The University of Utah men’s basketball team is looking to bounce back against Washington State on Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Huntsman Center.
The Runnin’ Utes recently dropped back-to-back games while on the road in the Bay Area to Cal and Stanford, so they’re hoping to regain any lost ground in the comfort of their home arena.
“There’s a heck of a lot of growing that takes place in the valley, and it’s not always at the mountaintop,” said head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “Sometimes you need to get kicked in the dirt and not feel so good about where you’re at that gets your attention. I’d like to believe that’s where the players are — it’s where the coaches are.”
Right now the Utes sit in the sixth spot in the Pac-12, and they have their eyes set on finishing in the top four so they can get a bye in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Freshman Devon Daniels had been a bright spot for this young Utah roster, but he has not been producing too much on the offensive side of the ball, and a couple of weeks ago Krystkowiak did not start him because he was late to a few team events. However, something Krystkowiak always tries to remind his players is that they are never as good as they think they are, and they are never as bad as they think they are.
Basketball is a game of runs after all, so Krystkowiak is not putting too much pressure on one of his more productive freshmen because other guys on the team should be able to fill in the gaps whenever needed.
Parker Van Dyke has emerged as a consistent bench player, and he seems like he is finding that stride that he had at the beginning of the season. Krystkowiak likes what he brings to the floor, and Van Dyke hopes he can continue to earn more minutes and help his team to victory. He thinks the team has a solid game plan for Thursday night’s game, and he thinks the team has the “right attitude.”
“I feel a lot more comfortable on the floor, and it does help when your shots are going in, but I give a lot of credit to my coaching staff and my teammates,” Van Dyke said. “My coaches have always continued to coach me regardless of how I’m playing, and my teammates continue to trust me.”
The first time the Utes squared off against the Washington State Cougars, they were able to come away with an 88-47 victory on the road in Pullman. However, despite that 41 point win, Krystkowiak is sure Washington State has improved since that day, and he does not think a win is going to be as easy as that first time.
“Doesn’t make any difference what’s gone on in the past,” Krystkowiak said. “The Cal game had no bearing whatsoever on the Stanford game, so you have to bring it on a nightly basis. Past results don’t matter. You’re only as good as your next game.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
@kbrenneisen