Utah fell to No. 1 Arizona in its conference opener; can the Utes win at Colorado?
University of Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen has consistently reminded his players to “control what you can control” in his first season leading the program he once starred for.
Don’t let the results halt the progression — or let outside factors become a deterrent to development.
That applies to their latest effort, when the Runnin’ Utes lost by 19 to No. 1 Arizona last Saturday in their Big 12 opener.
The Wildcats stormed out to a 14-2 lead, then used their balance to overwhelm Utah.
The Utes (8-6, 0-1 Big 12) had their moments — like when they were able to fight back from an early 17-point hole and cut their deficit to single digits four times in the first half — before falling in a game where they were heavy underdogs.
“There were a lot of things myself and our team could learn from them, because they scored 97 points, and — I said this after the game — but they didn’t have a guy over 20 (points). You never saw them celebrate, get too high or too low. Very professional. You know, give credit to them,” Jensen said.
“Playing a team as good as that, I think it helped us emphasize what we’ve been trying to get across to them all along, that control what you can control. And there’s mistakes, whether you play Arizona or anybody, that you shouldn’t make.”
The experience was valuable for a Utah team with 12 newcomers — only junior forward Keanu Dawes played for the Utes in Big 12 action last season. Fifth-year forward James Okonkwo also has experience in the league — he started out his college career at West Virginia.
For freshmen like forward Kendyl Sanders, guard Obomate Abbey and forward Ibi Traore, it was their first real taste of the physicality that the conference is known for.
It wasn’t their first taste of major conference ball — the Utes had multiple nonconference games against teams from the SEC, ACC and Big Ten — but it gave Utah its first glance of what the 18-game conference grind will be like.
”It’s just very physical,” Sanders said of Big 12 play. “I’d say it’s probably the best basketball team we ever played — just experience, the physicality, the shots they take, how hard they were on the floor. I mean, it was a lot, but I think I’m ready for it. I’m excited for the (rest of) the season.”
Jensen was complimentary of the kind of program that Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd has built in Arizona. Not only do the Wildcats not have to rely on any one player — Arizona has one of the most balanced rosters in the country — they also have three starting freshmen who contribute heavily on a nightly basis.
“I think it’s really valuable for our freshmen to get the experience, because I think the fastest way to improve is to play basketball. … (Arizona does) a great job of blending (together), start three freshmen, and give them credit, all those guys play well together,” Jensen said.
For Utah, who’s had some injury issues that have impacted their rotation, the hope is that the challenges will pay off in the long run.
“For us, you’d love to have the eight-, nine-man rotation and stay healthy and have a couple young guys you bring up,” Jensen said. “With injuries and other things, we are doing things we necessarily hadn’t planned on. But again, I think everybody’s trying to figure out the best way to build their roster.”
Fortunately for Utah, the next game isn’t against a top-25 program. On Wednesday, the Utes will face Colorado (11-3, 1-0 Big 12), who is coming off a six-point road win over Arizona State to start Big 12 play.
The Buffaloes, to a lesser extent than Arizona, are efficient on offense — they average 86.6 points per game. Colorado has five players who average double-figures, paced by guard Isaiah Johnson (15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game) and Barrington Hargress (13.6 points, 4.8 assists).
Defensively, the Utes and Buffaloes are averaging similar numbers. Colorado is 14th in the Big 12 in scoring defense, giving up 78.2 points per game. Utah is one spot behind, allowing 79.8 points per contest.
“They’re well-coached. They’re big, they’re versatile. They have bigs that can handle the ball and they can initiate the offense. They’ll throw a little twist in, but they’re in every game,” Jensen said.
For Jensen and his team, though, the focus isn’t as much on what the opponent does well. It’s on focusing each day as the season progresses and helping the players develop — not just for this season, but for the future.
And if that formula goes well, it could end in victory — like it did in their first win over a major conference opponent, Ole Miss, back in November.
“It goes back to us and the things that we can control — playing with the pass, not getting beat in transition or on the boards, and I think we’ll have a really good chance. And then, limit the turnovers. Sounds simple, repetitive, but that’s it,” Jensen said.
Runnin’ Utes add walk-on big man
Utah, which has a dearth of front-court depth, is adding a 6-foot-10 walk-on center to the roster.
Colin McHaney joins the program as a midseason addition, as a potential option to add some minutes in the post when/if he gets up to speed.
McHaney hails from Milton, Georgia, where he played for Milton High and Blessed Trinity Catholic High. The past two years, he’s been a part of a region championship team, and as a sophomore, he helped lead Blessed Trinity Catholic High to the state quarterfinals.
Category: General Sports
