The men’s 2015-16 basketball team has a hard act to follow and will have an even harder time figuring out how to be just as successful as they were last season.
Making it to the Sweet 16 is no easy accomplishment, and Utah had most, if not all, the pieces last year. But this year is different — without fearless leader Delon Wright, it’s going to be tricky to find someone who is up to the challenge of taking the ball down the court at such an elite level.
Brandon Taylor can certainly vie for that position, but he is seven inches shorter than Wright, and while height may not be the most important quality in a point guard, it certainly helps. Wright’s height gave him an edge, an advantage he could use to look over the defense at times and see openings shorter guards could not. Taylor did an exceptional job in the NCAA Tournament, but he needs to step up his game for the entire season if he is going to carry some of the load.
While Utah cannot rely entirely on Taylor’s performance, fans may assume they can rely on center Jakob Poeltl. While this is true to a certain extent, other teams are going to have their eyes on him. The NCAA tournament put him on the map, and he probably would have been drafted had he not forgone the NBA draft. Now teams are aware of his potential and will not want to take a burn from the seven-footer. Poeltl can still cause some damage down low, but he is not going to take anyone by surprise this season, which goes against Utah’s odds.
The Utes had a shot of winning the Pac-12 title last year but made some costly mistakes, like not boxing out against Arizona. They may very well have the same opportunity to take home the conference championship this season, and yes, they will not make errors like that again, but Utah will need to win the big road games to gain some momentum. Winning those road games is easier said than done.
One road contest that has received a ton of hype already is the rematch between Utah and Duke at Madison Square Garden in December. The Blue Devils ousted the Utes in the Big Dance last season, and there is a lot on the line when they face off in New York.
The returning Utah players will want redemption, revenge and they will want the entire basketball world to know they can win on basketball’s biggest stage. In contrast, Duke is not going to be thinking about the contest until right before the rematch. To the Blue Devils, the Utes were just another hurdle in their way of becoming champions, so while it may mean a lot to the Utah players and their fan-base, Duke is going to go in with a level head. Losing the game could alter Utah’s season, and if the Utes do win, they can’t keep their heads in the clouds for too long or else they might be blind-sided by an inferior opponent.
Last season, the Utes went 26-9, with the majority of their losses coming against worthy opponents. While this may not be a rebuilding season for the Utes, they need to make sure they do not slip up on any winnable games.
Utah will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but I doubt they will make it further than the first or second round.
@kbrenneisen