Utah Utes basketball: Jim Boylen signs prep player George Matthews from Phoenix

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah men's head basketball coach Jim Boylen has announced the signing of George Matthews to a National Letter of Intent. Matthews is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound wing out of Phoenix, Ariz.

"George is a versatile wing who can handle the ball and fits our desire for length, athleticism and skill in a big body," said Boylen. "He is a scorer with a great feel for the game and his style of play has been compared to guys like Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony.

"George is a great signing for our program," Boylen continued. "He represents the caliber of player we need and expect to bring in as we move into the Pac-12 next year."

Matthews is currently prepping at Westwind Prep in Phoenix, where he is averaging 19 points per game, along with six rebounds and three assists per game under head coach Bobby Bossman.

Matthews played high school basketball at St. Mary's in Phoenix under Dave Lopez, in the same program that produced current NBA players Jarryd Bayless and Channing Frye.

Matthews chose Utah after also receiving offers from West Virginia, Rutgers and Seton Hall, among others.