Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Finnish point guard commits to the Utah Runnin’ Utes

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Bernie Wilson | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 8:23 PM ET

After actively working the transfer portal to rebuild their roster, new Utah Runnin’ Utes coach Alex Jensen and his staff have dipped into the international pipeline and received a commitment from Finnish point guard Elmeri Abbey.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Abbey announced his commitment via social media on Friday. The 19-year-old Abbey is the second incoming freshman among the nine players the Utes have added since Jensen was hired.

Abbey is described as a solid two-way player and will provide depth at point guard.

Abbey played with Jyväskylä Basketball Academy in the Finnish 1st Division A. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.7 steals in 27 games.

Abbey has also shown his skills on both ends of the court with the U18 Finnish National Team. He’s averaged 15.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals.

The Utes have 12 players on their roster after Abbey’s commitment. They can add three more players.

Jensen’s hiring was announced on March 6. He finished the NBA season as an assistant with Dallas and then took over full-time at Utah after the Mavericks were eliminated in mid-April.

The Utes are looking to rebound from a difficult first season in the Big 12 Conference, when they finished 16-17 overall and 8-12 in conference.

Jensen played for the Utes under legendary coach Rick Majerus and helped them reach the national championship game in 1998, where they lost to Kentucky.