Utah basketball appears to have the youngest roster in the program’s history after the signing of junior college guard Alfonso Plummer.
The 6-foot-1 Plummer, from Puerto Rico via Arizona Western College, will join junior forward Donnie Tillman as the Utes’ oldest players, assuming that senior Jayce Johnson follows through on his plans to depart as a graduate transfer.
Utah’s list of 13 scholarship players would include those two juniors, plus three sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and six incoming freshmen.
The Utes recently announced the signing of Texas prep guard Brendan Wenzel.
And Plummer announced his choice of Utah on Monday after visiting the campus this past weekend. He previously visited Portland State and Texas State.
UTAH’S 2019-20 ROSTER
Juniors: Donnie Tillman and Alfonso Plummer.
Sophomores: Timmy Allen Riley Battin and Both Gach.
Redshirt freshmen: Naseem Gaskin and Lahat Thioune.
Incoming freshmen: Jaxon Brenchley, Branden Carlson, Mikael Jantunen, Rylan Jones, Matt Van Komen and Brendan Wenzel.
Plummer averaged 18.6 points in 29.6 minutes for the Matadors as a sophomore, shooting 48.2 percent overall, 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 88.8 percent from the free-throw line. Arizona Western advanced to the NJCAA tournament via a 93-79 win over Snow College in the district championship game.
Plummer’s Twitter account is titled “Threeball,” with bow-and-arrow and flames emojis. The Utes need outside shooting, with the graduation of guards Sedrick Barefield and Parker Van Dyke. Sophomore guard Both Gach’s size would enable Utah to pair him with Plummer, redshirt freshmen Naseem Gaskin and freshman Rylan Jones in the backcourt.
Tillman has entered the NBA evaluation process, but is expected to withdraw from the draft by the May 29 deadline. Johnson reportedly is considering Nebraska and Marquette as destinations for his senior season.
Anticipating the potential loss of Johnson, Ute coach Larry Krystkowiak said in a season-wrapup interview that he would be willing to field a young team that would strive to improve.
Krystkowiak continues to search for an assistant coach to replace DeMarlo Slocum, who moved to UNLV in early April. Former Gonzaga coach Donny Daniels said a week later that he was coming to Utah in an unspecified advisory role; the Utes have not announced Daniels’ hiring yet.
Utah is coming off a 17-14 season, having missed the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season. The Utes' schedule is still being finalized, although eight games are booked: BYU (home), Minnesota (home), Weber State (Vivint Smart Home Arena), Nevada (road), Kentucky (Las Vegas) and three games in a November tournament at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In Pac-12 play, as announced last week, the Utes will meet Arizona and Arizona State only on the road and meet Washington and Washington State only at home.
