A lot of people assumed that Woods Cross point guard Holton Hunsaker would stay in state to play college basketball, perhaps because his father, Dick, is head coach at Utah Valley State College.

But the younger Hunsaker is venturing away from home.

A long way away from home.

Holton gave a verbal commitment to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday morning and will sign a letter of intent with the school in Rustin, La., in November.

Louisiana Tech is the alma mater of former Jazz great Karl Malone. It's head coach is Kerry Rupp, who served as interim head coach at the University of Utah several years ago when coach Rick Majerus quit midway through the season.

"The people are great down there," Holton Hunsaker said. "It will probably be good for me to branch out and get out of the Utah bubble."

Hunsaker turns 19 in June and will go on an LDS Church mission before ever enrolling at La Tech. His first year in a Tech jersey will be 2010, he said.

As a junior, Hunsaker averaged 17 points and 4.5 assists per game. He said he received no other offers -- not even from his father, who has said he does not want to coach his son, despite the temptation.

Coincidentally, Hunsaker was recruited to La Tech by assistant coach Curtis Condie, a former UVSC assistant under Dick Hunsaker.

Woods Cross coach Todd Street said Hunsaker will do well in the Western Athletic Conference because he is so smart on the floor.

"He gets the ball in the right spot and gets the offense going,' Street said. "He's a true point guard, a tough, hard-nosed kid who will battle on every possession."