Heading into the matchup between the Runnin’ Utes and Stephen F. Austin, much has been made of the team pressure and game plan of the Lumberjacks, but how do they match up individually with Utah?
In preparation for the anticipated showdown Thursday afternoon, we broke down each starting lineup by position to see how they compare. Before getting into it, it’s worth noting that that SFA has started nine players this season, but we will use the Lumberjacks most recent starting lineup from the Southland Conference championship game.
PG – Brandon Taylor vs. Trey Pinkney
This will be one of the more entertaining matchups all night. It’s not every day that Taylor looks across the court and sees someone the same size as him, if not smaller. Pinkney stands at 5-foot-9, but brings with him a lot of experience. The junior started all 33 games this season, and all 35 from last year — including the SFA’s upset over VCU in last year’s NCAA tournament. While Taylor doesn’t have that Big Dance exposure quite yet, he is the most emotional and one of the hardest workers on this Utah team. Expect this individual matchup to be a lot of running around between the two and hard-nosed defense, something Taylor prides himself on.
Advantage: Utah
SG – Delon Wright vs. Dallas Cameron
Let’s be honest, we will probably see Wright moved a lot throughout this game thanks to his defensive prowess (maybe even Taylor too), but if Wright finds himself matched up with Cameron, it could get ugly for his Lumberjack counterpart. Cameron is more of a role player for SFA, averaging just 4.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. It’s clear he isn’t a focal point to this Lumberjack team, but Wright falls on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Without Wright, Utah’s season would be over. He is not only the best player that will be suiting up in this game, but Wright is one of the best in the entire nation. Expect the Lumberjacks to try and stop Wright by committee, but expect a big game from the triple-double threat in Wright.
Advantage: Utah
SF – Jordan Loveridge vs. Ty Charles
Just a freshman, Charles is the lone starting player for Stephen F. Austin that comes in with no NCAA Tournament experience. Luckily for him, none of the Utah players have any either, including Loveridge. The West Jordan native has had his best season to date, but Loveridge has a sour taste in his mouth after an 0-for-7 shooting performance when Utah lost in the Pac-12 semifinals to Oregon. When Loveridge is knocking down his shots, the Runnin’ Utes are hard to stop. But Charles is a long, 6-foot-5 small forward that can make things difficult for Loveridge. The freshman won’t overpower his matchup, but Charles has scored 15 or more points twice in SFA’s last four games. Both players have the skills to provide a huge lift to their respective teams, and it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Advantage: Tie
PF – Brekkott Chapman/Chris Reyes vs. Thomas Walkup
In the Pac-12 Tournament, Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak made a change to his starting lineup, moving freshman Brekkott Chapman to the power forward position in place of Chris Reyes. While it will be interesting to see who Coach K puts on the floor come Thursday afternoon, both players would have their hands full with Walkup. The clear leader of the Lumberjacks, Walkup averages 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Despite standing at just 6-foot-4 and playing in the Southland Conference, Walkup has shown that he is comfortable taking it to the rack against taller player. If the Utes want to avoid an upset, they will need to find a way to slow Walkup down. Whether the answer is Chapman, Reyes or both, stopping Walkup is essential for a Utah victory.
Advantage: Stephen F. Austin
C – Jakob Poeltl vs. Jacob Parker
Parker is another key to this SFA team, as he is the only other player besides Walkup to average double-digit scoring with 14.1 points per game, but the problem for the Lumberjack is that he stands at just 6-foot-6. Yes, Stephen F. Austin will throw some of its bigger bodies at Poeltl, but no one comes closer to within three inches of the Austrian center. This is a matchup that Utah could, and should, utilize if it plans on making it to a Saturday game. Parker does have some versatility to his game, as he can step out to behind the three-point line, but Poeltl moves well for a seven-footer. Parker will certainly get his points, maybe drain a couple buckets from deep, but expect Poeltl to grab a high number of rebounds in this one.
Advantage: Utah
Bench – Utah vs. SFA
The Runnin’ Utes are used to being the deeper team when they face an opponent, but the Lumberjacks come pretty close to matching their depth. Stephen F. Austin has nine players that average double-digit minutes compared to the 10 on Utah. Both coaches won’t be afraid to utilize their benches early and often if they see something on the court they don’t like.
Advantage: Tie
@GriffDoug