 rankings as well as a No. 14 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top-25 rankings his junior season … averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game per MaxPreps … played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Flower Mound High School where he averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists … had a breakout sophomore campaign, posting 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Jaguars … led FMHS to a 24-9 record his sophomore year and 11-3 mark in 6A Region I District 5 play … father Matt Lohner played at BYU (1994-96).

Coach Krystkowiak on Lohner…

“Caleb is a multi-positional player who brings energy, skill and athleticism to the court. We are impressed with Caleb’s physicality, which will allow him to compete at the college level. We’re also looking forward to following Caleb and Wasatch Academy as they compete for another appearance in the Geico High School Basketball Nationals.”

IAN MARTINEZ

6-3 | 175 | G

Heredia, Costa Rica | JSerra Catholic

A four-star recruit from JSerra Catholic High School according to Rivals and 247Sports … played his junior season for the Lions where he led them to a 22-8 overall record and a second-round appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division I Playoffs … named All-Orange County, All-CIF Division I and All-Trinity League First-Team honors in his first year at JSerra … scored 26 points in the North Orange County Championships title game against Mayfair and current Ute, Hunter Mecum … played his sophomore season at Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary … guided the Cardinals to a 20-10 overall record and second-round appearance in the CIF-SS Division I Playoffs … father Henry Martinez is an assistant with the Utes men’s basketball team.

Coach Krystkowiak on Martinez…

“We are excited to add a guard like Ian, who has a great combination of athleticism, skill and IQ. Ian has a had a great couple years of development and continues to improve his physical strength, which will allow him to be an excellent player at Utah. We look forward to following Ian this season as he plays at JSerra High School, which is coached by Keith Wilkinson – who played at USC and will help prepare him for the Pac-12.”