With two games remaining in the regular season, only one team has separated itself from the rest of the Pac-12. Arizona has clinched the regular season conference championship title as well as the top spot in next week’s Pac-12 tournament. Everyone else is still fighting for seeds with one goal in mind — avoid the Wildcats for as long as possible.
The Utes are currently slotted in the eighth spot, which means a potential quarterfinal matchup with the Wildcats. Depending on the final week’s results, the Utes could finish anywhere from fourth to 10th in the standings.
“We are in a heck of a league, and we control our own destiny,” said head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “If we can win some games and move on up, that’s great.”
With last Saturday’s triumph over Colorado, Utah has forced themselves into the NCAA Tournament bubble. Both the Utes’ remaining opponents, Cal and Stanford, are projected to be in the field of 68, and victories over them, along with a decent showing in the conference tournament, could be enough to get them dancing.
“It’s great to be in a position to affect the NCAA Tournament,” Krystkowiak said. “It’s a reward for being involved in that talk, but we need to get ready to go in and play against two quality teams this weekend.”
High school state tournaments invade the Huntsman
The Runnin’ Utes will be in the Bay Area this week, but that doesn’t mean the Huntsman Center will be void of basketball. Utah’s home arena will be hosting both the 4A and 5A state high school tournaments.
“We love having it here,” Krystkowiak said. “It was at Weber State and the hockey arena in the past, so we asked why we can’t have it here. The popcorn smell and seeing the excitement in the building this morning was something special. I have had lots of fans saying they have their kids playing here, and it’s a great experience.”
Krystkowiak specifically pointed to the fact that having the 4A tournament at the Huntsman Center would allow him to connect with future Ute Brekkott Chapman, but the Roy High star’s playing status is in the air. Chapman, a consensus top-100 recruit, was suspended from his team’s opening-round game for undisclosed team violations. Without its superstar, Roy was able to squeak by Skyline 62-60 to advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
As of Monday night, there was no official word as to the length of the suspension for Chapman and whether or not he will be able to suit up for Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Taking the act on the road
With Saturday’s victory against the Buffaloes, Utah finished off its home schedule with an 18-2 record with both losses coming in overtime. It’s clear the Utes have come a long way this season, but the next step is proving they can consistently win away from their home court. Utah is only 1-7 when playing away from the Huntsman this season.
“We’ve played really well at home, and I won’t say we’re peaking because you’re only as good as your next game,” Krystkowiak said. “We are getting more efficient, but we still have a long way to go. I think everyone associated with the program has the right mindset, so now it’s time to show up and prove it on the road.”
Victories against either Cal or Stanford would certainly be a good start.
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