The Rumble in the Rockies is upon us.
Utah will travel to Boulder, Colo. on Saturday to face its fellow conference mountain dweller. Though marketed as a rivalry by some, it seems like the clash between the Buffaloes and Utes has a way to go to reach that level.
“We don’t go back that far in terms of history,” says Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “We’re both the new guys on the block, but we don’t share any of the same past. Every game in this league kind of feels like a rivalry, and I would be lying if I tried to create something that I didn’t think was necessary.”
The rivalry feeling may not currently be there, but some members of the team think it could get to that point with more time.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere [in Boulder],” says guard Brandon Taylor. “I think it’s a rivalry in the making with two great teams.”
The Utes and Buffs will both enter Saturday’s game on losing streaks. Colorado has lost two straight games and four of its last five. It has struggled ever since leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie tore his ACL during a loss to Washington on Jan. 12. Since Dinwiddie has been sidelined, the Buffs are 1-3 and have been defeated by double digits in all three of those losses. Colorado was ranked 15th in the nation at the time of Dinwiddie’s injury and have since plummeted out of the polls.
“Somebody else is going to step up, that’s just how it is when someone goes down,” Taylor says. “Someone comes off the bench and is going to fill that role, so you can’t think about someone being out.”
Utah has had its own problems as of late, as they enter Saturday’s contest the losers of two in a row. The Utes will be playing their third straight road game and will be looking to get their first road victory of the season.
“I am not really too worried about where [the Buffaloes] are right now,” Krystkowiak says. “We’ve had our own struggles, and everyone has their own story to tell in terms of where their team is. That’s what makes playing the game fun — we have a couple different story lines that are gonna bang heads and see who comes out on top.”
 
Taylor Honored
On Wednesday, Brandon Taylor was named to the Capital One Academic All-District team. The psychology major currently has a 3.7 GPA.
“It feels good, and it’s a hell of an honor,” Taylor says. “I was just handling my school work. I didn’t know I was going to be named to some team. It’s something my family will be real proud of.”
Krystokowiak was pleased to hear Taylor was named to the team. He talked about how during recruiting, he makes it clear that he wants his athletes to succeed not only on the court, but in the classroom.
“It’s really, really important to me,” Krystkowiak says. “It’s easy to get focused on the basketball side of things. I think a lot of people forget the hours that are being spent [on academics]. It’s not easy to be a student-athlete, so when you get some accolades that are academic-related, it’s a gigantic statement, and it’s a big part of what we’re talking about doing.”
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