Rawson picks Utah
On Monday, the Runnin’ Utes added another talent to their sudden abundance of front court depth, with the addition of Salt Lake Community College power forward Tyler Rawson.
His commitment was a culmination of continuous hard work, as he has improved every year since graduating from American Fork High School.
“It feels great. It’s been a stressful process,” said Rawson. “A lot of coaches have been calling me all year long and it’s nice to just have the ones I care about and the ones that care about me the most. Now we can get our plan set for what’s coming up in the summer and I’m just really excited to be a part of the program.”
Utah Associate Head Coach Tommy Connor has been recruiting Rawson since his junior year of high school. Since then, he has made steady improvement, gained important weight, and added an outside shot.
“He was always, whether watching Jake, watching me, or someone else. Out of high school, he really wanted me, but they didn’t have any scholarships and he was trying to offer me a walk-on spot on the team, but I wasn’t really interested in paying tuition,” Rawson continued. “After this year, he’s been to a lot of my games and been in close contact with my coaches and my parents. I’m grateful that I’ll be able to play for him, next year.”
So what was Rawson’s biggest takeaway from all of their conversations?
“He used to tell me, ‘Work hard and maybe it will work out in the future,’ and it has,” said Rawson.
After one year at Southern Utah and another at Salt Lake Community College, Rawson proved his worth, showcasing a well-rounded game. He might not have one skill that jumps off the charts, but he does everything well: rebounding, shot blocking, passing, and three-point shooting.
“I feel like when it comes to big guys, you’re either out on the perimeter shooting threes or inside with a post game,” he said. “I feel like I can do both of those things really well.”
According to Rawson, he had offers from Utah, Oregon State, Utah State, Boise State, Colorado State, and Marquette. He also claims that Oregon, BYU, and Villanova had a good amount of contact with him.
In the end, however, Rawson’s familiarity with Coach Connor made Utah the unquestioned choice, leading to him pulling the trigger.
“Their entire coaching staff was at Salt Lake Community,” he said. “I think they were on their way to the Final Four and they just wanted to meet with me and see if I had any questions about the program, since I’d already taken a tour of their facilities. I’ve had all my questions answered and they were excited when I committed. Coach (Krystkowiak) jumped right up and gave me a big old hug.”
With his commitment out of the way, Rawson is excited for what lies ahead. “I’m just happy to be a part of the program and I’m blessed to be given this opportunity,” he said. “It’s been a lot of hard work and I look forward to being a Ute.”