Dave Rose has done it again.
Rising 2015 prospect Zac Seljaas has verbally committed to BYU, KSL reported on Monday. The Bountiful, Utah product also held scholarship offers from Utah, Utah State and San Francisco.
Seljaas was a second-team all-state selection in Utah's 4A division as a sophomore last year, averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game for the Bountiful Braves. He is currently expected to begin play for the Cougars in the 2015-2016 season.
The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter was recently riding a surge in recruiting momentum following a string of standout performances at the Las Vegas Fab 48 tournament, a prestigious AAU competition featuring many of the country's top players. Seljaas converted 15 three-pointers over a two-game stretch, including an 8-for-9 performance that sent several national recruiting analysts into a tizzy.
Zac Seljaas needs be put on the national map. Holy cow. 8 3s along with tying things up against southern elite. This kid is good #fab48
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) July 28, 2013
Utah Prospects U16 received a stellar performance from 6-7 junior Zach Seljaas..#eight3s...Jesse Wade...true pg...#D1..#Fab48
— Joel Francisco (@JoelFranESPN) July 28, 2013
Francisco also praised Seljaas as a "jack of all trades" in his tournament round-up for ESPN, while noting some opportunities for improvement:
Seljaas was one of the great finds of Sunday at the Fab 48. The multi-skilled wing affects the game with his shooting, rebounding and passing. He needs to continue to improve his strength and quickness, however, because strength and athleticism from opposing teams bothered his efficiency with the ball.
Seljaas may still be a bit under-the-radar for now — he's only an incoming junior, after all — but I think he could end up being one of Rose's most underrated pick-ups when we look back a few years down the line.
This is exactly the type of guy that BYU has needed the last few seasons — a skilled wing player who can stretch defenses by converting a high percentage from deep. I imagine him as very much in the mold of a more well-rounded Stephen Rogers, except hopefully without the chronic knee injuries.
Like Rogers, Seljaas' size and length are a key part of his appeal, as they should allow him to get more open looks by shooting over the hands of incoming defenders. Despite what BYU's recent rosters might suggest, decent shooters who stand shorter than 6-foot-3 aren't particularly uncommon — but schools go crazy for tall guys who can elevate over the defense and, essentially, get a good shot whenever they need to. At 6-foot-7 (and still growing, apparently), Seljaas has the potential to excel in that role.
While his marksmanship should go a long way toward opening up driving lanes for guards like Nick Emery and preventing opponents from sucking in on post players like Eric Mika, we shouldn't view Seljaas as just another one-dimensional shooter. As Francisco noted (and his high school stats show), he can do more than just jack up threes. This is a kid who can also hit the boards and pass the ball — both skills that will help make him and his team more effective.
All in all, this is a big get for the Cougars. Seljaas is an elite shooter who still has two years of high school left to continue filling out his game and his body. He will only get better between now and when he sets foot on campus in 2015, potentially turning himself from a very good prospect into a truly great one.
By locking him up early, Rose has preemptively pulled the rug out from under all the bigger-name programs who were sure to come calling as Seljaas rocketed up the recruiting boards — while making BYU's already blazingly bright future even brighter in the process.
Sounds like a win-win situation to me.