What stands out about Deivon Smith’s triple-double

STANFORD, Calif. — When Deivon Smith stepped into the starting lineup for the Utah men’s basketball team Sunday at Stanford, the two-time transfer delivered a strong performance.

He also made a bit of history, registering the fifth triple-double in program history and the first since 2019.

Smith was in the Utes’ starting lineup with the team’s normal starting point guard, Rollie Worster, out with a lower leg injury.

That gave Smith the chance to make an impact right from the first whistle — he delivered, scoring a 3-pointer just 28 seconds into the game.

That set the tone for the day from the athletic guard, who finished with a season-high 32 minutes to go along with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the Runnin’ Utes’ 79-73 loss against the Cardinal.

“When you lose a guy like Rollie, who has all that experience and veteran leadership and is just kind of a rock for us, I thought Deivon stepped in and played a really great game,” Utah coach Craig Smith said.

Even in defeat, Sunday’s game at Maples Pavilion gave Utah (12-5, 3-3 Pac-12) a look at what it can accomplish when Worster isn’t available.

Worster is considered day-to-day right now. He was wearing a boot on his left leg during the Sunday afternoon contest.

Deivon Smith responded with an 11-assist day — surrendering just two turnovers — where he took charge of the offense.

“We had to play through him and put the ball in his hands — being able to spray it around and knowing when to attack and knowing when to kick it, but I thought he did a great job,” Craig Smith said. “I’m really proud of him and his improvement as a player.”

After putting up three points, five assists and four rebounds in the first half, Deivon Smith played 17 minutes in the second half and had 13 points, six assists and six rebounds after intermission.

He scored seven points in a 9-3 spurt to help Utah cut Stanford’s game-high 12-point lead in half midway through the second half.

Then Deivon Smith scored 6 of the Utes’ final eight points, as the Utes tried to rally in a second half where the Cardinal never trailed — Utah couldn’t get enough stops to tie the game or ever retake the lead after surrendering the lead late in the first half.

“I think we’ll be just fine. It’s still early,” Deivon Smith said. “We’re all learning, still gelling. I’m still new as well, and we’re still learning how to grow with each other. I think we’ll be different once we’re rocking.”

It was the third time in the past four games that Deivon Smith scored in double-digits, as he made 6 of 14 from the field and 2 of 5 from 3-point range.

One of the few blemishes was going 2 of 4 from the free-throw line, though Utah struggled as a team from the line, going 4 of 12.

“We’ve got to step up there with confidence and knock our shots down,” Deivon Smith said of Utah’s free-throw shooting woes Sunday. “They’re free. We’ve got to take our time and knock them down.”

Related

• What led to Utah staying winless on the road in Pac-12 play after falling at Stanford

His head coach commended Deivon Smith, who finished with a team-high plus/minus of plus-12, for the teachability he is displaying after becoming eligible to play mid-December.

“He’s really taking coaching well and his patience through the whole protocol has been great,” Craig Smith said.

“I thought he did some really, really good things tonight and certainly played the most minutes. You could tell at times he was getting gassed, but then late in that game, adrenaline kicks in, too, and he gets that second wind.”

Through eight games played, Deivon Smith has 38 assists to eight turnovers for a 4.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.

If he had played in enough games, that would qualify as the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation.

“He needs to be good for us. He needs to be a playmaker,” Craig Smith said.

Utah returns home for its next two games — against Oregon State on Thursday and Oregon on Sunday — and could turn to Deivon Smith again for longer stretches if Worster is still unavailable.

Deivon Smith, for his part, said he’s gelling with his teammates on what is now his third college program.

“I feel great. They love playing with me and I love playing with them,” he said. “Now, we’ve just got to figure out how to get these wins.”