3 things we learned about Utah basketball during nonconference play
When Utah basketball went into Thanksgiving week with a 3-2 record following a 1-2 mark at the Charleston Classic, the expectations surrounding the team were modest in comparison to what they are now with Pac-12 up next.
What has followed is a six-game winning streak where Utah picked up a Quad 1 road win in its lone true road game of nonconference play, a victory over then-No. 14 BYU to snap a three-game losing streak in the rivalry series, and four more wins in Salt Lake City — one at the Delta Center, the rest at the Huntsman Center.
Their 9-2 record in nonconference play is the most out-of-league wins since going 9-3 in the 2019-20 season.
“It’s way too early to be talking about this, but we’re in position to be in a position. We’ve taken care of a lot of things, we’ve had some good wins.” — Utah coach Craig Smith
“It’s nice to be able to go into league play on a six-game winning streak and be at 9-2,” Utah coach Craig Smith said. “It’s way too early to be talking about this, but we’re in position to be in a position. We’ve taken care of a lot of things, we’ve had some good wins.”
Now, the Runnin’ Utes are being projected as an NCAA Tournament team — in ESPN’s latest bracketology, they are a No. 9 seed — and are receiving votes in the top 25 national rankings.
That upward trajectory has Utah looking to be in position to make some noise in Pac-12 play, which begins the final weekend of the calendar year.
What have the Runnin’ Utes shown during the preseason? Here’s a look at three things we’ve learned about this team, and what’s next for a program looking to break a seven-year NCAA Tournament drought.
This team is rounding into shape
There is a healthy amount of veteran leadership with this Utah team that is delivering on a nightly basis.
Fifth-year senior center Branden Carlson, who dropped in a career-high 31 points in a win over Wake Forest, spurred the Utes to victory over BYU, and is averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, is leading the way.
Those are the kinds of efforts you’d expect from a two-time All-Pac-12 performer, and ones the team will rely on as league play hits.
Shooting guard Gabe Madsen has had his moments, too — they’ve included a 29-point effort against top-five Houston and hitting five 3-pointers against BYU, along with a late 3 to push Utah’s lead to seven. He’s in the top 20 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage, at 45.8%.
Point guard Rollie Worster is one of the nation’s best point guards statistically — his assists per game (6.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4) are among the top 25 nationally.
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The team’s other two starters, guard Cole Bajema and center Lawson Lovering, are transfers who’ve shown they are capable of handling a larger role as needed. Bajema is averaging 9.6 points per game and is second on the team in 3-pointers made (17), while Lovering is a solid component to the Utes’ front court both offensively and defensively — he has a team-high 14 blocks.
Utah showed what it can do defensively when it disrupted BYU, one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, for long enough to beat the then-No. 14 Cougars. The Utes also have enough offensive pieces to feel like the long scoring droughts won’t be nearly as detrimental as they were last season.
“We’ve played a lot of different styles of play, that’s what I’m really excited about. There’s not much we haven’t seen,” Smith said.
“I love to be able to play different styles of play because it makes you better in every facet.”
Utah is stronger coming out of preseason play
The Utes showed in the nonconference they are going to be one of the more competitive teams in Pac-12 play.
Utah stuck with then-No. 6 Houston and St. John’s in its two losses, while it also beat BYU at the Huntsman Center, Saint Mary’s on the road and Wake Forest in a neutral setting.
The Runnin’ Utes turned a corner after going 1-2 at the Charleston Classic — the team is finding its stride as it enters conference play on a six-game winning streak.
After the BYU game, Smith said, “This may be our fifth Quad 1 game already by the end of the year. There’s a very real chance that that could be the case.”
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That could prove to be the case: Utah, which is currently No. 24 in the NET rankings after a five-spot jump after its latest win, already owns a 2-1 record in Quad 1 games and 1-1 in Quad 2. As the coach cited, there’s a chance each of those games could end up being Quad 1 contests.
Here’s how Utah’s nonconference play breaks down in terms of NET quadrant designations at this point:
Quad 1: 2-1 (Home win over No. 3 BYU, road win over No. 64 Saint Mary’s, neutral-site loss to No. 1 Houston).
Quad 2: 1-1 (Neutral-site win over No. 84 Wake Forest, neutral-site loss to No. 58 St. John’s).
Quad 3: 1-0 (Neutral-site win over No. 124 Hawaii).
Quad 4: 5-0 (Home wins over No. 184 Utah Valley, No. 194 Eastern Washington, No. 219 Southern Utah, No. 275 UC Riverside and No. 277 Bellarmine).
The Saint Mary’s win, which was considered a Quad 2 victory just a few days ago, is up to a Quad 1 with the Gaels now on a prolonged winning streak.
The St. John’s and Wake Forest games could end up in Quad 1 territory as well.
“Our guys have been tested now, we’ve been through the ringer,” Smith following the BYU game.
Utah will need its depth to continue to develop and contribute
Entering the season, Smith talked about Utah having the starters to compete week in and week out — that’s proven true.
The key, then, was developing beyond that. Through much of nonconference play, there was an established rotation that included eight players, with Keba Keita, Ben Carlson and Hunter Erickson largely getting the call to come off the bench and spell the starters.
Consider a success thus far, with a caveat that the Utes still don’t know everything they could about their bench. Transfer guard Deivon Smith just started playing, and Wilguens Jr. Exacte has missed the entire season thus far due to injury.
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From the guys who’ve played, though, there is promise.
Keita has taken strides early in his sophomore season — he’s averaging 9.2 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds in 14.2 minutes off the bench. His 23-point, eight-rebound game against Southern Utah showed off his potential to take over in the paint, and his effort on both ends against BYU was key in the win.
Carlson, who started every game last season, has quietly gone about being a solid player on both ends and improved his shooting efficiency while giving the team quality minutes.
Over the past five games, Erickson has shown more flashes offensively, averaging 8.4 points during that stretch, and he’s second on the team in assists (3.3 per game).
“We’ve been a little up and down, from game to game and inside the games. We’re kind of bipolar in our effort and our offensive production, defensive production,” Erickson said following the preseason finale against Bellarmine. “I think these last couple games we’ve really been able to crank it down and be a more consistent team and stay on the up and limit the downs.”
Then there’s Smith, who was recently cleared for action after a court injunction allowed multiple-time transfers to play through the end of the 2023-24 academic season.
After logging 12 minutes against Utah Valley, the athletic guard played 17 against Bellarmine in Utah’s nonconference finale and had six points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot, while also taking a pair of charges defensively.
The Utah coach said Deivon Smith “kinda settled in” with his effort against the Knights. After a two-and-a-half-week period where his NCAA transfer waiver was denied, the school started the appeals process and a few days of uncertainty as a court case involving the NCAA waiver process ultimately landed with the decision that multiple-time transfers are now eligible through the rest of the year.
“He had two practices with (Branden Carlson), Gabe and Rollie (Worster) and getting those valuable minutes in practice to kind of get his rhythm and timing, so to speak, back,” Craig Smith said of Deivon Smith.
Exacte’s return would only improve the situation, though it’s unclear when he might be back.
One key question will be, can players spell Madsen and Worster? Both suffered injuries last year that played a big role in the Utes’ six-game losing streak to end the season. Right now, they’re averaging a team-high 31.7 minutes (Worster) and 30.5 (Madsen), respectively.
What’s next?
Utah was picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12’s preseason media poll.
“Preseason polls are specifically a sign of the respect your team has earned. You’ve got to be able to go out and earn respect, you’ve got to prove it,” Craig Smith said at Pac-12 media day.
The Utes, as evidenced by the KenPom (where Utah is currently ranked No. 30) and NET rankings, have clearly outpaced that kind of expectation through the season’s first seven weeks.
Here are the current NET quadrant designations for each of Utah’s games in league play:
Quad 1: Five games (home vs. No. 2 Arizona; away at No. 2 Arizona, No. 46 Washington State, No. 53 Washington, No. 39 Colorado).
Quad 2: Five games (home vs. No. 46 Washington State, No. 53 Washington, No. 39 Colorado; away at No. 83 USC, No. 81 Oregon).
Quad 3: Nine games (home vs. No. 153 UCLA, No. 81 Oregon, No. 148 Arizona State, No. 156 Stanford; away at No. 148 Arizona State, No. 156 Stanford, No. 153 UCLA, No. 225 California, No. 213 Oregon State).
Quad 4: One game (home vs. No. 213 Oregon State).
These designations will change as the season progresses, but it gives a roadmap to what kind of opportunities the Utes will have ahead of them in Pac-12 play.
The Pac-12 schedule for Utah starts with a pair of home games against Washington State (Dec. 29) and Washington (Dec. 31) before the Runnin’ Utes hit the road for games at Arizona State (Jan. 4) and No. 4 Arizona (Jan. 6).
