Below is an article reprinted from the
Sharp commits to Utah
By
Beky Beaton - DAILY HERALD
It's seven weeks before the first whistle will sound to start the 2007-08 Utah high school basketball season, but the Lone Peak boys team has already made history.
Josh Sharp became the third Knight in as many weeks to decide his future in the sport, as he made a verbal commitment to play at the University of Utah during his official campus visit there this weekend.
With Bracken Funk headed to Fresno State and Justin Hamilton to Iowa State, Lone Peak becomes the first Utah school to have three players commit early to Division I basketball programs in the same year.
Sharp named his coach and teammates as the main reasons he has this opportunity.
"Coach Lewis has helped me tremendously," he said. "Just as important, though, is having to play against all the other players on the team. They're so good it makes me better just to have to go against them."
Sharp was recruited at the 3-spot, a position he did not play until the beginning of spring ball this year.
In the 2007 season, he was the sixth man for the Knights but made starter-level contributions. He completed 58.5 percent of his field goals during the season, 61.2 percent during the state tournament, and also shot 70.6 percent of his free throws.
He averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and was second on the team in blocked shots with 21.
During the spring and summer, he led the team in field-goal percentage at 60 and free-throw percentage at 86. He averaged 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and also had 27 steals and 32 blocked shots.
"He was tremendous for us off the bench last year," said Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis. "You could consider him a starter with as much time as he played.
"This off-season, we've pushed him to develop his perimeter game, and he's taken some big steps. We've worked on his footwork, ball-handling and overall comfort level on the perimeter.
"He's a 6-7 3-man who's athletic, can make open shots and defend the 2 to 4 in college," the coach continued. "He's a good fit for Utah and for how they want to play. I've been getting to know their staff the last couple of months and they're going in the right direction."
The Ute coaches are barred from making any comment on recruits per NCAA rules until after they have signed, which can't happen until November, but Lewis knows what they like about Josh.
"They see him as a 3-man who can finish well around the basket, is a good passer and can defend his position.
"Overall, we're talking about a very talented kid who is a consummate teammate," Lewis said. "You put those things together and you have something very special.
"His field-goal percentage has been quite amazing throughout his career," the coach added. "His standing vertical is 31 ½, which is the best we've ever had here, even more than (Jackson) Emery or (Landon) Clegg."
Sharp is glad to have this decision behind him.
"I'm relieved to know where I'm going to go to play basketball," he said. "I really like coach Jim Boylen. What he wants to do is pretty similar to what we do at Lone Peak. He stresses good defense and they run a lot. That's a good fit for me."
