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Kosta comes to Salt Lake
Newest Jazzman (and Mom) makes first Utah trip
By Jody Genessy
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

During his first-ever visit to Utah, which came a day after being drafted in the first round by the Jazz, Kosta Koufos was impressed by his future home's "beautiful" scenery, the cleanliness and the friendliness.
(And, yes, he was referring to Salt Lake City, and not Orem, where he potentially could end up with the D-League's Utah Flash.)

Greece native Kathy Koufos, the 19-year-old's mom, also "loved it" ? from what she learned about the "family-oriented community," to her son's new basketball organization, even down to how Salt Lake City has two Greek churches.

One can only imagine how excited these dual citizenship Greek Americans from Canton, Ohio, will be when they find out the area also has Mad Greek and Greek Souvlaki restaurants.

Opah!

"I'm just very blessed and fortunate to be here," said the 7-foot center, who spurned offers to play pro ball in Greece and was picked 23rd overall after his freshman season at Ohio State, while meeting Friday with media at the Zions Bank Basketball Center.

Deseret News | Kosta comes to Salt Lake

Utah feels fortunate to land Koufos
Saturday, June 28, 2008
BY Todd Porter
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

As pick after pick came off Kevin O'Connor's draft board in Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz kept their fingers crossed. The big man Utah's general manager and Head Coach Jerry Sloan wanted still was there.

Kosta Koufos fell to the Jazz, and Friday afternoon their honeymoon together began. Koufos was introduced to Utah media and held up a No. 41 jersey as the newest member of the Jazz. Late Thursday night, Koufos did not seem irritated watching his draft stock, that was in or on the edge of a lottery pick, tumble before his eyes.

In Utah, he will play in a state where the Jazz are the only horse in the stable.

"The Utah Jazz are the main event here," Koufos said. "It's a great fan base. Basketball is important here. ... I feel I can contribute to this program and hopefully bring a championship."

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Koufos' foot problems in the past, Jazz say
Utah's draftee broke foot as high school junior

By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

Last time a plummeting big man dropped to the Jazz, he had foot issues.
Major foot issues.

Curtis Borchardt ? selected 18th overall out of Stanford University in the 2002 NBA draft but expected to go higher ? was plagued by a stress fracture in his right foot while in college.

The 7-foot center missed his entire 2002-03 rookie season with the Jazz due to a stress fracture in the same foot, which was held together by surgical screws.

He wound up logging just 83 games over the next two seasons, and ? his NBA career cut short, in part because of the foot ? eventually embarked on a playing career in Spain.

Flash forward to Thursday.

The Jazz drafted 7-foot Ohio State freshman center Kosta Koufos, who was expected to go higher.

As it turns out, Koufos sustained a broken right foot that limited him to 11 games during his junior season at GlenOaks High School in Canton, Ohio.

That fact was considered but did not at all dissuade the Jazz from selecting Koufos with their No. 23 overall pick in the draft's first round.

"All the physicals show nothing," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said Friday.

"We put it in the hopper ? but he played two years after that, and a lot of people have done that," O'Connor added. "It's not something that's happened recently, and he's played a lot of games since. It's a clean bill of health."
Koufos went on to average 25.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 5.2 blocks during a full senior season at GlenOaks.

Deseret News | Koufos' foot problems in the past, Jazz say