PROVO — The NCAA’s signing period passed Wednesday with less anticipation and fanfare than normal, likely due in large measure to the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought high school and college sports to a crawl.

But for several local athletes, the day signaled a new beginning, the first day of the NCAA’s spring signing period that runs through Aug. 1.

One of them was Dallin Hall, the Fremont High star who led the Silverwolves to the Class 6A state championship after averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-3 senior made official his earlier commitment to BYU, signing with second-year head coach Mark Pope before Hall gets set to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines.

“I’ve been recruiting Dallin for a long time and we’re very excited to get him to Provo,” Pope said in a statement from the university. “He captured the attention of basketball fans throughout the state, including Donovan Mitchell, with his incredible state title run this year. His vision off ball screens and ability to read changing defenses are at an elite level already. He’s a great competitor and a physically imposing offensive player who can really score the ball.

“Cougar fans will be so impressed with Dallin’s leadership and Hollywood caliber charisma.”

Hall is the third player in Pope’s recruiting class of 2020, joining former American Fork wing Spencer Johnson by way of Salt Lake Community College, and Wasatch Academy guard Richie Saunders, who will also serve a two-year mission to Madagascar prior to enrolling at BYU.

Another former local standout signed in Utah County, five miles away from Hall’s destination. Asa McCord, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward who starred at Westlake, signed with Utah Valley.

Asa McCord works inside for Westlake against Weber in the 5A boys basketball state tournament. (Photo: Mark Douglas, KSL.com)

McCord averaged 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Salt Lake Community College, helping the Bruins to a No. 4 national ranking, a region and district championship, and a berth in the NJCAA national tournament.

A 40.8% 3-point shooter, McCord tallied 92 assists and 56 steals for SLCC en route to All-Region 18 first-team honors.

“Asa is an excellent outside shooter and a rugged defender,” UVU second-year coach Mark Madsen said. “He is not afraid to embrace physicality at all levels and was one of the nation’s top rebounders at his position last season.

“Asa brings extreme toughness to the court and he brings high achievement to the classroom as he pursues a degree in exercise science. I am proud to welcome Asa and his family to UVU.”

Madsen also signed Le’Tre Darthard, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound wing who played one season at McCook Community College, averaging 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 seals and 1.0 assists per game. A native of Denton, Texas, the All-Region IX third-team honoree and Region IX all-tournament team selection will be immediately eligible in 2020-21.

“Le’Tre has defined himself by adding new aspects to his game each summer,” Madsen said. “He plays the game with ferocity and emotion. In addition to being an excellent basketball player, Le’Tre is an elite student who will be pursuing business coursework.”

See more transfers and signees in the updates below.

Wednesday, 08:19pm SUU’s Jessica Chatman joins Utah State as graduate transfer LOGAN — Former BYU and Southern Utah guard Jessica Chatman will finish her college career at a third in-state school. The 6-foot guard from Union High School in Camas, Washington, has signed with Utah State, first-year head coach Kayla Ard announced Wednesday. Chatman, the daughter of former BYU star Jeff Chatman who will graduate from SUU with a degree in elementary education, will have one final season of eligibility with the Aggies. Welcome to the Aggie Family, Jessica‼️



➡️https://t.co/aPOQesAzlh#AggiesAllTheWaypic.twitter.com/m3xtMt4R2Z — USU Women's Hoops (@USUWBasketball) April 15, 2020 “We are very happy to have Jess joining the team,” Ard said. “She brings instant maturity and leadership to our squad. Her infectious positive attitude will be an asset to our program on and off the court. Her skill set on the court fits our offensive system well and will give her and the team a great opportunity to excel.” Chatman averaged 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 31 games last year for the Thunderbirds, her second season in Cedar City. She began her career at BYU, where she played just 3.3 minutes in 19 games during the 2016-17 season.

Wednesday, 11:50am BYU women add New Zealand-born grad transfer Tegan Graham from Colgate BYU women’s basketball coach Jeff Judkins officially added Michigan State forward Kayla Belles to the program Wednesday, but also announced the addition of Colgate graduate transfer Tegan Graham for the 2020-21 season. Graham, a 6-foot guard from Wellington, New Zealand, will have one final season of eligibility to play with the Cougars after spending four years in Madison County, New York, where she finished her career ranked sixth in school history in 3-point percentage, 12th in blocked shots and 14th in field-goal percentage with the Raiders. “Tegan is a good, solid player that can play either the 3 or 4 positions,” Judkins said of Graham, who was a two-time team captain and three-time all-Patriot League academic honoree. “She’s really good at moving with the ball. She’ll bring a lot of experience with her. She’s a versatile player that will give us depth.” The team also confirmed that former Mountain View star Tahlia White will return to the squad for the 2020-21 season. The 6-foot guard whose mom, the former Behka Stafford, played for BYU from 1992-96, missed the 2018-19 season with a meniscus injury prior to serving an 18-month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Washington.

Saturday, 02:23pm Abel Porter trades Aggie blue for Buckeye red Abel Porter’s college basketball career isn’t over yet. After celebrating senior night with his Utah State teammates and mulling the end of his time in the sport, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard from Davis High has committed to play another year. And it will be in Columbus, Ohio. Porter announced his commitment to Ohio State via social media Saturday afternoon, departing Logan after a wild career that saw him go from walk-on to scholarship role player to starting point guard for the two-time defending Mountain West champion Aggies. Porter averaged 5.6 points and 3.2 assists per game last season for Utah State, but his presence on the court was felt beyond the box score by his teammates. He has one season of eligibility as a graduate student for the Buckeyes. I’ve officially committed to play basketball at The Ohio State University 🔴🔴 #BuckeyeNationpic.twitter.com/t1yyo8YsZa — Abel Porter (@Ah_bell) April 11, 2020 Ohio State had just one point guard after freshman D.J. Carton elected to transfer back on March 19. So Porter will join C.J. Walker next season, shoring a position of need for the Buckeyes. Bucknell transfer guard Jimmy Sotos has also committed to Ohio State, but he is likely to sit out the 2020-21 season, per NCAA transfer rules.

Wednesday, 07:18pm Former Utah, Pleasant Grove big Matt Van Komen reportedly commits to Saint Mary's Utah freshman Matt Van Komen is headed to Moraga, California, according to his former coaches at Pleasant Grove High School. The 7-foot-4, 240-pound center from Utah County will have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out one season at Saint Mary’s and head coach Randy Bennett. Confirmed and Matt has made the decision to transfer to St. Mary’s!

Matt is extremely excited about this decision! Good luck Matt!@asapmattvk@saintmaryshoopshttps://t.co/SpJaI4CWsq — PG Vikings 🏀 (@PGBoysHoops) April 9, 2020 Van Komen is a former four-star prospect who was the No. 2-rated recruit in Utah by ESPN as a senior with the Vikings, when he averaged 16.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game. The 2018 first-team all-state selection picked the Utes over offers from Gonzaga, Baylor and Utah State, among others, but his next stop appears to be with another school in the West Coast Conference. Van Komen played sparingly as a freshman on the Hill, posting a season-high 12 points and six rebounds in a 143-48 rout over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 8. But his playing time gradually diminished, and his final appearance came with a two-minute reserve role Feb. 8 against Cal. Van Komen also reportedly had interest from BYU, where his mother Lindsay was a standout post on the women’s basketball team after JUCO career at the College of Eastern Utah.

Wednesday, 03:24pm BYU women pick up Big Ten transfer forward Kayla Belles from Michigan State BYU women’s basketball has picked up an impact transfer from a Power Five school. Michigan State forward Kayla Belles announced Tuesday through her school that she is transferring to BYU. The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Ithaca, Michigan, has two seasons of eligibility remaining, and has not used a redshirt as she makes the move to Provo. “We loved having Kayla Belles part of our program and while disappointed she is leaving, we wish her nothing but the very best at an institution that aligns her faith and personal endeavors,” said Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant of Belles, whose father Douglas was a branch president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in her hometown. “She and her family are first-class people, and they will always be part of our Spartan family.” Just wanted to publicly say that I accepted the offer to continue my career at Brigham Young University. Thank you everyone for your support! @byuwbb — Kayla Belles (@belles_kayla42) April 8, 2020 Belles averaged 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2019-20 for the Spartans, who finished 16-14 with 9-9 record in Big Ten play. Prior to her time at Michigan State, Belles led Ithaca High School to a 65-10 record in three seasons, including averaging 19.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as a junior. She missed her senior year of high school with an injury. “The decision I have made to transfer has possibly been one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make thus far in my life,” Belles said. “When you are surrounded with such amazing teammates, coaches and support staff, you grow a family that is hard to leave. But through personal prayer and much thought, I have decided this will be my new path.” BYU coach Jeff Judkins lost four seniors to graduation in 2019-20, including its No. 2 scoring option in guard Brenna Chase Drollinger and top rebounders Jasmine Moody and Shalae Salmon.

Monday, 07:26pm Utah State senior Grootfaam in the portal; eligibility TBD Former Utah State senior Roche Grootfaam is in the transfer portal, a source confirmed to KSL.com. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound forward was a senior with the Aggies in 2019-20, appearing in 11 games with 5.6 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 13 points against Eastern Oregon en route to a season average of 3.3 points per game. A native of Paramaribo, Suriname, Grootfaam spent two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho following a four-year career at Covenant Christian Academy in Marietta, Georgia. A graduate in exercise science, Grootfaam’s eligibility is yet to be determined; he spent his first season at Utah State as a redshirt in 2018-19, but progressed to a senior in coach Craig Smith’s second season last year. If deemed eligible, Grootfaam will have one season of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

Sunday, 04:22pm Zdor out, GCU's Isiah Brown in at Weber State On the same day Weber State lost another player to the transfer portal — the Wildcats’ fourth since the season ended — another came committing through the open door. Sophomore forward Dima Zdor entered the portal Sunday, as first reported by Verbal Commits, joining former teammates Austin Galuppo, Israel Barnes and Bouki Diakite. Zdor was a regular rotation player in head coach Randy Rahe’s rotation as a sophomore, averaging 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game, including seven starts. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound native of Yalta, Ukraine who came to Ogden by way of Saint James School in Maryland shot 52.2% from the field for the 12-20 Wildcats, who will also be replacing seniors Cody John, Brenden Morris and all-time leading scorer Jerrick Harding (2,266 points in 122 games). Weber State F/C Dima Zdor (SO) has entered the transfer portal. https://t.co/SnmozCSiKk — Verbal Commits (@VerbalCommits) March 29, 2020 But it’s not all loss for Wildcat fans. Grand Canyon graduate transfer Isiah Brown strongly intimated Sunday via Twitter that he is committing to Weber State. The 6-foot-2 Seattle native played two seasons at Northwestern before transferring to the desert in 2018-19, when he sat out one season with a redshirt. Brown averaged 9.3 points and 1.7 assists per game in his lone season at GCU, when the Lopes finished 13-17 with an 8-8 mark in WAC play in the final season under Dan Majerle. 💟💟💟 @WeberStateMBBpic.twitter.com/MbUwLnwMiH — Isiah Brown (@oJigHeem) March 29, 2020

Friday, 06:46pm Former UVU, SLCC hooper Isaiah White commits to USC Utah Valley fifth-year senior Isaiah White is leaving Orem, according to a report. The Rancho Cucamonga, California, native who played two seasons at UVU following two years at Salt Lake Community College has committed to USC, as first reported by AAU basketball organizer Dinos Trigonis. White will have one season of immediate eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer. Utah Valley 5th year grad transfer 6-7 Isaiah White has committed to USC over Arizona. Former Belmont Shore standout averaged 14.5 ppg & 8.4 rpg as a junior@jeffborzello@jakeweingarten@latsondheimer@GaryParrishCBS@RobDauster@ebosshoops@EvanDaniels@FrankieBur@RonMFlores — Dinos Trigonis (@trigonis30) March 27, 2020 White, who also had interest from former coach Mark Pope and BYU, played two seasons at UVU, including a breakout 2019-20 when he averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in starting all but three games of the year. He also spent two years at SLCC, though he only played one, averaging 12.0 points on 45.7 percent shooting to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as a freshman in 2016-17.

Sunday, 08:26pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: UVU's Casdon Jardine on the move (again) Utah Valley forward Casdon Jardine has entered the transfer portal, sources confirmed to KSL.com. The move was first reported by the Locked on Cougar podcast. The 6-foot-7, 218-pound redshirt junior from Twin Falls, Idaho played one season with the Wolverines, averaging 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29 games, all starts. Jardine played one seasons at Boise State and another at College of Southern Idaho, in addition to a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil, and has one season of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

Sunday, 01:37pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: Utah's 7-4 center Matt Van Komen enters the portal The Runnin’ Utes’ offseason flux has begun. Freshman center Matt Van Komen has entered the transfer portal, a source with knowledge of the portal confirmed to KSL.com. Reports indicated Saturday that the 7-foot-4, 240-pound center from Pleasant Grove was weighing his options and planning to enter his name in the portal. By Sunday, he was officially in, as first reported by the 247 Sports transfer tracker. Recently added to the portal:



Tray Jackson, Missouri

Khalif Battle, Butler

Matt Van Komen, Utah

Ian Steere, St. John's

Aaron Estrada, Saint Peter's

Isaiah White, Utah Valley

Elias Harden, Jacksonville State

Noah Kamba: Murray Statehttps://t.co/poAPYUlocy — 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) March 22, 2020 Van Komen was a four-star prospect and the No. 2-rated player in Utah by ESPN as a senior for the Vikings, when he averaged 16.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots per game. A 2018 first-team all-state selection by the Deseret News, Van Komen also had offers from Gonzaga, Baylor and Utah State, among others, before signing with the Utes. But he played in just nine games as a freshman, scoring a season-high 12 points and six rebounds in his debut, a 143-48 win Nov. 8 over Mississippi Valley State. His playing time and production dropped off from there, and he hasn’t played since a two-minute appearance against Cal back on Feb. 8. Van Komen’s father Troy played basketball at Lewis & Clark, while his mother Van Komen’s father Troy played basketball at Lewis & Clark, while his mother, the former Lindsay Newville, played for BYU and was a triple-double-scoring forward while playing at the College of Eastern Utah.

Sunday, 01:51pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: UVU's Isaiah White makes repeat appearance in portal Utah Valley guard Isaiah White has put his name into the transfer portal, according to 247 Sports. The 6-foot-7 junior guard from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., started all but three games for the Wolverines in 2019-20, the first year under head coach Mark Madsen. He averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a junior, including a 21-point outing in a WAC rivalry game Feb. 15 against New Mexico State. This is not White’s first experience with the transfer portal. He entered the portal last April, after then-coach Mark Pope accepted the job at BYU, before ultimately deciding to remain in Orem.

Wednesday, 06:53pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: BYU PG Blaze Nield options to leave Provo On the same day BYU’s season ended with its best ranking in a decade, one of the Cougars’ reserves jumped into the transfer portal. Sophomore point guard Blaze Nield has entered the portal, a source confirmed to KSL.com. Verbal Commits was the first to report the transaction, and confirmed by several entities, including the Locked on Cougars podcast and KSL.com. Brigham Young G Blaze Nield (SO) has entered the transfer portal. https://t.co/H00U5sjemT — Verbal Commits (@VerbalCommits) March 18, 2020 Nield spent one walk-on season at BYU. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Lehi native averaged just 3.5 minutes in 17 games off the bench, scoring 12 points with eight assists and two rebounds. After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C., Nield played his freshman season at Utah State University-Eastern, formerly the College of Eastern Utah in Price. He averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, including 40.7 percent from 3-point range. An all-state honorable mention by the Deseret News, Field was the No. 2 point guard and No. 10 overall player in the state as a senior in 2016. His role was expected to grow next season, especially after losing a nine-player senior class that included starting point guard TJ Haws and wing Jake Toolson. Players are not bound by entering the transfer portal, so a return for Nield — as with any other player on this list — is possible (even if, at times, unlikely).

Tuesday, 02:49pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: Weber State trio adds to the portal Weber State basketball saw three players enter the transfer portal less than 48 hours apart. Freshman guard Austin Galuppo entered the transfer portal Tuesday, joining sophomores Israel Barnes and Bouki Diakite, as first reported by the (Ogden) Standard-Examiner. Galuppo appeared in 12 games, most of them in the first half of the season, at 9.1 minutes per outing. Was recruited as a shooter, shot 24% on a small sample this year.



With Zahir Porter's commitment, Weber State has 5 more scholarships open. https://t.co/cxt3LvG4NU — WeberHQ 🇼 Brett Hein (@WeberHQ) March 17, 2020 That brings the number of Wildcats in the portal to four, tied for the second-most in the country behind Wichita State’s six. Barnes was the biggest contributor of the group, averaging 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game, including five starts for the Wildcats in 2019-20. Galuppo averaged just 9 minutes in 12 games off the bench, and Diakite played in only three games all year. Weber State women’s basketball was also hit by the portal Tuesday, according to Skyline Sports in Montana. Freshman guard Shyanne Loiland and sophomore forward Ciara James are both looking at a transfer. Players are not bound to leave by entering the transfer portal. Weber State running back Kevin Smith, for example, recently removed his name from the portal to return to the Wildcats for his final season of eligibility, according to the Locked on Cougars podcast.

Friday, 07:26pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: Utah State's Abel Porter enters the portal If it feels like Abel Porter has been at Utah State for a full career, he has. But the redshirt junior guard received an extra season of eligibility from the NCAA due to injury, and he’s preparing to finish out his career elsewhere. Porter, who was honored with the Aggies’ three seniors on Senior Night in Logan, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, a source confirmed to KSL.com. The move was first reported by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. Porter averaged 4.3 points and 2.4 assists per game in four years for the Aggies, including a senior season when he put up 5.6 points and 3.2 assists per game while starting all 34 of the games. He also missed time with a back injury, including most of the Aggies’ 89-82 win over Wyoming in the Mountain West semifinals, before returning as Utah State’s top perimeter defender one day later against San Diego State. Porter was a two-star recruit out of Davis High, where he averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game as a senior. He had at least one offer from Hawaii before electing to walk on at Utah State, a decision that turned into a scholarship after returning from a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Samara, Russia. A High Honor Roll student at Davis, Porter is set to graduate with a second master’s degree from Utah State. He and his wife, Presley, are also expecting their first child.

Friday, 07:26pm NCAA Transfer Tracker: UVU's Havsa enters the portal Utah Valley’s Turkish guard Cavit Havsa is in the transfer portal, a source confirmed to KSL.com. The move, which was first reported by 247 Sports, comes with Havsa spending little time with the Wolverines. The 6-foot-4, 164-pound transfer from Fordham played two seasons in the Bronx before sitting out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules. In his lone eligible year with Wolverines, Havsa averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 22.6 minutes in seven games, all off the bench. He hasn’t played since the Wolverines’ 84-82 loss to New Mexico State on Feb. 15, when he played just four minutes.