The college basketball world is stunned after news from Friday morning’s press conference, where Utah center and projected first-round lottery pick Jakob Poeltl, to the complete shock of everyone in attendance, announced that he would not declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft and would remain in Utah for at least one more year.
Upon hearing the Austrian seven-footer’s decision to stay, cries of joy rang out from the handful of fans in attendance, and reporters typed frantically as they rushed to break the story. But the sheer spontaneity of that moment paled in comparison to the uproar that followed when the Runnin’ Utes’ most lauded prospect since Andrew Bogut announced he would be taking his talent to Park City.
“I have decided after that I will not enter into the NBA draft,” Poeltl, who had to pause for a moment to let the clamor in the audience subside, said. “I love it very much here in Utah, so I will stay, but I would like to start focusing on my skiing career.”
The previously excited atmosphere in the crowded room turned chaotic after Poeltl finished the second half of his announcement, and even the usually stoic Larry Krystkowiak couldn’t maintain his signature level-headedness after hearing the news.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Krystkowiak, whose time at the press conference was cut short when he stormed out of the room in disgust.
Poeltl stated that a lot of scenarios darted around in his mind in the weeks leading up to his decision, and after considering the relationships forged with the players and coaching staff, the value of a degree from the university and his potential future with the Utes, he had his heart set on going pro.
“I thought that it would be foolish not to take the money,” Poeltl admitted. “We’re talking about millions of dollars before I even play a single game. Even in the long-run, that’s way more than I’d ever make with just a bachelor’s degree.”
While Poeltl’s teammates, coaches and parents were unsuccessful in trying to dissuade the sophomore from departing for the big leagues, he said that a trip to the slopes and counsel from a trusted friend sent him down the unexpected path he now finds himself on.
“With basketball, we don’t get any time to ski because the season runs all winter, and even when it’s over, we’re not allowed to go because we could get hurt,” Poeltl explained. “But I went up last weekend. I remembered why it’s my favorite thing to do. While I was up there with my good friend Vince, I asked him what I should do, and he just said, ‘Send it, dude,’ so I decided to follow my dreams and become a professional skier.”
The Vienna native was prized by scouts for his combination of power down low in the post and European finesse, but for many it is hard to believe that the big man feels more at home on the snow than on hardwood.
“I love skiing — I have always been very good at it,” said Poeltl, whose 220-centimeter long skis were hand-crafted in a remote village high in the Alps. “When I first told my friends back home that I got a scholarship [at Utah], a lot of them thought it was for skiing.”
Poeltl’s homeland of Austria is the world leader in Olympic medals for Alpine Skiing and hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. However, Poeltl doesn’t have gold medal aspirations, nor does he want to be on the university’s nationally-ranked ski team.
“I just want to work on my edits,” Poeltl said. “Vince does these insane videos, and he got sponsored, so now he gets a lot of free gear. I guess that’s what I’m hoping for, but so long as I’m on the mountain I’ll be happy.”
Whether or not Poeltl will ever return to throwing monster down dunks and posting up opponents at the college or professional level remains unclear, but there’s no doubt that Poeltl’s national recognition on the basketball court will help fuel his popularity in his new venture.
@tylerfcrum
