Rarely has a team with a seven-game winning streak been so luke-warm.
But such is the case as the Utah men’s basketball team (10-3, 0-0 MWC) enters Saturday afternoon’s MWC opener against UNLV (8-5, 1-1 MWC) in the Huntsman Center (1 p.m. start time).
Utah has not lost since its Dec. 4 loss to Arizona State, but could be heading into the conference opener without point guard Travis Spivey, who is coming off a one-game suspension for an apparent argument with coach Rick Majerus.
Although Spivey rejoined the team for practices, not even the man responsible for the decision was certain of Spivey’s future.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. In my 13 years at Utah and three more at Ball State, I’ve never suspended a player,” Majerus said in a teleconference Thursday. “I don’t know if he is going to rejoin the team or not.”
“I’m in the dark on the situation. We’re planning, in terms of playing, on him not coming back.
“I think he’ll be back, but we all have to pick up the slack if he doesn’t,” said Johnsen.
Spivey’s senior teammate and Brit’s brother Jeff shed some light on the situation.
“It depends on the way he responds in the next few days. Every time you get a second chance you have to prove yourself again,” he said.
Majerus said the decision whether to reinstate Spivey would fall on the shoulders of him and his senior players in a “shared sense of responsibility.”
On the court, the Utes will attempt to protect a mark of 44 consecutive conference wins in the Huntsman Center.
“I think there’s a lot more at stake [in conference games], because if we lose a game, it puts us back in the standings,” said Jeff Johnsen regarding the streak.
However, lately the Utes have merely tried to stay afloat.
The manner in which the U has won its last two games following an emotional 71-61 victory over Texas does not look like a team on a hot streak.
Utah defeated Division III Whitworth 63-57 and St. Mary’s 41-35, and were outrebounded in both games.
“People say we’re up and down, but we’ve still won seven in a row. Against UNLV we need to rebound well,” said Jacobson.
“Right now we’re a good team. When we play as a team, we’re tough,” said senior Phil Cullen.
The approach by UNLV first year coach Charlie Spoonhour to his team’s third conference opponent this season is intrinsic.
“We’re just trying to get our feet on the ground right now, concentrate on us,” he said. “Looking at the conference, I don’t see any easy games anywhere. We’ll have our hands full every night.”
Spoonhour’s crew, the MWC leader in steals, is expected to throw pressure at the Utes.
“Teams like to pressure us because they know we’re not the most athletic team,” said junior forward Britton Johnsen.
Dalron Johnson and Dixie State College transfer Marcus Banks lead the Rebs. Johnson averages 17.7 points and 8.0 rebounds a game, while Banks puts in 16.2 point a game and leads the MWC with 2.46 steals per.