In the 2014-15 season the Runnin’ Utes had Delon Wright. In the 2015-16 season Jakob Poeltl was the head of the snake. This season though, there are not any real superstars to lead this Utah men’s basketball team — it is a growing year for the team with plenty of new faces in the wake of multiple seniors and a few players transferring from the program. And while this team may not have anyone to take that spotlight, it is going to rely on its team play more often than not as this season progresses.
The team will have games where one person shines brighter than the rest; however, nothing has been too consistent so far. Kyle Kuzma injured his ankle while the Utes were competing in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic over Christmas, and he was sidelined for a couple of games in addition to the one he was injured in. It took a game for him to get readjusted to everything, although he was still one of the leading scorers for the Utes.
Then against Arizona in the Utes’ first road game, Kuzma finished with just eight points. Facing a quick turnaround for a Saturday afternoon game against Arizona State, instead of looking a bit worn out Kuzma looked refreshed, and he had a career-high 26 points. However, the inconsistency is there, and while the junior — the longest-tenured player on this Utah squad — was thought to possibly take that star position, the Utes are earning their wins because it seems like any player can step up on any given night if needed to. And Kuzma has an additional role on this squad aside from how he plays on the court.
Even with this only being Kuzma’s third year in the program, he has still been in the Utah system longer than anyone else; Lorenzo Bonam is in his second year. Since Kuzma has not only the familiarity of Utah basketball but also his experience in the NCAA tournament, he has been working to get all the newcomers up to speed.
“It’s hard when you have a lot of young guys at this level to be locked in 24/7, but we’re doing a great job” Kuzma said.
Head coach Larry Krystkowiak would love for there to be a superstar because it could be easier to facilitate an offense through that person, as the Utes often did with Poeltl and Wright, and the lack thereof leaves a little bit of uncertainty. However, it also adds an element of surprise.
In that game where Kuzma only scored eight points against the Wildcats, just two Utah players finished scoring in double digits, and that was a bit atypical for this team. David Collette had 13 points, and Devon Daniels had 12 points. For the most part, though, the team has had plenty of players generate enough offense.
“We’ve proven to have six guys who can score in double figures, and I love having a team that has a lot of different firepower and weapons,” Krystkowiak said. “We’ll try to figure out where to attack another team and put our guys in a position to shine a little bit, and be a little less predictable and harder to scout.”
With Collette, therein could lie a potential superstar. The Utah State transfer did not participate in the majority of the preseason (he actually had not played college basketball in a year and a half), yet he has been a solid player for the Utes in every game that he has played. As of Jan. 7, Collette had scored in double digits in each outing for the Utes.
“Dave has a knack for playing the post,” Krystkowiak said. “He’s strong, brings some veteran leadership and an understanding of the game.”
The Utes are gearing up for a Washington road trip as they will take on the Washington State Cougars on Wednesday, Jan. 18, and they will then face the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Jan. 21.
@kbrenneisen